Disaster News 1

Social Media in Disaster

By Sam Bradley

The federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team DMAT CA-6 - of which I am a proud member - is returning from Haiti tomorrow. This deployment was unique because it was their first international mission. Although the team is set up to be completely self-sufficient for 72 hours, they arrived to find the most austere conditions they had ever experienced -- no water, electricity or food other than MREs (meals ready to eat). They slept outside the American Embassy on the lawn for several days awaiting the tents and medical gear to arrive behind them. Naturally, those of us at home were concerned with their welfare. Usual modes of communication were not available. Messages from any disaster area are limited for a while, but in our country communication is usually restored quickly. Not so in a country that has a sketchy communication infrastructure on a good day.

As you probably know, the first news of the disaster came via messages sent to Twitter and Facebook sites. This was a use of social media that proved to be critically important to grasp a sense of the magnitude of the destruction and the effects on human life. Several people were found in the rubble and their lives saved because they were able to text to someone – in some cases those in other countries - to let rescuers know they were alive. The first communications from the team came via satellite phone and limited internet access. In this foreign environment, with safety and security becoming a bigger issue, any contact from the team made a positive difference to our mental health. Now we’re receiving messages and pictures through SMS (text) messaging and they can upload information to our website forum where their families look for news.

Something you might consider before the next local disaster is make sure that the phone numbers of all your most important people are in your phone’s address book. A phone with text messaging can be a plus when cell sites are down. For many brands you can also purchase some kind of battery run device that will keep it going when there is no electricity to charge it with. There’s also the added benefit that it can keep you entertained for hours if you have one that contains, music, games and other applications. In disaster, your phone can be much more than a voice communication device.

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