At 16 on the top 25 SMEM destinations: witness to progress

Born in the aftermath of a violent election in Kenya, Ushahidi amply merits the #16 spot on my list of top 25 online destinations social media in emergency management. If Patrick Meier (who sits at #18 on my list) can be considered a guru of crisis mapping, then Ushahidi is the grandfather.


The founders of Ushahidi and the team that supports the multiple deployment of the platforms around the world, have given crisis mapping and crowdsourcing during emergencies their "lettre de noblesse" ... their title of legitimacy of sorts.

Whether in Haiti or in Japan, the use of the Ushahidi/Swiftriver/crowdmap set of tools has made a real difference in the response and recovery phase. If social media is about empowerment of the citizens ... turning witnesses and victims into participants, then Ushahidi is about giving them the tools to make a valuable contribution that can be legitimized and integrated into emergency management programs around the world.


Of particular interest for emergency managers is the analytical tools offered by Swiftriver that allow real-time evaluation and validation of social media and other info.

For its key role in advancing the use of social media, crowdsourcing and crisis mapping in disasters, the Ushahidi nexus ranks at 16 on my list. 


The list so far:
#16: ushahidi ... witnessing change and progress in SMEM

#17: the iRevolution.net website and blog by Patrick Meier

#18: the Recovery Diva

#19: ESRI's public safety and disaster relief blogs

#20: ConnectedCops and SMILE 

#21: The American Red Cross

#22: Humanity Road

#23: 2BeeReady.org

#24: the CDC and the zombie apocalypse

#25: Hal Grieb

Series introduction

number 17 on the SMEM list: a revolution in disaster and humanitarian response

Few people have had a bigger role in shaping the future of evidence-based humanitarian and disaster relief as the man behind the website/blog which sits at #17 on my list of top 25 SMEM destinations.

Patrick Meier, scholar, crisis mappers and humanist, is making history. Through his engagement with Ushahidi (more to come on that topic later in our series), he's helping blaze a trail of innovation, participation and crowdsourcing that's making a difference around the world. 

When Patrick blogs on iRevolution.net people listen, particularly when he raises issues such as data validation on social media for crisis mapping and crowdsourcing, or helping with the monitoring of flawed elections in Russia, his blogposts become authoritative statements.

For most, that would be more than enough, but Patrick Meier is also co-founder of the International Network of Crisis Mappers (Crisis Mappers Net) and the Standby Task Force, two of the most important organizations/networks in crisis mapping and crowdsourcing. To give you an idea of where this all leads, consult some crisis mapping highlights.

For his ideas and for setting new horizons in the use of social media in disasters, Patrick Meier's iRevolution.net is #17 on my list. 

Watch and learn what motivates him.

The list so far:

#17: the iRevolution.net website and blog by Patrick Meier

#18: the Recovery Diva

#19: ESRI's public safety and disaster relief blogs

#20: ConnectedCops and SMILE 

#21: The American Red Cross

#22: Humanity Road

#23: 2BeeReady.org

#24: the CDC and the zombie apocalypse

#25: Hal Grieb

Series introduction

#18 on the list. If content is king, then the diva is queen!

I'm a blogger ... that's what I like to do: share my observations. So, to me, providing well thought out content is crucial to success and relevance. There are few more relevant blogs out there on emergency management than the one written by Claire Rubin, "the Recovery Diva".

The Diva focuses on an often neglected facet of emergency management. Since most of it is long-term, recovery is not as sexy as disaster response or preparedness even. There are no zombies in the recovery promotion biz ...

What Claire offers though, is a critical take on the need for partnerships, whole-of-community approach and leadership in the recovery process. Whether lauding the role of the private sector in spurring efforts and working with governments, or highlighting lessons learned, content always prevails.

For that reason, the Recovery Diva blog is #18 on my list of top 25 SMEM destinations.

The list so far:

#18: the Recovery Diva

#19: ESRI's public safety and disaster relief blogs

#20: ConnectedCops and SMILE 

#21: The American Red Cross

#22: Humanity Road

#23: 2BeeReady.org

#24: the CDC and the zombie apocalypse

#25: Hal Grieb

Series introduction

#19 on the SMEM list .... knowing where help is needed

As I progress down to the very top of the list of most important (to me anyways !) social media in emergency management destinations on the web, I realize that my list is very varied. In a way, that reflects my desire not to get pigeonholed.

One of my field of interests is crowdsourcing and crisis mapping. The very basic of that is having good data and a solid starting base. That's why ESRI's Public Safety Blog and the Disaster Relief Blog together rank at #19 on my list. ESRI's collaboration with Volunteer Technical Communities has been extraordinary.

While expanding its line of business, the company has not forgotten the concept of "giving back". Their contribution to disaster relief has made a difference by helping groups and agencies provide solid data. The blog is full of useful tips and info. The resulting efforts by volunteers and officials from around the world helps provide essential situational awareness as was the case during hurricanes for example.

If crisis mapping is the most dynamic visualisation of SMEM inputs by agencies and citizens ... then good GIS support is the canvas that makes this happen ... For showing emergency managers what the future may hold as a result of the marriage of GIS technology, imagery and social media ... ESRI's key properties rank 19th on my list

The list so far:

#20: SMILE Conference/Connected Cops
#21: The American Red Cross
#22: Humanity Road
#23: 2BeeReady.org 
#24: the CDC and the Zombie apocalypse
#25: Hal Grieb
Series introduction

#20 on the list : law and order in on social media

The next entry on the top list of SMEM destinations is the SMILE Conference/Connected Cops nexus. Led by the inimitable Lauri Stevens, the SMILE (social media, the internet and law enforcement) Conference has become a key event to expand the use of social networks among the world's police services.

With the ConnectedCops.net site continuing to provide high-quality content through blog posts and contributions from around the world on the use of social media in policing, both the conferences and the web property are now essential professional development tools for any police officer needing to get into the age of social convergence.

There are direct links to the world of emergency management as this recent post indicates. For these reasons, ConnectedCops.net and the SMILE Conference website jointly occupy the 20th spot on my list of top smem destinations.

The list so far:
#21: the American Red Cross web and social media properties
#22: Humanity Road
#23: 2BeeRady.org 
#24: The CDC and zombies
#25: Hal Grieb ... a pioneer
Series introduction

Number 21 on the list: a leader in the promotion of social media in disasters

Entry #21 on the list is another example of very well executed integration of web, blog and social network accounts to accomplish the organization's goals. Starting with the main website, the American Red Cross has proven a leader in championing the use of social media during disasters.

In particular, their survey on the use of social media in emergencies provided the needed impetus for more and more groups and agencies to start using these tools. Led by Wendy Harman (@wharman on Twitter), their social media group is very effective. Their handbook on the use of social media for their local chapters is very intuitive and easy to use.

Using Twitter, Facebook and Youtube in a coordinated fashion has brought the Red Cross tons of credibility. For all these reasons, they rank 21st in my ranking.


Number 22: Humanity Road (Dec. 4)
Number 23: 2BeeReady.org (Dec. 2)
Number 24: the CDC Zombie Apocalypse (Dec. 1)
Number 25: Hal Grieb (November 30)
Series introduction (November 29)

Next on the top 25 smem list ... the human touch!

We continue our series on the top 25 social media in emergency management destinations on the web. We are now at #22 on the list and this one focuses on a very valuable twitter account.


@humanity road is the official account of http://www.humanityroad.org. This is their mission statement:

Driven by Need, Led by Experience, Powered by Volunteers.

Humanity Road’s mission is to educate the public before, during and after disasters on how to survive, sustain and reunite with loved ones.  Humanity Road volunteers are trained and equipped to use Internet and mobile communications technology to collect, verify and route information online during sudden onset disaster.  Using the Internet, they provide public safety information as well as directing the public to governmental and aid agencies that are providing assistance for the disaster.  

Of particular notice is their Twitter account which is a very good source of links and relevant information for everyday emergency preparedness. Coupled with a very effective Facebook page, this allows Humanity Road to have its messaging heard widely. For those reasons, it places 22nd on our holiday list.

Number 23: 2BeeReady.org (Dec. 2)
Number 24: the CDC Zombie Apocalypse (Dec. 1)
Number 25: Hal Grieb (November 30)
Series introduction (November 29)

Next SMEM destinations ...things are buzzing !

Well ... the 25 days of the SMEM Christmas are progressing ... We're now at number 23 and there's a buzz in the air.

In the same manner as choice #24 married social media, web and all sorts of things, the people behind the 2BeeReady.org collaboration are making the most of an integrated strategy to promote preparedness. I hope that they continue their good work on Twitter and Facebook to push their messages.

What separates them from many other sites is the "fun approach" they have adopted to help expand their reach. So, for the easy take on a serious manner and for the way they promote the site using social media, they rank 23rd.

Looking forward to your comments !


Number 24: the CDC Zombie Apocalypse (Dec. 1)
Number 25: Hal Grieb (November 30)
Series introduction (November 29)

Selling SMEM, crowdsourcing and crisis mapping to government

We had a fantastic meeting today in Ottawa with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) ... Canada's version of the State Department. The purpose of the meeting was for the department to learn more about the Volunteer Technical Communities who do mapping and crowdsourcing during crises and how this process could help Canada assists its citizens abroad in disasters. The other benefits are related to giving more evidence to decision-makers in Ottawa regarding disaster response and diplomatic staff security.


I was honoured to have the chance to talk about the broad applications of technology in crisis and emergency management. I was even more honoured to be asked to speak in a meeting involving such respected figures as: 

• Patrick Meier from Ushahidi and Crisis Mappers Net (@patrickmeier on Twitter) (via teleconference ... see pic to the right ...)
• Christiaan Adams from Google Crisis Response 
• Heather Leson from Ushahidi (@heatherleson) 
• David Black from CrisisCommons and the University of Toronto (@db7)

Some of the points that were made: 

1. DFAIT is looking for evidence-based and validated info for their response to emergencies and disasters abroad ... crowdsourcing that works and crisis maps could be tools .... 
2. As diplomatic "first responders", Consular ops need credible info to support decision making for humanitarian assistance but also to take measures/provide info to Canadians on how to protect their safety/security abroad.
3. Crisis mapping and crowdsourcing can help build resilience for Canadians abroad.
4. Patrick Meier talked about dynamic, real-time situational awareness as a result of crisis mapping and its role as a decision-support tool.

My presentation concluded the formal part of the meeting before open discussions. My key points were focused on the following;

• need to focus not only on the tech but also on what it allows and the human behaviours it makes possible or amplifies 
• the benefits of the whole social convergence phenomenon (social media + mobile tech = empowered citizens and volunteers + enhanced ability to mobilize data and vols)
• need for clear objectives and then match the tech tools and not vice versa 
• need for clear policies and expectations re: relationship between gov't and volunteer organizations who do mapping and crowdsourcing
• the need to use social media as effective crisis comms tools 

And,finally, the need for agencies and governments to move at the speed of their audiences and use the tools they use ... or face total irrelevance ...

that got lots of attention ...

a very good meeting ... 

Holiday smem top destinations: #24 zombies???

I started this series yesterday, with a post describing the 25th entry on my top 25 list of SMEM destinations. This entry deals with "scary" good, provocative and innovative way to get people's attention and promote preparedness.

The CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response simply RULES! I would have like to be in the room when their people first introduced the idea of using zombies to sell preparedness, to top executives. A few jaws dropped i'm sure!



There has rarely been such a well executed campaign from a government agency, combining web, social media, blog, print and widgets to get your point across.


It would be nice to see some metrics at some point ...but for me it's already: mission accomplished ...

Now, what's the best way to kill a zombie blogger?  cut off his head? His hands?


Number 25: Hal Grieb (posted Nov. 30)
The series introduction (posted on Nov. 29)