Leveraging Social Media When Communication Resources Are Limited :Leveraging Social Media When Communication Resources Are Limited Tim Rooney, Borough Manager, Wrangell, Alaska Teresa Willson, IT Director, Owasso, Oklahoma


Oklahoma Ice Storm December 8, 2007 :Oklahoma Ice Storm December 8, 2007 December 8-11, 2007 – Actual Ice Storm Event   Oklahoma was the epicenter of this event   38 People Killed – 27 of those in Oklahoma   In excess of 1” of ice accumulation in many areas   For the first time in the State’s History, both Airports were closed in excess of two days due to weather event


Oklahoma Ice Storm Power Outages :Oklahoma Ice Storm Power Outages Largest Power Outage in Oklahoma History   Total of 1.5 Million People without Power   40% of Oklahoma’s Population were without Power 78% of Public Service Company’s customers in Oklahoma were without Power   $30 Million in damage to State’s Electrical Infrastructure alone Many areas did not receive power until AFTER Christmas


Oklahoma Ice Storm Communication Challenges :Oklahoma Ice Storm Communication Challenges Our Nerve Center had only emergency power How to communicate shelter information How to communicate the city’s response to the storm How to communicate with political leaders from the community How to communicate with media outlets All of which were experiencing the same problems


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Owasso was able to utilize a program called Code Red Code Red provided the ability to disburse a recorded message by phone to citizens Originally contracted with this service to utilize as a response to the other notorious weather challenges in Oklahoma – Tornadoes


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Owasso was able to utilize a program called Code Red Provided a call directly to each residence and those residents that had registered their cell phone numbers Offered shelter information, numbers to call if assistance was needed, and initial direction for debris management


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Code Red was key to recovery efforts Citizens provided regular updates – sometimes as often as twice per day   Citizens had the ability to push a button on their phone to repeat the message


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Code Red was key to recovery efforts It provided the ability to be the communicator of our message, rather than relying on the media to do so There was no television communication There was no newspaper


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Code Red was key to recovery efforts Calls were also made to cell phone numbers of those citizens who had registered their cell phones with Code Red on the City’s website This was vital as many people no longer have a land line This insured that either way, citizens received the communication


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Other communication methods included: City website Updated daily, often more than once per day Emergency shelter information Cleanup information Both for debris Pickup and Drop Off Contacts for emergency aid Contacts for power utility companies


Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy :Oklahoma Ice Storm2007 Communication Strategy Other communication methods included: City after-hours phone message This was updated within hours of the event onset for those calling in for information This provided a way for citizens to access emergency information without calling emergency lines.


Oklahoma Ice StormCommunication Results :Oklahoma Ice StormCommunication Results Providing frequent updates to information allowed staff to focus on managing the aftermath of the storm rather than answering an onslaught of phone calls Process payroll – by hand Focus on getting gasoline brought to our community Assessment of needed infrastructure repairs And most importantly – Debris Management and Removal   Established immediate contact with congressional leadership and FEMA


Oklahoma Ice StormCommunication Results :Oklahoma Ice StormCommunication Results As a result, Owasso was the first community in Oklahoma to complete its debris pick-up in January of 2008   More importantly, we were the first community to receive our Federal Reimbursement from FEMA – over $800,000.   This could not have been accomplished without the ability to communicate with our citizenry in a methodology and technology that was still largely untested in Oklahoma


Social Media :Social Media Owasso began using Twitter - February 2009 Send one to two tweets per day Public Meeting reminders Emergency notifications Road closures Water service outages Events and promotional information


Social Media :Social Media Owasso began using Twitter - February 2009 Building followers by promoting through: Local news sources City website Quarterly newsletters Email signatures Business cards Utility bills Retweets


Blogging To Build Confidence :Blogging To Build Confidence Our Owasso Blog City Manager’s opportunity to communicate the purpose behind decisions and initiatives. Invite feedback. Owasso Truth Blog Opportunity to address misinformation circulating within the community. Statement – Fact – Conclusion.


Current Emergency Communication Strategy :Current Emergency Communication Strategy Code Red – Continue to encourage the registration of cell phones. Social Media Twitter – encourage followers to set up City account to receive text messages. Police Department Facebook page. City Website – Twitter and Code Red encourage citizens to find more detailed information on the City website. UPDATE FREQUENTLY!


Questions? :Questions? Contact Information: Timothy Rooney Borough Manager Wrangell, AK 907-874-2381 tdrooney@wrangell.com Twitter: @CityofWrangell Teresa Willson IT Director Owasso, OK 918-376-1514 twillson@cityofowasso.com Twitter: @OwassoCity