8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast & Networking

8:30 a.m.
Chairpersons' Opening Of Day Two

Sara Cohen, Senior Consultant
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON

8:40 a.m.

Validating Emergency Information: How To Engage Citizens In A Web 2.0 World While Remaining Compliant To Your Internal Laws And Regulations

Social media or Web 2.0 are new innovative tools that when used properly, can be an additional communication stream for disaster communication. To date, social media tools have enabled any citizen with a cell phone to act as a citizen journalist and report to the world what they see and hear 24/7.

While citizen journalists play an important role in providing information, they cannot take the place of validated information coming from emergency management experts. To ensure that the public receives validated emergency information during a disaster, government needs to engage the public in these new media streams. However, the government is not the private sector – or a citizen journalist and its laws, regulations, and processes have to be adhered to even in a Web 2.0 world. FEMA has been able to engage citizens in this new platform while remaining compliant with their laws and regulations.

• Engage in using Web 2.0 technologies while remaining legally compliant
• Build a structure that allows for solutions to obstacles faced by the government
• Construct a team of in-house experts which can lead to solutions for any Web 2.0 tool

Jodi Cramer, General Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel/General Law Division
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

9:25 a.m.

Using Social Media To Prepare Your Community And Communicate Your Messages To The Masses: Developing A Preparedness Movement

The City and County of San Francisco (CCSF) has publicly announced its commitment to cultivate a city-wide community preparedness ethos. The initiative, to be referred to as The Preparedness Movement, requires strategic communications planning augmented with social marketing and behavioral change methodologies to be successful. The underlying goal of this project is to create a movement (an initiative that sustains itself and does not end) analogous to the Green movement.

In developing this overall communications strategy, the CCSF Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has taken innovative and ground breaking approaches in implementing this strategy. Although one of many approaches is to reach the general public in San Francisco, DEM is leveraging social media to carry its preparedness messages to the masses.

• Use Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace for community preparedness
• Approach and integrate societal/cultural platforms to create the preparedness movement
• Begin your crisis communications strategy from the 'virtual' grassroots level

Rob Dudgeon, Deputy Director, Department of Emergency Management
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Kristin Hogan, Community Preparedness Strategic Communications Specialist
CIRCLEPOINT

10:30 a.m.

Utilizing A Free Web 2.0 Campaign To Communicate During A Disaster And Keep The Public Engaged And Informed

The City of Manor, a small community in Texas with a population less than 6,000, has made a name for itself in the local government realm by implementing numerous Web 2.0 technologies to bridge the communication gap with its citizens. Not only did they cut costs by implementing these technologies, but also increased overall efficiency and streamlined much of its operations. In the past, the City of Manor utilized water bills to communicate with residents, as well as a calling-bridge system in the event of an emergency. However, these avenues of information dissemination were ineffective and left citizens with lingering questions, especially in emergency situations. The hurdle that had to be overcome was how to deploy a more effective system of communicating with residents, with a very limited budget.

To overcome the barriers in communication with its citizens, they deployed an official city blog, Twitter feed, Facebook Page, as well as numerous other Web 2.0 technologies. Also, the City of Manor implemented their entire Web 2.0 campaign for free, and as a result of implementing these technologies, today the City is able to engage in two-way conversations with its residents, even during a disaster, in order to keep the public engaged and informed. By embracing the model set forth by the City of Manor, your agency can plan, deploy, and maintain a successful Web 2.0 campaign to drive your agency forward regardless of your budget.

• Why government agencies should deploy Web 2.0 technologies
• How to get around the red-tape in deploying Web 2.0
• What to expect once your agency goes live
• Examples of how the City of Manor has utilized Web 2.0 during routine communications as well as emergency situations
• How to use data collected from Web 2.0 to drive your agency forward
• How to keep up with the changes in Web 2.0

Dustin Haisler, Municipal Judge and CIO
CITY OF MANOR, TEXAS

Phil Tate, City Manager
CITY OF MANOR, TEXAS

11:15 a.m.

Leveraging Social Media When Communication
Resources Are Limited

More than one million Oklahomans were without electricity, many for as long as two weeks, as the result of a debilitating ice storm in early December 2007. Downed trees and power lines resulted in significant challenges for the City of Owasso as it struggled to provide emergency services to thousands of residents. Communication with residents was limited due to the lack of power, leaving the City to rely significantly on broadcast media and cellular technology to communicate information to citizens. Code Red calling service and the City's website were critical in providing updated information on storm relief and cleanup efforts. As power was restored, information on the website was vital in keeping citizens informed of the availability of crisis resources.

Communication was crucial to a quick response to the cleanup and restoration of services for those affected. The City of Owasso was one of the first cities in Northeast Oklahoma to complete cleanup efforts. This success was due primarily to the ability to effectively communicate with residents in coordinating the cleanup efforts.

The City has recently incorporated social media into its communication strategy and recognizes the importance of leveraging communication tools, such as Twitter, as a part of their crisis management strategy. The City is now effectively utilizing Twitter and blogs to ensure accurate information is communicated to citizens on a daily basis. Future events are inevitable and the City is prepared to utilize all communication tools available, including social media, to quickly and efficiently disseminate information.

• Challenges faced in communicating information to thousands of
  citizens during a prolonged power outage
• How to effectively build your list of followers on Twitter
• Never underestimating the power of viral media in your crisis communication strategy
• Building citizen confidence through blogs and your social media strategy

Timothy Rooney, Assistant City Manager
CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA

Teresa Willson, IT Director
CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA

12:00 p.m.

How To Overcome Constraints And Take Advantage Of The Social Media Opportunities In Risk And Crisis Communication

Social media is now the number one use on the Internet, and there is no better opportunity to take advantage of the power of social media than during risk and crisis events. Part of the national leadership in risk and crisis communication is the risk communication theme working group of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense, A Homeland Security Center of Excellence. This session will explore three case studies in the areas of risk and crisis communication concerning the H1N1 virus, the Tennessee Valley Authority ash spill, and work on behalf of the chemical manufacturing industry.

The focus of this session is the barriers and opportunities related to institutional, technological, policy, cultural and communication constraints and opportunities related to the use of social media during a crisis and emergency event. Issues such as community right to know, transparency, timely and accurate communication during a crisis, reaching key stakeholders and empowerment, cultural and community construction of risk, trust and control, organizational policies that restrict the use of social media, and technology challenges are fundamental to any long-term use of social media during times of risk and crises.

• Use the latest public relations tools in the area of
  crisis communication and social media
• Integrate portable and collaborative social media in crisis communication
• Track and respond to rumors through social media

Michael J. Palenchar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Public Relations, School of Advertising and Public Relations College of Communication and Information
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

Shari Veil, MBA, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication,
Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication
& Education and Outreach Core Director, Center for Risk and Crisis Management
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

Join a group of your colleagues for lunch with an informal discussion facilitated by one of our expert speakers. Take this opportunity to join others in a small, interactive group setting to network and brainstorm solutions to your most pressing social media and crisis communications concerns.

2:15 p.m.

Group Exercise – Let's Communicate And Collaborate!

You asked for it, you got it! Interact and discuss solutions to your social media challenges with your fellow attendees and our experienced speakers. You will leave with new tools and hands-on experience and ideas for more successfully applying best practices to your own social media for crisis communications initiatives.

2:45 p.m.

Validating, Monitoring, And Utilizing New Media For Education And Crisis Communication

Social media is the newest burgeoning medium in which more and more citizens conduct everyday communications. In January 2009, the City of Plano's Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) became one of the first municipal agencies in the State of Texas to employ its "Prepared in Plano" campaign. Prepared in Plano facilitates all-hazard communications and preparedness information to its citizens, faith-based organizations, businesses, and non-profit agencies.

New media and social media applications are becoming increasingly innovative in today's fast-paced world. Traditional forms of communication such as mailers, attending community events, website-only postings, and separate RSS and email signups can become a drain on time and fiscal resources in a budget-strapped economy. To better facilitate communication and community interaction with Plano citizens (while minimizing costs and man hours) the DEMHS decided to meet its citizen and stakeholders where they were at, rather than relying solely on the more common avenues listed above.

• How do identify the strategic vision of local uses (Blues Skies versus Emergencies)
• Validating and promoting your brand to users (Authority by Online Associations)
• Monitoring your jurisdiction’s trends (open source intelligence gathering)
• The future of disaster communications and new media
• Actual uses in and around Plano, TX (H1N1 monitoring, Wide-Spread Power Outage, Dallas Morning News Blogs)

Hal R. Grieb, Senior Emergency Management Specialist
Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
CITY OF PLANO, TEXAS

3:45 p.m.

How To Communicate To A Global Audience Using Social Media

The Department of State is charged with providing consular protection and assistance to Americans overseas. A key aspect of this involves sharing information about security threats quickly, accurately, and efficiently, particularly in times of crisis. From telephone trees to SMS and other electronic messaging, websites to Facebook, U.S. Embassies overseas use a variety of tools to communicate with overseas Americans.

The Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs takes the lead in identifying resources, sharing good practices, and ensuring that public messages are timely, accurate, and broadly disseminated.

• Be proactive in providing information to the public in a crisis
• Respond to the challenge of the "citizen journalists" during a crisis
• Use a variety of communications tools to disseminate threat information

Andy Miller, European Division Chief, Office of Overseas Citizens' Services and
Crisis Management Bureau of Consular Affairs
BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

4:30 p.m.
Chairperson's Recap:
Key Takeaways And What To Do When You Get Back To The Office

We'll recap the highlights of the past two days and ask you to share key insights and next steps with the group.

Sara Cohen, Senior Consultant
BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON