narrowing the noise of social media channels

Narrowing the Noiseof Social Media Channels

How Sustainable Jersey is Fostering

Digital Communication Consistency

May 17, 2017NVOAD 2017 – Houston TX

• Why we are talking about this• Sustainable Jersey: Who are they?• About the Sustainable Jersey certification process• Does it work?• Communication Actions in detail

• Vulnerable Populations• Municipal Communications Strategy• Emergency Communication Planning

• MCUrgent (Morris County Urgent)• Can these be replicated?


What We’ll Discuss

Disasters Don’t End at Town Borders


But Communication Typically Does

• Without leadership from higher levels of government, regional councils of governments, or another entity, municipalities all do something different.

• Within municipalities, PDs, FDs, OEM and town itself are often on different channels.

• Counties could aggregate info so citizens know which social channels will carry emergency information.


VimeoVideo

RSS FeedSubscription

FlickrStill Photos

PinterestPhoto Pinboard

YouTubeVideo

SnapchatShort‐life Videos

TwitterMicroblog

LinkedInNetwork

FacebookNetwork

InstagramPhoto, Video Share

LinkedInNetwork

SkypePhone, chat

WordPressBlog, Website

BloggerBlog

UStream.TVLive video stream


Wow! It’s noisy out there…

ScribdDocuments

SlideSharePresentations

PeriscopeMobile Livestream

WhatsAppChat

GoogleEmail, Apps

MessengerChat

SignalEncrypted Chat

Text MessageTexting

About Sustainable Jersey• Provides tools, training and financial incentives to municipalities and school boards

• Started in 2006 as the “Sustainable Communities Leadership Network” funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

• Combined with a NJLM green communities effort to create a partnership

• Became a 501(c)(3) in 2011/12

• Since 2013, supports NJ school boards as well

• Located at The College of New Jersey

• Brings state agencies, universities, government, non‐profit organizations, businesses, stakeholders and experts together to define standards and devise incentives for New Jersey municipalities

• Works via 22 topical task forces that:• Research and disseminate best

practices• Identify obstacles to implementation

that come from regulatory, financial or other conditions that can be changed

• Translate global and state imperatives into local actions

• Test sustainability planning models• Develop community resources• Vet recommended best practices and

actions with local government officials


• Determine core competencies needed for the topic• Determine stakeholder “types” to be included for effective outcomes

• Through municipalities, counties and partners, identify potential task force members

• WOM recommendations produce the best results• Look for innovators, problem solvers with proven results• Use project management software like Basecamp• Allow electronic attendance at meetings via software like FreeConferenceCall or Skype.

• Minimize the number of meetings: 4 – 8 / year• Communicate. Build credibility. Accomplish. Grow.


Creating a Task Force

• Actions must be approved by SJ to get points• Action documentation must be submitted• Submissions are rigorously reviewed for approval• Certification is completely free and voluntaryBroadmenu of 147 actions within 18 categories

• Extensive guidance and resources provided by SJ• Results in consistency from town to town• Promotes idea and innovation sharing• Highly successful in a “home rule” state


Actions and Certifications


Certification Levels


Submission Requirements

It Works!New ‘Action’ StatsEmergency Management and Resiliency – Emergency Communications Planning & Vulnerable Populations(Launched May 2016)

Five (5) Silver Certified

Three (3) Bronze Certified

Public Information and Engagement – Communications and Citizen Engagement (Launched October 2015)

Seventeen (17) Silver Certified

Fourteen (14) Bronze Certified


Communication ActionsVulnerable Populations

Municipal Communication StrategyEmergency Communication Planning

Vulnerable Populations

…any individual, group, or community whose circumstances create barriers to obtaining

or understanding information, or the ability to react as the general population.

Circumstances that may create barriers include, but are not limited to age; physical,

mental, emotional, or cognitive status; culture; ethnicity; religion; language; citizenship;

geography; or socioeconomic status.

• Identify vulnerable populations in your community• Determine appropriate methodologies to communicate with these populations

• Sign language• Web translation services• Video with transcripts

• Support isn’t a competition. Share info with local gov’ts• ADA Compliance

• Web, social media, video coming under scrutiny by USDOJ• Civil rights issue; local gov’ts have been ordered to comply• Never use scanned PDFs. Not readable by adaptive devices• Always consider color contrast online and in print


Reaching Vulnerable Populations

• Collaborate in advance with local governments. Let them know you can help.

• Have a prominent link to any official registration service on your website. Put out notices with a link to it on social media. Don’t duplicate efforts.

• If it is, stress that it is free, voluntary, confidential

• As non‐profits, be sure local government knows who you are and what you can provide in a disaster. Meet with local officials in advance.

• Engage with these populations to determine their needs and the best ways to communicate with them. Share this information with local governments.

• Provide workshops or webinars ahead of time to individuals, agencies, local governments, and service providers.

• Request to participate in local government emergency exercises that include planned communications methodologies.

• Use available resources to learn more. • http://www.diversitypreparedness.org/ (From Drexel University)


Reaching Vulnerable Populations

• A free, voluntary and confidential web‐based program

• All costs paid by the State of NJ

• Register electronically or via NJ 2‐1‐1 service

• For residents with disabilities or access and functional needs

• Focus is those who would have trouble evacuating because of a physical or cognitive limitation, language barrier, or lack of transportation

• Resident or family, friend, caregiver or associate can register someone

• Emergency responders can better plan to serve them in a disaster or other emergency

• Info provided to local officials when an evacuation has been ordered


One State Database: NJ Register Ready

1. Identify individuals with disabilities and other access and functional needs within the community and regularlymake efforts to register them through "Register Ready‐NJ’s Special Needs Registry for Disasters”

2. Keep an updated, internal list of key community stakeholders who can assist the municipality in circulating essential warnings and updates during an emergency to vulnerable individuals or groups whose circumstances create barriers to obtaining or understanding information.

Such barriers might include age, religion, culture, language, ethnicity, geography, or socioeconomic status.

3. Ensure that appropriate alternative communication formats, based on the needs of community residents, are used during public emergency announcements.

Alternative communication formats may include but are not limited to the use of translation services for public, radio, televised and print notifications, American Sign Language during press conferences or other public or televised appearances, etc.


Certification Requirements

Collaborative Communication Plans

It never makes sense to reinvent the wheel, especially over and

over and over again by 565 different jurisdictions, all of whom

need to get information to their constituencies efficiently and

effectively in an emergency or disaster.

Municipal Communication Strategy

Outside of updating and maintaining the current municipal website, this action does not require much of a financial investment.

Most social media apps are free or low cost.


STEP 1Inventory all public communication channels available to the municipality and being used by residents. Set up and use a variety of methodologies.

• The municipal website• All municipal social media channels, including Facebook and/or Twitter

• Paper and online newspapers, email lists, municipal blogs, any mobile apps, public access cable channel, local radio station, community boards like Nextdoor, community based networks,

STEP 2Keep everything updated.



Emergency Communications Planning

Advance preparation is the key to emergency communication effectiveness. Community based networks are critical to disaster communications and should be

involved in whole community digital communication planning.


STEP 1Develop an emergency communications plan outlining the steps the municipality will take to disseminate essential information both internally and publicly during non‐routine events, declared or non‐declared emergencies or natural disasters.

Make the plan available to key staff.



• A section explaining declared versus non‐declared emergencies and a list of the various types of non‐emergency, non‐routine operations to which this plan will apply, including road closures, water shut offs, water quality issues, boil water advisories, parades, festivals, and special events requiring high security.

• Directives and methodologies for communicating those directives during declared and nondeclared emergencies to key municipal staff, stakeholders and special facility liaisons as identified in the municipal EOP. Directives should be written in a boilerplate fashion so that they will be readily available in an emergency.


Plan Requirements: Step 1

• Methodologies for communicating essential information, alerts, and updates to the general public during declared and non‐declared emergencies should be carried out via the following communication channels:

• The municipal website• Social media channels, including Facebook & Twitter• Print newspapers and/or online sites• Direct notices to the public including email lists, text messaging, reverse 9‐1‐1, Next Door or other similar community boards. Indirect notices like electronic sign boards, bulletin boards, flyers

• WOM through organizations like school boards, churches, chambers of commerce, libraries, civic associations, faith based organizations and others.

• Established routing systems for emergency vehicles with loudspeakers


Plan Requirements: Step 1

STEP 2Establish a process for the public to sign up for email, text message, and/or voice message notices regarding emergency warnings and alerts.

Promote this process as a way to educate the public about the town’s public notification system and use of the chosen communication channels.



STEP 3Use of the chosen emergency communications channels (Step 1) and public notification system (Step 2) will need to be demonstrated either through an actual emergency, or by testing the system at least once during either a declared emergency or non‐declared emergency/major public inconvenience situations.




MCUrgent (Morris County Urgent)

• An application that utilizes the power of social media to share official emergency information during a multi‐jurisdictional emergency.

• Led by Morris County’s Office of Emergency Management, MCUrgent will ultimately include all 39 towns posting to a single Twitter feed and Facebook page.

• Used only in multi‐jurisdictional emergencies. Individual town emergency notices go to that town’s website, Twitter feed or Facebook page.


What is MCUrgent

Situation updates need to:• be timely

• originate from the source

• be accessible even without power

• be available 24/7

• be device independent

• cross municipal boundaries

• be freely available (no subscription or membership required)

• be accessed anywhere


When putting out information

Towns create a tweet

#hashtag post

Twitter(MCUrgent)

Facebook(MorrisCountyNJ)

Twitter(MorrisCountyNJ)

Facebook(Town page)

Twitter(Town feed)

Morris Twp

Parsippany

Denville

Riverdale

Dover

Facebook(MCUrgent)

How MCUrgent Works

What: Emergency notifications fromparticipating towns & the county

Info: OEM.MorrisCountyNJ.gov/MCUrgent/

Web: MorrisCountyNJ.govMorrisOEM.org

Social: Facebook.com/MCUrgentMCUrgent.org / .net / .com / .infoTwitter.com/MCUrgent

Text: text follow MCUrgent to 40404

MCUrgent At‐a‐Glance

• Disasters do not end at municipal boundaries. We must all broaden our thoughts, plans and actions.

• Non‐profit Regional Councils of Governments and/or counties must play a leadership role in collaboration efforts.

• There are 39,000 local governments with 35,000 of those covered by councils of governments.

• There are 3,144 US counties made up of those 39,000 local governments.

• Volunteers and volunteer organizations must be included on the front‐end in planning and exercises.

• Whole community planning and cross‐jurisdictional communication are essential to successful preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

• The Sustainable Jersey model and MCUrgent models can be easily replicated via regional councils of governments.


Points to Remember

Carol A SpencerStormzero, LLC

126 Brazos DriveCedar Creek TX 78612

About.me/Carol.Spencer

[email protected]

This presentation:

https://www.slideshare.net/ChazNJ

For more information about Sustainable Jersey, contact:

Lauren [email protected]

Contact Info


narrowing the noise of social media channels

Government & Nonprofit