Having a social media presence is a must in emergency management today, however many local emergency management agencies struggle to build the following needed to effectively use social media for effective communication with constituents and stakeholders during a natural disaster. IBTS spoke with Washington Emergency Management Digital Media Specialist Steven Friederich about the strategies he uses for building… Read more
Having a social media presence is a must for emergency management agencies today, however many public information officers (PIOs) struggle to build the large following that allows social media to be effectively used to communicate with constituents and stakeholders during a natural disaster. IBTS spoke with Washington Emergency Management Digital Media Specialist Steven Friederich… Read more
Wildfires are long, drawn-out events that often require localities to ask for state assistance to get key messages out to the public, manage and monitor social media and keep up with the demands of local media. Use these tips from subject matter experts in Washington and California, who frequently deal with wildfires, to think through frequently… Read more
During severe winter weather events, the public has an undying need for information — when will their roads be plowed, will schools shut down, is more snow expected? Providing them with constant updates is essential to set clear expectations about your municipal snow removal agency’s capabilities during a given storm. Use these tips to… Read more
During severe winter weather events, the public has an undying need for information — when will their roads be plowed, will schools shut down, is more snow expected? Providing them with constant updates is essential for setting clear expectations about your locality’s snow removal capabilities during a given storm, and it’s likely that the… Read more
During severe winter weather events, the public has an undying need for information — when will their roads be plowed, will schools shut down, is more snow expected? Providing them with constant updates is essential to set clear expectations about your locality’s snow removal capabilities during a given storm. The PIO should work closely… Read more
After “Snowzilla” dumped more than 26 inches of snow on Arlington County, Virginia in January 2016, the county had to supplement their 40-pieces of snow removal equipment with 200 pieces of contracted equipment to keep up with storm. Mike Moon, deputy director of operations for Arlington County, Virginia, Environmental Services, was tasked with coordinating… Read more
Reimbursement for snow assistance and winter storms requires highly-specific documentation, often for specific time periods or completing certain tasks. FEMA typically reimburses for a continuous 48-hour period of the storm, and for specific tasks like making two lanes passable on an arterial roadway. Use these tips to ensure your locality’s snow removal agency has proper… Read more
On March 22, 2014, groundwater saturation triggered a 4,400-foot-wide landslide near the town of Oso, Washington. Considered the largest and most destructive landslide in U.S. history, the event caused 43 fatalities, swallowed 49 homes and shut-down a portion of State Route 530 – giving the catastrophe its official name, the SR 530 Landslide. Search and… Read more
On March 22, 2014, groundwater saturation triggered a 4,400-foot-wide landslide near the town of Oso, Washington. Considered the largest and most destructive landslide in U.S. history, the event caused 43 fatalities, swallowed 49 homes and shut-down a portion of State Route 530 – giving the catastrophe its official name, the SR 530 Landslide. Search and… Read more
