Virtual Operations Support Teams - The Basics
Social media and social networking are rapidly growing forms of communication and social media is becoming an integral part of disaster response. It's shaping how crises are communicated and responses are coordinated and Emergency Managers need to consider the ongoing resource implications of engaging in social media.
Emergency Managers need to ensure that staff receive appropriate training in both the use of the social media tools and policies associated with their use. Emergency Managers will also have to make sure staff have enough time to validate social media content, push quality and timely information, monitor, moderate, respond to comments, archive and communicate actionable intelligence to decision makers.
What resources does your agency have to commit to the effort?
An innovative solution regarding these resourcing challenges is the development of a Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST).
Virtual Operations Support (VOS) for emergency management and disaster recovery makes use of new communication technologies and social media tools (free and paid for dependent on VOST).
A team of trained agents provide support via the internet to those on-site who may otherwise be overwhelmed by the volume of data generated during a disaster.
VOS Teams (VOST) are activated to perform specific functions in support of affected organizations & jurisdictions. Each VOST has a Team Leader that reports directly to the affected organization/ jurisdiction.
Additional VOSTs may be established and activated to coordinate the work and maintain an effective span of control.
Disclaimer: This presentation is a conceptual description and may vary and be subject to change as per emergency management agency requirements.
Presentation by Caroline Milligan ( @Caz_Milligan ) and Scott Reuter ( @sct_r )
2. SMEM
Landscape
Social
Media
for
Emergency
Management
Emergency
managers
have
started
to
realize
the
vital
role
social
media
can
play
in
communica<ng
with
ci<zens
in
an
emergency
or
disaster.
Communi<es
have
higher
expecta<ons
around
official
emergency
informa<on
being
available.
Public
expect
official
use
of
social
media
streams,
and
they
expect
emergency
managers
to
monitor
and
respond
to
requests
for
help
over
these
streams
as
well.
However,
few
emergency
response
organiza<ons
are
equipped
to
do
this
kind
of
social
media
monitoring
and
communica<on
at
scale.
3. Virtual
Opera<ons
Support
Team
Virtual
Opera<ons
Support
(VOS)
for
emergency
management
&
disaster
recovery
makes
use
of
new
communica<on
technologies
&
social
media
tools.
A
team
of
trusted
agents
lend
support
via
the
internet
to
those
on-‐site
who
may
otherwise
be
overwhelmed
by
the
volume
of
data
generated
during
a
disaster.
VOS
Teams
(VOST)
are
ac<vated
to
perform
specific
func<ons
in
support
of
affected
organiza<ons
&
jurisdic<ons.
Each
VOST
has
a
Team
Leader
that
reports
directly
to
the
affected
organiza<on/jurisdic<on.
Addi<onal
VOSTs
may
be
established
and
ac<vated
to
coordinate
the
work
&
maintain
an
effec<ve
span
of
control.
4. What
is
a
VOST?
Trusted
agents
organized
and
directed
by
Emergency
Management
agencies.
VOST
will
help
expand
the
EM’s
ability
to
engage
with
the
public
before,
during
emergencies,
and
as
part
of
the
recovery
phase.
Engaged
Community
Resources
5. How
can
VOST
assist
EM
Agencies?
Tasked
• Informa<on
finding
• Spot
Trends
• Informa<on
dissemina<on
Autonomous
• Monitoring
public
voice
• Amplifying
official
message
• Monitor
• Analyse
• Curate
• Amplify
6. VOST
Instance
Cycle
Disaster
occurs/event
selected
Decision
to
ac<vate.
Ac<vated
by
EOC
or
self
ac<vated
to
ensure
data
is
collated
ASAP
Set
tasks,
priori<es,
schedule,
tools/
plaYorms
VOST
expands/contracts
according
to
Incident
command
principles
Deac<va<on,
discussion,
documenta<on,
AAR
Exercises
between
ac<va<ons
to
stay
current
on
tools
&
plaYorms
Concept
7. VOST
Ac<va<on
VOST
Team
Lead
and
Agency
Liaison
ac<vate
team,
(or
VOST
decides
to
self-‐deploy
if
pre-‐arranged)
VOST
Team
Lead
ac<vates
local
and
nonlocal
team
members
TL
Ac<va<ons
may
vary
and
be
subject
to
change
based
on
pre
arrangements
with
EM
agencies.
8. Importance
of
having
both
local
AND
non-‐local
VOST
team
members
VOST
local
members
have
strong
loca<on
&
cultural
knowledge,
yet
in
<mes
of
disaster,
team
members
outside
area
are
oZen
needed
&
called
upon
to
assist.
Reflects
2012
VOST
Teams
9.
Choose
tools
and
services
that
work
across
mul<ple
opera<ng
systems,
and
on
mobile
devices
to
create
resilient,
flexible
and
scalable
info
sharing
systems
that
allow
volunteers
and
agencies
to
communicate
and
share
informa<on
as
easily
as
possible.
Importance
of
having
both
local
AND
non-‐local
VOST
team
members
11. Collabora<ve
tools
&
social
media
plaYorms
are
ever
changing…
Here
are
some
of
the
plaYorms
used
by
VOST.
We
are
always
researching
and
tes<ng
new,
innova<ve
technological
solu<ons
in
order
to
deliver
the
very
best
digital
support
for
EM
agencies.
Social
Networking
|
Micro
blogging
|
Websites/
Blogs
|
SMS
|
Photo/
Video
Sharing
|
Mobile
Web
&
ApplicaIons
|
CollaboraIve
plaLorms
12. Using
addi<onal
trained
resources
is
NOT
a
new
idea!
Amateur
Radio
volunteers
con<nue
to
support
communica<on
for
the
emergency
opera<ons
center
(EOC)
in
the
US.
In
conjunc<on
with
the
Digital
Opera<ons
Center,
the
Red
Cross
also
announced
the
crea<on
of
a
Digital
Volunteer
Program.
14.
VOST
and
the
recovery
phase
of
an
emergency
or
natural
disaster
VOST
will
become
a
cri<cal
addi<onal
resource
for
EM
organiza<ons
in
working
to
verify
and
curate
BIG
data
during
disasters.
The
concept
bridges
no<ons
of
professional,
volunteer
and
community
to
support
the
emergency
management
effort
in
<mes
of
need.
15. Sources
/
Reference
Material
• John
Owen
Butler
-‐
VOST
at
the
Na<onal
Severe
Weather
Workshop
• iDisaster
via
Kim
Stephens
(Trial
by
Fire)
• Scod
Reuter
(VOST)
thinkdisaster.com
blog
• Jeff
Phillips
(VOST)
• VOSG.us
16. End
of
PresentaIon
Presenta<on
by
Scod
Reuter
-‐
@sct_r
Caroline
Milligan
-‐
@Caz_Milligan
Stay
tuned
for
next
in
the
series
:
VOST
Ac<va<on
Editor's Notes
Expectations of the public.
Definition of what a vost is…..
What is a VOST?Virtual Operations Support (VOS) as applied to emergency management and disaster recovery is an effort to make use of new communication technologies and social media tools so that a team of trusted agents can lend support via the internet to those on-site who may otherwise be overwhelmed by the volume of data generated during a disaster.Source: ( @sct_r ) iDisaster http://idisaster.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/what-is-a-virtual-operations-support-team/
VOST expands/contracts according to IC principles:- Be prepared to call for assistance from more #SMEM volunteers or other VOSTs as needed. This highlights the importance of establishing trusted relationships with #SMEM community early.Deactivation, discussion, documentation, AARAfter instance is completed, continue backchannel discussion, discuss what worked & what didn’t, document and report, share with the #SMEM and #VOST involved in incident. (collaborative text)VOST exercises between activations to stay current on tools and social media platforms.#SMEMWater#SMEMchat#VOSTchat#30Days30Ways
VOST local members have strong location & cultural knowledge, yet in times of disaster, team members outside area are often needed & called upon to assist.
Choose tools and services that work across multiple operating systems, and on mobile devices to create resilient, flexible and scalable info sharing systems that allow volunteers and agencies to communicate and share information as easily as possible.
Graphic to illustrate the “backchannel” or non-public resources as opposed to the public-facing resources.Note that some resources are used both for backchannel and for public sharing.Our plans are to build our backchannel resources, then build activation-specific public-facing resources. This is because, as was learned on the Shadow Lake fire activation, we want to make it clear from the start what incident the team is supporting. This can be done by choosing an instance-specific name and using that name for all public-facing tools.NOTE: If you are an EM for a specific location: town, city or county, you may prefer to set up location specific public-facing tools in preparation for emergencies, using them for preparedness and outreach; this does not preclude you from setting up additional instance specific public-facing resources in large scale events or disasters.
An important part of VOST practice is ongoing training and exercising on platforms and tools, and testing of new tools, as they are constantly changing and new ones are coming out every day. Having a running chat with your VOST and participating in the VOST leadership forum and #SMEMchat will help keep teams aware of the latest.
Emergency responders have long utilized Volunteer Technical Communities, such as ham radio volunteers, to assist with communications in emergencies. Social Media volunteers are just the latest group to step up to assist.Amateur Radio volunteers continue to support communication for the emergency operations center (EOC) in the US.In conjunction with the Digital Operations Center, the Red Cross also announced the creation of a Digital Volunteer Program. The digital volunteers will play a critical role in working to verify and curate an incredible volume of data during disasters, notifying Digital Operations Center staff of online trends and situational information that can inform disaster-response efforts Equally important, they will engage with people affected by disasters, providing them with critical safety information, resources and comforting messages.
Obtain Mandate/ endorcement from EM Practitioners – Exec. Dependant on objectives, seek funding to project manage, train, raise awareness, purchase infrastructure, travel to regional EM orgs.Guidelines, process, best practice, policy, protocol. Align with strategic goals.Trust is vital to successful use of VOST. Project management of trial, exercise, awareness campaign. Short, Medium, long term objectives for VOST. Align with key milestones in NZ EM. Develop regional internal EM VOST. Team, Tools and Training, impact factors. Engagement with PIO (PIM) comms staff public sector.
Listening, monitoring, directing Humanitarian assistance where it is needed. What does the community HAVE, what does the community NEED? Connect people, direct. Create a record (log) from the very beginning of the emergency/ disaster. Traceable record for AAR. Collaborative (permission based – to assist handoffs, shift changes).