Creative Commons

There are weeks where little happens in the world of Social Media & Emergency Management and then there are weeks like these where so much has happened that one needs to keep a diary to remember all of the fun activity. Today, I’ll simply try to remember the highlights and hopefully, in this list, you’ll learn of something new or share with me what I missed.

FEMA Webinar

  • December 7th  saw the first iteration of the Social Media Webinar created by the Virtual Social Media Working Group (VSMWG) and hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The webinar filled to capacity quickly and those who were able to get on the call provided very positive feedback on the experience.  Credit goes to Sara Cohen (@saraestescohen) who coordinated this effort and put in significant work to the webinar development.  Another date is currently being set to redeliver the same course in January.

Focus Group Review of the Independent Study Course on Social Media

  • On December 8th, a number of folks participated in a review of the developing course on social media that is being led by a consulting group called Manitou.  A number of folks participated in-person at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland in addition to a virtual group who participate via webinar & conference call.  It is anticipated that this course will be available online in the first half of 2012.

Launch of the Wiki 2.0

  • December 8th also saw the launch of Wiki 2.0, launched from Australia, which seeks to become the global hub for all sectors of the community to access information and links to resources for using social media and new technology in emergencies.

Holiday Fun Blog Projects

Several awesome bloggers have kicked off the holidays by counting down some of the excellent leaders and practices in social media.  They include:

  • Patrice Cloutier (@patricecloutier) has kicked off 25 days of #SMEM Leaders.  So far, he’s highlighted 11 great people which are worth reading more about.  And while Patrice won’t blog about himself directly, let me just say that his peers all over Twitter keep telling him that he needs to write about the great efforts he’s been a part of in Canada and through PTSC Online.
  • Jim Garrow (@jgarrow) has joined in the holiday blogging effort by posting 12 Days of SMEM on his blog which is called “The Face of the Matter.”  Jim is highlighting practices that are innovative and engaging with their audiences.  His last post was on zombies which is, of course, the quintessential disaster scenario.
  • Kim Stephens (@kim26stephens) is also in the holiday spirit with her posts on the December List which focuses on agencies and jurisdictions that have jumped into the social media sphere.

Speaking on Capitol Hill

  • And, last but certainly not least, Heather Blanchard (@poplifegirl) will be heading to Capitol Hill tomorrow with several other folks to talk about how social media is affecting how we prepare, respond and engage our communities via technology and social media.  As seen earlier this year on the hill and at TedX events, Heather has a great speaking presence and her voice certainly is being heard in circles that will ultimately affect all of us as emergency managers and volunteers in our local spheres of influence.

I’m sure I missed an event or two, but forgive me because we’ve had a lot going on.  As this arena continues to expand, keep your eyes open for ways to be involved and contribute.  Remember, all of our voices are important in this symphony of life and whole community.

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