At the opening of the command center on March 12, 2012, Dell and the Red Cross gave a workshop on Social Media Emergency Management .The American Red Cross has a long tradition of embracing new technologies to improve disaster relief. This Disaster Tech Timeline provides a nice overview of these developments:
from the use of telegraphy in 1881, through telephony, radio, satellite, computers, mobile phones, geographic information systems (GIS) to online communities in 2006, GPS and mobile SOS apps in 2011 to the Digital Operation Centre in 2012.
Within this timeline we also see the beautiful social media applications:
2006: Starts listening and connecting through online networks and communities. Read how ARC set up Social Media monitoring after Hurricane Katrina.
2010: Social Media Strategy and Handbook for Local Volunteers
2010: Very successful Mobile Giving campaign during the earthquake in Haiti.
2012: Digital Operations Center and Digital Volunteers Program.
Center was already active in rescuing hurricane victims
The center has already successfully passed its first tests, such as during the devastating hurricane Sandy . With the help of social media monitoring and data visualizations, it became visible where macedonia phone data people were missed and where victims were located so that aid workers could work efficiently. The center was also used to manage the influx of American aid workers in New York.
Blueprint for other aid organizations?
The American Red Cross is the first aid organization to have a social media command center for real-time engagement and response. We will continue to monitor the center and are curious to see what social media solutions other aid organizations come up with. If you have examples of your own, share.
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