February 21, 2 013

1. Strategic Use of Social Media On Incidents This net meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. mountain time You must dial in to the conference call to receive audio: Phone Number: 888-601-3873 Participant Passcode: 215300 If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please click on Q&A on the toolbar at the top of your screen, write a message in the box that says Type a question for the presenter and click Ask, we will try our best to assist you. Or email Jennifer Jones at jejones@fs.fed.us or call her at (208) 631-0406. February 21, 2013

2. Strategic Use of Social Media On Incidents Jennifer Jones Public Affairs Specialist U.S. Forest Service, Washington Office, Fire and Aviation Management National Interagency Fire Center Boise, Idaho

3. What’s the point of this? • To supplement information presented in S403 • To develop material that may be incorporated into the all risk advanced PIO training course • February 28 Leadership: It’s Not In A Taskbook! • webinar has been postponed, new date to be determined.

4. NIFC PIO Bulletin Board http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/webinar.html

5. Topics for future training/webinars • Evacuations & Road Closures • The PAO/PIO relationship  • More about VOSTs & how to get one • Virtual Joint Information Centers/JIS • A research informed approach to incident communications • Consistent Messaging • Advanced News Media • Effective public meetings • Stakeholder/cooperator engagement • Legislative issues/politics • Current issues in wildfire/incident management • Unified Command • Working with multiple teams on a fire/Area Command jejones@fs.fed.us

6. Housekeeping • Download documents by clicking on pages icon on right side of live meeting toolbar.

7. Housekeeping • Download documents by clicking on pages icon on right side of live meeting toolbar. • Questions will be taken at the end in writing or over the phone • To submit a question in writing any time during the presentation: • Click on Q&A on the toolbar at the top of your screen, write a message in the box that says “Type a question for the presenter” and click Ask

8. Michelle Fidler NPS Fire Communication and Education Specialist @PIOFidler @NPSFireSW @T1SWIMT

9. Kris Eriksen • National Incident Management Organization- Portland Team: Public Information Officer @kriseriksen

10. What We Won’t Cover: Why you should use social media What social media tools to use How to use social media tools We begin with the assumption that we all understand the need to engage with social media at some level & that it must be part of an overall strategy.

11. What We Will Cover: How to build a Web 2.0 Unit in your PIO shop if you have the skills available. How to manage Web 2.0 needs if you don’t have the skills available. Social media transition issues – going from an IMT with a staffed SM effort to an IMT with nothing. Social media – can you or can’t you?!

12. When To Use? Every incident is different • Local standard • Evacuations • National / International Attention • Political Pressure from Governor / President • Primary systems crash • When your story isn’t in the conversation

13. How Does it Fit? Part of an overarching information strategy • Not a silver bullet • Don’t give up the traditional • Able to update from the field • Serves as a backup • Tools will come and go • Choose the tools that meet your needs

14. Where to Begin? Start with a 360 review to determine the need and key partners Sample Monitoring Template - http://bit.ly/HowToMonitor

15. Plan Ahead • Establish a Protocol • Have a Contingency Plan Sample protocol: http://bit.ly/CommentGuidelines

16. Think Through Your Needs • Initial Setup • Ordering • Organizing • Publicizing • Daily Tasks • Pushing • Monitoring • Engaging • Closeout • Evaluating • Transitioning 2013 PIO Incident Organizer - http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/nps.html

17. Intel Gathering • Traditional planning cycle doesn’t meet our needs • We need to provide “nuggets” of info throughout the day • Requires buy-in from entire IMT • Can be helpful to embed a PIO in Ops

18. Comment Guidelines http://bit.ly/CommentGuidelines

19. Building Your Organization Task Tool

20. How To Structure?Wallow Fire Case Study : E-Trapline Group Photo by Kari Greer

21. How To Structure?The Ultimate!

22. I have no PIOs with Social Media skills Tasks any PIO can do • Pushing Messages • Post articles and announcements on Inciweb (which will be tweeted automatically from @Inciweb) • AutopostInciweb RSS feed to Host Unit and/orIMT account (optional) • Monitoring • Do an initial review of partner sites to identify key resources • Scan Icerocket.com ≥ 1x / day • Countering Rumors • Address trending social media concerns in Inciweb articles/announcements

23. How to Ramp Up with More PIOsI have 3-5 PIOs who have skills

24. What If I Have Nothing? You have some options: Order Use an off-site PIO Ask the host unit Use your partner agencies Create a VOST - Trusted Digital Volunteers

25. How Can I Find A Qualified PIO? Social Media PIO Database Lead= Able to lead a social media group on an incident Advanced= Regularly use social media tools for personal, office, or incident use Intermediate= Comfortable Using a Variety of Social Media Tools Beginner= Have Training and/or Have Tried Using Social Media Tools Contact: Michelle Fidler 520-733-5136 Michelle_Fidler@nps.gov

26. Will a name request be approved? Name Suggest Resource Order Language Requesting PIO Qualification, Full Name as it’s Listed in ROSS, Cell: xxx-xxx-xxxx, Home Unit: xx-xxx, Dispatch: xx-xxx, Jetport: xxx) to report at date/time. She/he has advanced social media skills and has the skills and experience to serve as a lead PIO for our multimedia unit. He/she will be maintaining electronic public information incident communications (Inciweb, social media, etc.) and needs to work at location with reliable power, phone, and internet.Her/his work station may move throughout the incident to accommodate this need. Work may be performed remotely at official duty station or off-site locations as appropriate. Travel to the incident is authorized. Rental car, laptop, cell phone, handheld radio, portable printer, and digital camera are authorized.

27. Use an off-site PIO • Ask a PIO or other person, not on your incident, to help • Place an order for someone to work remotely • NWCG Memo on Off-Site/Remote Incident Assignments - http://www.nwcg.gov/general/memos/nwcg-013-2011.pdf

28. Ask the host unit Twitter Website/blog Other standing social media accounts Front desk or PAO staff

29. Use Your Partner Agencies Fire Departments Chamber of Commerce Sheriff Other Fire Agencies

30. Build a VOSTVirtual Operations Support Team A VOST is a structured group of volunteers, who’s location is irrelevant, who have been organized by you to assist in providing virtual social media support, under your direction, for your incident.

31. Build a VOSTVirtual Operations Support Team cont> Away from the incident In many time zones Give you distance from social media Give you an invisible staff that can accomplish a huge amount of work Ensure the WO & other VIPs are getting info Can supply you with dedicated eyes and ears

34. Build a VOSTVirtual Operations Support Team cont> Give you an invisible staff that can accomplish a huge amount of work Ensure the WO & other VIPs are getting info Can supply you with dedicated eyes and ears

35. VOSTConcerns Most common concerns about VOST: It’s just more people to manage. What if one of them goes rogue, saying things we don’t want them to? I don’t want to have to make sure what they write/say is correct.

36. Case Study Gladiator Fire – One PIO Using Existing Resources How We Managed • @Inciweb was on autopilot • @wildlandfireAZautoposts from Inciweb • AZEIN Blog/@AZEIN/FB posted our updates • Set @T1SWIMT to autopost from Inciweb • Monitored Google alerts and Icerocket

37. Case Study Little Bear Fire – One PIO Off-Site > On-Site • 1 PIO off-site 1st few days • Relocated to ICP once stable connections established • Pushed Messages • Inciweb • NMFireInfo blog, FB, Twitter • IMT & Host Unit Twitter • Incident Facebook • Monitored & Engaged • Posted consolidated responses • Mitigated Rumors

39. Case StudyLittle Sand Fire, CO • Me as lead PIO • 1 Social Media PIO • 1 Deputy running day to day Ops • Other PIOs as worker bees

40. Transition This is a new issue as we move into SM because of the disparity. The key is communication Document all accounts and passwords

41. How to Transition? Wenatchee Complex Case Study – Transitioning From a VOST • First Type 1 IMT on-site used a VOST that disengaged with the IMT left • We considered stopping posts when the VOST left • We ultimately determined there was still value to feeding sites they’d started • We only had 1 PIO to manage so we used dlvr.it to autopost • We focused on monitoring and responding to trends

42. Building Social Media Skills There are numerous resources available – the key is getting started and using the tools yourself. Tips - nifc.gov/PIO_bb/social_media.html FAQ - http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/webinar/WebinarQA2012.pdf SM Training - training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is42.asp How To - howto.gov/social-media VOST questions answered - http://vosg.us/ How VOSTs/IMTs work together –1 hr webinar https://webmeeting.nih.gov/p88541552/

43. Issues that remain Can you or can’t you?? Use of Social media is not just a PIO decision.

44. New (er) Tools Ustream - livestreaming of briefings Direct to FB livestream– available now via iPhone; streams live and posts recorded QR codes – allows for easy access to websites from smartphones Avenza Maps - download geotagged PDFs to your mobile device; GPS shows where you are Ipads– updated mapping from the fireline; also used to record/stream briefings / air attack footage Groupme – group texting to inform PIO / PAOs Google Voice – one number; can designate which cell and/or landlines it will ring to; transcribes voicemail; group texting feature Wildland Fire Apps (Red Cross, US Fires, Wildfire Info, CO Wildfire Watch) – mobile access to Inciweb and 209 information

45. Questions or comments? 3 Ways to Ask • Click on Q&A on the toolbar at the top of your screen, write a message in the box that says Type a question for the presenter and click Ask • Click on the hand icon and ask your question over the phone when you are called on • Ask your question over the phone when I ask if anyone has any questions

46. Contact Info Michelle FidlerNPS Fire Communication and Education Specialist Supporting Parks in AZ, NM, OK, and TX3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730(520) 733-5136 office (520) 400-2932 cell         Michelle_Fidler@nps.gov Kris Eriksen PIO U.S. Forest Service National Incident Management Organization (208) 869-7685 cell keriksen@fs.fed.us

47. Thank you! PIO, Little Bear Fire, New Mexico, 2012 NIFC PIO Bulletin Board http://www.nifc.gov/PIO_bb/webinar.html Jennifer Jones jejones@fs.fed.us (208) 387-5437