PIO Social Media Training

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, November 9 2011 at 2:00pm (Eastern). The test may last up to three and a half minutes and will be broadcast simultaneously across all broadcast systems.

The public will hear a message indicating that “This is a test.” The audio message will be the same for both radio and television. It is imperative that we alert our communities that this is a test, and only a test, to avoid an unnecessary flood of calls into our 911 call centers and panic amongst the public. In order to help agencies get the message out FEMA published a National EAS Test Toolkit.

Here are a few things to do using content from the toolkit to help prepare your communities:

• Write a blog post about the Emergency Alert System
• Create a short video announcing the Emergency Alert System test. The video can easily be created using Screenr to show your agency logo with a voice over
• Share your blog post and video through social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Encourage your subscribers to share the link as well
• Schedule messages to go out via Twitter every 4 hours using tools like CoTweet or HootSuite
• Update your agency Facebook Page with information about the test the night before, the morning of, and one hour before the test is scheduled to begin
• After the test, us the opportunity to refresh interest in any preparedness content you may have previously published such as emergency kit information, emergency planning tips, and emergency medical information. Share those links through the social networks and encourage your community to be prepared for when it is not a test

This is a great opportunity for your agency to connect with the community as a trusted and valued source of information. Don’t let it slip by!

Related posts:

1. FDNY Uses YouTube To Communicate Message To The Hearing Impaired
2. DHS Announces New National Terrorism Advisory System