The Role of Social Media in Crisis

Worldwide crises recently prompted new attention to the role information communication technologies (ICT) play in SAR and crisis response efforts, due to the growing citizens’ participation through online (social) media and mobile communications. Empowered by new communication media, such as mobile phones with cameras, text messaging and internet- based applications connecting to social media platforms, citizens are the in situ first sensors, but their added-value involvement in crisis response efforts is often disregarded by First Responders (FRs) and Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) organisations, whose traditional command and control models do not easily adapt to the new crises’ trend of including a global, digitally enabled social arena, a condition that is further hampered by restrictive legal framework and privacy concerns.

Founded in the analysis of several case studies, we present herein iSAR+, a holistic approach to the effective adoption of the new communication media in emergencies or crises by PPDRs and Citizens. The proposed approach shall enable the use of these technologies for a bi- directional provision, dissemination, sharing and retrieval of information between PPDR, FRs and citizens, with the later acting as strong enablers for the rapid generation of high levels of awareness and C2 agility, during and after crisis situations.

Addressing a complex subject, the multi-dimensional nature of this approach considers the organisational, human, technological, legal and ethical aspects that entail the increasingly relevant role of new online and mobile media in crises.