Social Media and Emergency Response

The response to the tragic Oso Mudslide continues, and rescue efforts are transitioning to recovery.  Continued heavy rains are only making the situation worse for the search and recovery teams post holing in the dangerous muck. It has now clear ...

The Seattle Fire Department, and firefighters everywhere, got a big black eye this weekend when two drunk off duty Seattle firefighters allegedly attacked a couple of homeless people at a downtown memorial statue. One of the victims resorted to pulling ...

How many times have you read a feel good story or viewed epic videos and pictures on Facebook or Twitter that put a lump in your throat, brought a tear to your eye, twanged your revenge gene, or made you ...

It never ceases to amaze me how governments and politicians continue to be brought to their knees by Mother Nature.  Over the past 48 hours, the Deep South has been struck by a blizzard of epic proportions, eloquently described by ...

I recently sat in on a business webinar on crisis communications. The word “control” was used a lot. The presenters, experienced and well spoken media professionals, accurately described the light speed evolution of how news is being reported, driven by ...

Social Media Assisted Career Suicide, a term coined by my friend Dave Statter, struck again yesterday.  A PR executive getting ready for a long flight to Africa tweeted; “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” ...

Two fascinating social media and technology news stories broke over the Thanksgiving holiday making for a target rich blogging environment. Amazon drones Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, is a pretty shrewd showman by taking the opportunity on 60 Minutes to introduce ...

35 years ago I stood at the top of a set of stairs, watching with anxious fascination the chaos below.  Western Washington Security and Bellingham Police Department undercover officers observed drug deals going down at a large dorm room party, ...

The newfangled Google Glass device introduced recently is causing quite the stir among techies and detractors alike.  It appears to introduce the concept of a heads up display for navigating life.  While it remains to be seen how it will ...

This morning I read a San Fransisco Chronicle article detailing the San Fran fire chief’s edict banning the use of helmet cameras by on duty firefighters.  Prompted by the viral spread of a helmet camera video shot by SF Battalion ...