New York City, as a whole, is on the cutting edge of technology. Between the home of the 24 hour Apple Store, our own “Silicon Alley”, and the embracement of treating citizens as customers from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 311 initiative are all indicative of the city’s technological pioneering ways.

This includes the NYC Office of Emergency Management that has an established Hub Site, a YouTube Account, a Facebook Page, and a Twitter Account. Additionally, NYC OEM has also been instrumental in a tax payer funded city program called Notify NYC.

One of their major initiatives is the educational campaign Ready New York. As this video demonstrates staying informed from a trusted source of information is key during times of crisis. The narrator goes so far as to say, “In a disaster, city officials will issue updates on the situation.” and instructs the viewer to carry a portable batter operated radio.

So let’s take a quick look at how NYC OEM disseminated information through their social web presence during a recent crisis.

The Throgs Neck Bridge Fire

On Friday June 10, 2009 there was a serious incident on the Throgs Neck Bridge. At about 5:05am the call came in that there was a fire under the bridge. The FDNY responded to find a hole in the actual decking and a fire beneath the bridge where some construction crews had worked with welding torches earlier. While there is some discrepancy about the exact time, it is believed that both lanes of traffic were closed between 5:45am and 6:15am.

Notify NYC had this to say:

7/10/2009 6:55:00 AM
Throgs Neck Bridge Fire
Notification 1 issued July 10, 2009 at 6:40 AM. Emergency personnel are on scene of a fire underneath the Queens side of the Throgs Neck Bridge. The bridge is closed in both directions. Expect heavy traffic delays.

Okay, so at least 25 minutes and at most 55 minutes after the traffic lanes had been closed was when the alert was sent out. If the length of time from when the action happened to when the alert “supposedly” (why does it say the 1st alert went out at 6:40 when the 1st alert on their page is showing it went out at 6:55?) went out was actually an ambulance responding to a call, then that unit would be considered extremely extended which is why I consider NotifyNYC a FAIL.

Here is something worse:

As you can see from this screen shot of their Facebook Page that was taken a full 24 hours after the event, there is no mention of the fire or the closure anywhere. Sadly, the latest update was actually a link share on 7/09/09 about an article from a 6/25/09 visit by FEMA Administer Craig Furgate. Obviously that whole “In a disaster, city officials will issue updates on the situation,” has fallen through the cracks meaning that the NYC OEM Facebook Page is a FAIL.

Not surprisingly:

As of July 11, 2009 the NYC OEM Twitter Account has made only 4 updates, with its latest offering being a June 6, 2009 Tip of the Week. Four weeks later they are still sharing that same tip. Obviously the NYC OEM Twitter Account is a FAIL.

FAIL + FAIL + FAIL = EPIC FAIL

Keeping Your Social Media Presence Strong

Here are 5 simple ways to prepare your Social Media Presence to perform as it is intended in times of crisis:

• Provide fresh content on a regular basis - It does not necessarily have to be daily, but I would suggest at the very least an article 3 times a week on your blog that gets syndicated out
• Provide prompt and accurate news - You don’t have to give all the details if they aren’t available, and you should NEVER make an assumption about a situation you are not present for. However just a casual, “There’s a fire on the Throgs Neck Bridge, stay tuned for further updates” can go a long way to give you credibility
• Engage in conversations - Chances are there are other bloggers/tweeters/Facebookers in your area that will mention things that are going on. You should engage in their conversation offering your agencies insight to the specific topic they have raised
• Solve a problem - A great example from above would be someone tweeting about all the traffic, and NYC OEM could have replied with a suggested alternate route that may have helped reduce the congestion a little sooner
• Recycle timeless articles/tips - You can easily write a group of articles, I would suggest at least 20, that you recycle through your network if you have nothing new to add

It’s important to remember that you want to be viewed as a trusted source of information before, during, and after a crisis. Ignoring an event, especially if the local media covers it, makes you seem inept at disseminating information and you are not going to achieve the goal of becoming that trusted source.

Ultimately Social Media is like a muscle. If you don’t use it then it will never get stronger, and will eventually become dystrophic. Don’t let that happen to your agency’s presence.