Facebook Twitter Effective Emergency Management

Before many people check the news, they check their twitter or facebook account. Researchers at the University of Colorado recently published a study that found that blogs, maps, photo sites and instant messaging systems were better at providing warnings, help and lists of how individuals were affected than traditional sources. The research, published in the New Scientist, suggested that sites such as Twitter and Google Maps were able to assist residents of California, during wildfires in 2007, exchange information and track the fires' progress even when the residents did not have access to traditional news sources. Because anyone with a mobile phone that has an internet connection could access these services, researchers found that the information exchanged was often more complete and reliable than information available through traditional means.

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