Not everyone understands social networking. They generally have questions about the privacy or the value in knowing what someone is doing at any given moment. But Facebook and Twitter offer an extremely efficient way to communicate outward to the masses and can be the most effective way to respond to an emergency.
We’ve already seen how social media helped Haiti after their devestating earthquake. But in California recently, Twitter helped spread the word again. I can’t begin to link to all the tweets that promted information but Katie Kindelan over at The Social Times has a good summary of how Twitter helped shape the response. The Red Cross, Gov. Schwarzenegger, and PG&E were all able to share up to the second status reports in 140 characters or less but it proved to be an effective tool. People were able to give first hand reports of what was happening – in real time.
San Bruno Fire Heats Up Twitter – The Social Times