HMLS 310 Week 6 conference Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HMLS 310 Week 6 conference - Coursework Example It is evidential that the development of new technologies that have emerged during the mid-1990s has led to the establishment of internet based application referred to as the social media. This include blogs, discussions forums, you tube channels, Facebook and twitter. Most importantly, social media has played an increasing role in emergencies and disasters. This report summarizes how social media has been used by emergency management officials and agencies. It also evaluates the potential benefits and consequences of using social media in the context of emergency and disasters. Generally in the anthrax attacks, social media would have been used as a medium for conducting emergency communications and issue warnings, receive victim’s requests for assistance, monitoring user’s activities and postings to determine situational awareness and using downloaded images to create damage estimates among others(1). For instance in the attacks, social media would have been used to pass notifications by the use of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), emergency warnings and alerts to citizens. Besides, social media would have been used to alert emergency officials on the anthrax attacks by monitoring the flow of information from different sources to help in the reduction of the number of casualties. Risk communication refers to the interactive process of exchanging information and opinion among individuals, groups, and institutions involving multiple messages about the nature of risk. It is a science based programme for communicating accurately and effectively in cases of extreme stress and concerns. Moreover, risk communication skills are imperative for the successful management of crises. One way to achieve effective risk communication especially in the case of anthrax attack is through message mapping. This refers to the tool of risk communicator that