Most people know what social media like Facebook and Twitter are. These are just the most recent and preferred forms of social media, a phenomenon that truly got its start with MySpace. Computers enthusiasts use social networking sites to stay in contact, to meet new people, and even to affect social change. In an emergency, these forms of social media are methods for everyone to contact one another, and for emergency management to run smoother than ever seen before.

If you use Twitter or Facebook, just as two examples, you have possibly noticed that moments after there is a national news story, especially a disaster of any type, there are mentions of this that come rapid-fire on the feed. The recent Eastern US earthquake, as an example, had people on Twitter joking about it, with some sending messages as it was occuring.

The terrifying tsunami that devastated Japan was consistently discussed in the stream for weeks after, but during those first few days people were searching for missing family and friends, sending out alerts for help in finding them, and making pleas for donations to disaster aid groups. Some groups in Japan sent messages on Twitter updating sometimes every few minutes during the catastrophe and after so long as they could, until the power went out or the danger for them had passed.

The ability to connect this way through Toughbooks laptops and other mobile solutions not only helped many people, but brought many folks comfort that they were never alone. But when a disaster strikes, social networking can go beyond being social, and can serve as a strong tool to protect public safety.

Law enforcement, fire officials and first responders of all kinds would do well to think about having Twitter feeds and Facebook pages, at a minimum, that can be updated from mobile rugged systems during emergencies. They should also consider checking local feeds during and following emergencies for amazingly good info that can be helpful.