Using social media during an active event is not the easiest thing to do but can it ever pay off for you and your community if you can work it into your resources.
Melbourne, Florida is not a big city. It’s a city of about 80,000 people dwarfed by its coastal cousins, Miami and Jacksonville along with its central Florida neighbor, Orlando. It sits on the Atlantic side of the state just south of Cape Canaveral.
On Saturday, January 17 the city garnered some international attention when an active shooter event happened at the Melbourne Square Mall. Melbourne Police responded in real life and in the cyber space.
Officers currently working a shooting @ Melbourne Sq Mall; Ofcs have control of situation; mall temp closed; information wen available.
— Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 17, 2015
What would everyone in the media want at this point in time? A voice from the police department to keep them updated and they got it…
PIO will be heading to Smokey Bones to provide an update once mall is cleared. Phone msgs will be returned in the order received.
— Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 17, 2015
If it’s safe, a close location for a scrum serves your media very well.
What do you think the public wants to know?
Shooter is contained; Ofcs are clearing the mall store by store — Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 17, 2015
I bet people inside the mall were probably on social media wondering what was happening around them…
Store employees n the mall are asked to exit through their back door. if you need assistance, call 321-608-6731 and Ofcs will assist you.
— Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 17, 2015
Store employees n the mall are asked to exit through their back door. if you need assistance, call 321-608-6731 and Ofcs will assist you. — Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 17, 2015
Could you imagine what it would be like if your loved one worked at the mall or your children were shopping?
Any family members needing info can meet an ofc at the main bus stop on the west side of the mall #MelbourneSquareMall
— Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 17, 2015
I wonder if we can take our relatives who are visiting from out of state shopping tomorrow?
Melbourne Sq Mall will reopen tomorrow. Personal property left inside the Mall can be claimed by calling Mall Security at (321) 952-0583. — Melbourne Police (@MelbournePolice) January 18, 2015
Well done Melbourne Police.
.@MelbournePolice say about 100 people were in the mall when the shooting happened. #fox35 pic.twitter.com/t22sKU1wXZ
— Gina Benitez (@FOX35Gina) January 17, 2015
Are you ready to respond as well as the Melbourne Police did?
Do you have a designated media person trained in the use of social media?
Have you supplied your media relations and public information officers the mobile tools to be in “2 places at once”?
Do you have your voice in the social space?
The only thing you might want to do to increase your voice is consider the use of a hashtag that people are contributing to the conversation on. In this case #MelbourneSquareMall was getting a lot of attention.
