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Statement On FEMAINFOCUS Twitter Media Conference

Before
During
After
A few ground rules for participants
FAQ

FEMA Administrator David Paulison will be available from 3 -3:30 pm Monday, Jan 12, 2009, to give a message and reply to questions using the agency's Twitter account, femainfocus. The agency's top official will discuss where FEMA was, where it is now, and where he sees it going.

A few notes on the structure of the event:

Before

FEMA staff will be monitoring the account activity before the Administrator is available. If there is something folks are interested in asking, they can tweet us before hand so we can try to add to the queue or answer ourselves.
Use the hashtag #FEMARDP to ensure pre-event questions pertaining to this forum are added to the list for the Administrator's response.

During

Administrator Paulison will sign each Tweet with "-P" to designate that he personally responded.
Use the hashtag #FEMARDP to ensure questions pertaining to this forum are added to the list for the Administrator's response.
Any reasonable @replies not answered by the Administrator in the time allowed will be followed up by FEMA staff.
Responses made by FEMA staff will be designated with their initials.
We will try to answer @replies individually, however multiple questions that are the same or very similar will get aggregate responses.
Those interested in following the thread should use the hashtag #FEMARDP

After

The Administrator's statement will be posted on www.fema.gov following the availability.
A full transcript of the questions and replies will be posted online following the availability.
A full audio transcript of the discussion behind the tweets will be posted online through the FEMA Radio News Service

A few ground rules for participants

FEMA employees are requested not to ask questions of the Administrator through this forum, as this is meant to provide an opportunity for those outside the agency to ask questions. Paulison will not respond to questions by employees. Any FEMA employees must identify their relationship with the agency if they make a statement during this forum.
If you applied for FEMA assistance, DO NOT provide your case information. Any questions about specific applications and appeals should go through the helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm.
We ask everyone to show respect for us and each other, which is what we have encountered in the community so far. So let's keep it going.
Neither the Administrator nor staff will respond to tweets with inappropriate language.
Don't spam; it violates the intent of twitter and only serves to negatively impact those participants who are interested in emergency management.
Remember - 140 characters is very tight, even for government communicators. We will try to be succinct and link to more information wherever possible. Inquiries requiring longer responses will be accommodated through later posting on www.fema.gov.
Any links mentioned in @replies will be listed along with replies we later post on www.fema.gov.

FAQ

Why Is FEMA using Twitter?

FEMA is actively trying to engage partners and public in preparedness planning.
Communications before, during, and after incidents can save lives and property.
During disasters, text message may be the best form of reaching some people.
Twitter is just one tool in the chest that lets us provide information to the public in a time of need.
By joining Twitter and other social media tools, FEMA is joining the conversations of the public and EM partners.
Personal accounts of actions taken help provide transparency into the Agency Mission.
Many FEMA staff use Twitter and other tools in daily life.
Provide education on programs and get info to those who need it.
Communicating now builds a nation of prepared partners with another tool to pass information .

Why is FEMA doing the Twitter availability?

FEMA wants to support public knowledge of available tools for information before disasters happen.
Having a preparedness plan includes knowing how to communicate during incidents.
Twitter is just one tool for public to get web and text messages from emergency responders and family members.
FEMA wants to stay a part of the conversation for community recovery.

Last Modified: Friday, 09-Jan-2009 13:42:05 EST