With emergency situations happening more frequently at educational establishments, research shows that social networking websites could be school officials’ best chance at keeping students, faculty, and others safe during a crisis. The researchers from the University at Buffalo note that while the ability to predict emergency situations may be limited, a response can be bolstered by a strong social media presence to ensure that occupants are kept out of harm’s way.
The study, published in International Journal of Business Information Systems, finds that establishing social media pages via Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and updating them regularly can provide a more current flow of information and social networking websites will likely be able to reach more people than a radio station or TV channel. The study’s authors also mention that while establishing a social networking page may take time, it’s very low cost, making social networking a valuable tool for emergency response in both the educational and the business setting.
Looking for more emergency response tips? Make sure you take a look at this guide to help you warn occupants of impending threats.
