FirstToSee Emergency Support System: The Power to See, Share, and Help

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

Social media has changed the way that both government and the public respond to emergencies. The public increasingly uses social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook to communicate during a disaster. However, emergency officials need better tools to review thousands of messages for key information. Pierce County and non-profit partner Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) have leveraged social media and mobile technologies to greatly improve emergency preparedness. FirstToSee is a revolutionary system that gives Western Washington responders the advantage of adding thousands of more “eyes” on the street. Responders can use the FirstToSee portal to gather and view large amounts of data from social media. This data is then compiled into filterable categories. Meanwhile, the FirstToSee mobile app provides the public with new tools for communicating directly with responders. App users can send emergency reports and photos from their smartphones or tablets. FirstToSee helps federal, state and local governments create a clearer operational picture and provide a more targeted response. The first real-life test for FirstToSee came during the Oso landslide in March 2014. FirstToSee played an important role in helping to confirm the identities of those who had survived the disaster, as well as compiling a list of residents who were still missing.