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said he wanted in and recruited @okicemap folks and @okem I made him TL of VOST3.

Using a cloud based document (the ICS 204 on a google document) allowed the VOSG/T

members to contribute to its development. Ultimately the 204 went through 15-20 versions

before being finalized without ever having to worry about emailing and version control, etc. Nor

did I have to worry about ownership as I retained control over viewing, editing, and sharingprivileges (I am a control freak after all).

There ended up being 16 people involved in the VOSG/T concept, ten of whom were not

present in Alexandria, VA. These ten people were spread across the country in all four

timezones and had varying degrees of availability that day. This presented a few management

challenges:

I instructed everyone to convert everything to Eastern Daylight Time

I added an availability table on top of the 204 with 1 hour increments and a simple YES,

NO, Maybe scheme that could be easily updated by the team members and also easy to

view and manage from by the TLs.

I made VOST assignments based on a combination of geography and availability

If youre reading this far then youve seen the Modified ICS 204. Its a great tool for organizing

divisions, groups, teams and task forces and providing mission critical information such as

assignment details, special instructions/considerations and detailing intra- and inter-team

communications. In this case I gave the VOSG the following assignments:

CONTROL OPERATIONS

1. Maintain operational communications within VOSG and with event operationsDevelop, publish and maintain a modified ICS Form 205 to address

communications channels being used during this operation [VOST3 in

coordination with Group Sup & other VOSTs]

2. Maintain situational awareness on/around event through #SMEM #SMEM11

#NEMA #NEMA11 and other SM platforms in use

Address real world issues for situational awareness as well.

Archive all #SMEM Camp at #NEMA11 related posts from all platforms in use

3. Facilitate event remote viewing & participation by SMEM and other SM users

Engage to explain whats going on and how to view/participate [All VOSTs]

Provide background/context on SMEM initiative [All VOSTs]

Periodically tweet the #SMEM11 hashtag and introduce what it means with link to

NEMA web site [All VOSTs]

4. Identify and resolve problems with remote viewing & participation

Technologies to support include Skype, Twitter, Ustream others?

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Essential Support Function-2 concerns include information technology, voice and

data communications as well as landline and cellular communications

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

This is an exercise of the concept of organizing trusted agents into recognizedoperational structures using principles and practices of ICS to perform necessary

functions in support of emergency response & recovery operations.

This activity is for proof of concept and thereby active learning and experimentation is

encouraged.

Record activities for the purpose of documenting and evaluating the exercise in order to

advance the concept.

I added a note to the 204: A key point from me to you is - having been given the assignment/

tasks you the VOSG and VOSTs will coordinate on how to make it happen I knew full well what

was in store for me as I was in a lead role in #SMEM Camp at #NEMA11 so I was counting on

the VOSG to have my back. I made a 2 minute video half way through the day that captures

my mindset http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13534359

I have been developing trusted agents and this VOSG/T concept with the understanding that if/

when we have a major emergency in my area I will NEED assistance in the social media realm.

I fully intend to hand off my social media accounts and make assignments like those in the 204

to trusted agents whether they are physically proximate to me or half way around the world.

So, am I happy with how this turned out? Yes! Most definitely. It exceeded my hopes andexpectations. Is it easily replicable? For me, yes. For others, probably, but I understand perhaps

with a bit more caution.

Im very proud that the VOSG/T folks not only interacted on Facebook but created a Facebook

page http://www.facebook.com/pages/SMEM-VOSG/175548159160232?ref=ts. I encourage

you to check this out and tell me if you think they embraced the mission.

So thats it for now. I wanted to get some of my thoughts out there as soon as I could to

advance the conversation. I set this document up on the cloud so that the VOSG/T folks could

openly comment because they know a heck of a lot better how things went on March 24th.

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ATTACHMENT A - Post Event Thoughts, Issues and Comments

Jeff Phillips (@LosRanchosEM) ...the name...

Ive gone round and round on what to call this and continue to settle on Virtual Operations

Support rather than Social Media Team or some others. I could be swayed and may in fact call

it something else in the future. To me thats less important than the concept of integrating socialmedia monitoring and engagement into my CONOPS. With that in mind I reserve the right to

use single resources, officers, teams, task forces, units, groups, branches, etc in any way I see

fit. Ill use it in the way I think will get the job done for me for any particular operational period

depending on the situation and the general control objectives. Form follows function.

Jeff Phillips (@LosRanchosEM) ...formalizing...

For #SMEM Camp at #NEMA11 I activated:

1. Unaffiliated Volunteers

2. Affiliated Volunteers from other areas

3. Local government personnel from other areas

4. State government personnel from other areas

I had no pre-existing arrangement with any of them and I wonder if this was NOT a proof of

concept 'no fault' event if any or all of them would require a formal arrangement, for example,

an MOU or waiver, etc? Well, the answer is, probably. This is something that Ill need to give

some more thought to and I welcome others to weigh in.

Cheryl Bledsoes (@CherylBle) Thoughts on the VOST/VOSG Application to the Real World.....

https://docs.google.com/viewer?

a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2wR41dzfxgyNmVmM2NlNDktNzlmOC00YTliLTg2Y

WUtOTQ5ZDRiMzAwZjZm&hl=en

Scott Reuter (@sct_r) Overall... it's just a great concept and seems like a great way to develop

the "digital operations center" idea. Looking forward to hearing how you and Cheryl - who are

actually working on policy and the nuts and bolts of implementing such a plan from inside -

incorporate this in to your plans.

Via twitter:

@sct_r scott reuter - Enjoyed reviewing @losranchosem & @cherylble writing RE VOST

concept. Thanks 4 your work & thanks 2 the other "trusted agents" in VOSG

@CherylBle Cheryl Bledsoe - @sct_r having now seen proof of concept, challenge will

be to formalize for use in EOC environments #VOSG

@sct_r scott reuter - @cherylble interested in how u plan 2 use VOSG in interim until

policy is official -just in case disaster hits b4 policy fully developed

@CherylBle Cheryl Bledsoe - @sct_r I think those of us who have relationships with

trusted agents will be able to use in interim. Those w/o = wont @losranchosem #vost

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ATTACHMENT B Modified_ICS_204_#SMEM_Camp_at_#NEMA11

*** Scrubbed version - removed personal contact information ***

General Availability Table (Time are Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday March 24th)

Name 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700

Heather

Blanchard, IC

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Pascal Schuback,

LSC

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Jeff Phillips,

OSC

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Joel Arnwine,

Group Sup

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Brian Fields,

VOST1 TL

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Marlita Reddy-

Hjelmfelt, VOST1

YES NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Joanna Lane,

VOST1

No YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Stayce Smith,

VOST1

NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Eric Kant,

VOST2 TL

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Scott Reuter,

VOST2

Maybe YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO Maybe

Cheryl Bledsoe,

VOST2

YES YES NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES

@metalerik,

VOST2

NO NO NO NO NO Maybe YES Maybe NO NO NO

Scott Clemetson,

VOST2

NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Lloyd Colston,

VOST3 TL

Maybe Maybe YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

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2. Maintain situational awareness on/around event through #SMEM #SMEM11 #NEMA

#NEMA11 and other SM platforms in use

a. Address real world issues for situational awareness as well.

b. Archive all #SMEM Camp at #NEMA11 related posts from all platforms in use

3. Facilitate event remote viewing & participation by SMEM and other SM users

a. Engage to explain whats going on and how to view/participate [All VOSTs]

b. Provide background/context on SMEM initiative [All VOSTs]

c. Periodically tweet the #SMEM11 hashtag and introduce what it means with link to

NEMA web site [All VOSTs]

4. Identify and resolve problems with remote viewing & participation

a. Technologies to support include Skype, Twitter, Ustream others?

b. Essential Support Function-2 concerns include information techology, voice and

data communications as well as landline and cellular communications

8. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

This is an exercise of the concept of organizing trusted agents into recognized

operational structures using principles and practices of ICS to perform necessary

functions in support of emergency response & recovery operations.

This activity is for proof of concept and thereby active learning and experimentation is

encouraged.

Record activities for the purpose of documenting and evaluating the exercise in order to

advance the concept.

Since we will have people in all timezones within the VOSG convert all times to Eastern

Daylight Time (EDT) for standardization.

#SMEM Camp @ NEMA Pre-Event Participant Survey http://bit.ly/eggO09

9. DIVISION/GROUP COMMUNICATIONS SUMMARY

Make use of all available communications nodes (ie Twitter, Skype, Google, Pirate Pad,

email, phone, etc)

Detailed:

Skype Chat - VOSG/VOST for #SMEM Camp at #NEMA11

Email list -

Conference call bridge - Dial 619-2-RONDEE (619-276-6333) and enter individual

PIN

Pirate Pad for the VOSG/T to use http://piratepad.net/WPfhIVqFEf

Ustream Channel link

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PREPARED BY (RESOURCE UNIT LEADER): Jeff Phillips @LosRanchosEM

APPROVED BY (PLANNING SECT. CH.): Same

DATE Wednesday, March 23, 2011

TIME 1800 hrs EDT

Comments / Questions / Suggestions (For ICS 204)

For purposes of this exercise Heather Blanchard @poplifegirl is Incident Commander and Pascal

Schuback @schuback is Logistics Section Chief. Ill be listed as Operations Section Chief - Jeff

#SMEM Camp at #NEMA11 provides us a no-fault environment to try out new tools and colaboration

ideas. This VOSG/VOST concept is one Ive been working on for awhile and hope to actually

demonstrate the concept and the benefits - Jeff

A key point from me to you is - having been given the assignment/tasks you the VOSG and VOSTs willcoordinate on how to make it happen - Jeff