41139474•03/25/14


u i r o e c p S x


Alyssa Halket, a graphic designer with the City of Medicine Hat, helped keep city residents informed during the flood by using social media.


emergency management Robinson was in charge of the city.


Robinson said that in recent flood years they'd noticed the tremendous impact social media had on the population, both positive and negative.


"Social media has the power to derail or support specific objectives," Robinson


says. It is a tool that can quickly spread fact and fiction to a wide audience.


The 2013 flood would mark the largest in Medicine Hat's history. Flood waters reached a height of 6.2 metres and 10,000 people were evacuated. Squelching rumours and providing facts quickly helped the city keep Medicine Hat residents on track.


"We've had previous flood events, but this was the first time social media got so big. I think it became the 'go to' source for people getting information during the flood," McLean says.


The power of a share, like, or tweet became the voice of people across the city. Words of thanks rolled onto the Facebook page for the team's efforts


and as the flood waters receded things slowed down. Halket returned to her position as graphic designer and McLean was once again a communications officer, but the power of what they had done remained.


When an emergency struck the City kept its people on line. ■


our communities ❚ our region ❚ our people


57


03/25/14


f


y e


e v ..eh


reh


a


K


t w e


a s s


It starts with Scouts.It starts with Scouts. For registration info call


1-888-321-4647 or visit our website http://chin.scouts.ca


or visit our website http://chin.scouts.ca


d n i


For registration info call 1-888-321-4647


h le e c


s d


s n


t e


n e i


n


w u


d


l a u o


e n


v d


n


t '


u h


t


a


r


s v


e


e


41139359


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112