Alberta Residents more likely than any other province to use Social Media during Disaster
(Alberta) October 9, 2012: According to new data collected by Ipsos on behalf of the Canadian Red Cross, the majority of Canadians are using social media regularly and expect emergency responders to also be using popular social networking tools.
The survey, Social Media in Emergencies, is the first of its kind in Canada to look at habits and trends around the use of social media in disasters. Key findings include:
64 per cent of Canadians use social media sites, 62 per cent of whom participate nearly every day
63 per cent think disaster and emergency response agencies, including fire and police, should be prepared to respond to calls for help that are posted on social media networks
Alberta residents are more likely than residents of any other province to say they would sign up for electronic alerts that provide information on the location of medical services (64 per cent, compared to 58 per cent nationally), shelter locations (62 per cent, compared to 57 per cent nationally) and Red Cross reception centre locations (58 per cent, compared to 51 per cent nationally).
Residents of Alberta are the most likely to say they would sign up for electronic alerts in times of official warnings. 70 per cent of Albertans would do so, compared to 50 per cent of Canadians.
Residents of Alberta were the most likely to say they weren’t prepared because these types of disasters rarely occur in their area, with 37 per cent giving this reason. However, more than 4 in 10 (42 per cent) Albertans say they have been affected by a storm – or tornado – related disaster compared to 15 per cent affected by fires, and 14 per cent who have lost electricity for more than 72 hours.
More than a quarter of Alberta respondents (26 per cent) said they hadn’t prepared for disasters because they thought it was unnecessary or they didn’t care, the highest rate of and Canadian region.
"Information is key to keeping people safe in an emergency," says Conrad Sauvé, secretary general of the Canadian Red Cross. "With the majority of Canadians already engaged on social networking sites, these platforms can be used to get more information on local emergencies and inform people how they can give or receive help."
In emergencies, the Canadian Red Cross uses social networks to share important updates, provide preparedness information and respond to questions from affected communities.
Across Canada, there have been many disasters in the last year, including wildfires, flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. In addition, the Red Cross helps thousands of families each year affected by house fires.
With so many Canadians reporting they are unprepared for emergencies, the Canadian Red Cross is stressing that families prepare for disasters by having enough food, water and provisions to sustain themselves for 72 hours.
