Posted December 31, 2012 by Global Administrator
With 2012 drawing to a close, we are all starting to look back and reflect on the year past. What did we resolve to do? What did we accomplish?
All last year, we blogged about various topics – from the serious to the more quirky and light-hearted – to help you get to know better the work of the Red Cross. And in honour of the New Year we are taking this opportunity to look back at what we shared on this blog in 2012.
Here are some of the highlights:
Royal Ambassadors
Along with the British Red Cross, we couldn't help but cheer for Prince Harry when he used his Red Cross first aid training to help a fellow polo player who fell off his horse during an annual game for charity. The Prince was the first to jump off his horse and confidently demonstrate his first aid skills to help the injured businessman.
The role of social media in emergencies and emergency response
This year marked an important year in social media in regards to emergency response. The Canadian Red Cross released the results of a national survey that looked at the perceptions and expectations of social media in an emergency situation. The results showed that 63% of Canadians think that emergency responders such as police and fire should respond to calls for help on social media networks and that Canadians are using social media to obtain and spread information in an emergency.
We also looked at some of the innovative ways people and emergency responders are using social media to improve the flow of information in emergencies. The Toronto Police are using social media sites to dispel rumours and spread information quickly, as is the mayor of Iqaluit. City officials are also working on developing tools to use information on social networks to power online mapping tools provide situational awareness in emergencies and alert emergency officials to emerging issues in real time.
Hurricane Sandy
As Hurricane Sandy approached the eastern coast of the U.S. and parts of Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes in October, we urged Canadians to #beready for the severe storms by preparing emergency kits to sustain a family for at least 72 hours in an emergency.
A massive Red Cross relief operation was launched in response to Hurricane Sandy in the U.S. Over 2,300 trained disaster volunteers worked around the clock in affected communities and Canadian volunteers were also deployed to aid in the relief efforts. There was also a large digital response where we saw first-hand how social media can be used in emergencies.
Lessons Learned
Each new year brings new lessons for Red Crossers and we like to reflect on some lessons learned in 2012.
This year we learned about why tornadoes generally occur outside of the winter months, how fire can be used to generate electricity in emergencies, and how information shared on Twitter about CPR and first aid can save lives! We even learned a hilarious lesson about the power of geolocation from Snoop Dogg himself!
Lighthearted Fun
And in true Red Cross fashion, we had a bit of fun on the blog! Just like how Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, we brought the fanny pack back with our Fanny Pack first aid kits. With the help of one of our digital volunteers Bif Naked, we urged Canadians to #saveyourfanny and gave away some of the retro fashion accessories.
When temperatures soared in May and June we offered some suggestions for cool hats to help keep your cool. We also offered some "sponsor" support to Katniss with our own Hunger Games preparedness suggestions.
Finally, we all got a little zombie fever thanks to a fun emergency preparedness campaign from the British Columbia government.
Do you have any memorable blogs from the past year? Let us know in the comments!
We have learned and shared a lot over the past year and look forward to blogging with you in 2013! Best wishes to you and your family in the New Year.
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