Using Social Media to Stay Connected During University of Texas at Austin Emergency

What a day. Today, I was working at The University of Texas at Austin when a student killed himself on-campus. There were many lessons learned from this experience but the ability to share information in real-time through social media proved invaluable.


When I arrived on campus today, I saw several UT police officers - sirens going - race past me heading south toward to the middle of campus. I felt it was unusual but did not give it much thought beyond any emergency that needed police attention. After arriving to my office, I poured myself a cup of coffee and received a text message alert from the University notifying us that there was a gunman on campus at the PCL - one of our largest libraries.


My immediate reaction was to let my family know of the situation, so I sent them a group text. And, my next thought was to alert others through my Twitter and Facebook accounts.  I knew folks would be impacted with the information if they had not received it already. We were in a lockdown. A social media firestorm began...


Retweets on Twitter started and Facebook comments were next. Many people I share my social media space are connected to the UT campus and had an interest in the updates.  


As I received updates from the school - main campus and the law school - I began sharing what information I had.  I also shared information I had from other colleagues who I was connected with on Facebook and Twitter. 


I found myself connecting with lots of people on Twitter who had concerns for loved ones on campus and sought information.  Lots of questions came in and I began to share information I had. 


Twitter makes it easy to connect quickly around an event using hashtags -- #UTshooting and #UTshooter quickly emerged as the tags folks were using.  I mainly used #UTshooting. Twitter connected the campus and its community beyond the 40 acres.  People were sharing information at rapid speed.  Shortly after I began tweeting retweets (RTs) were pouring in - after 600 I stopped keeping track. People yearned for more information at the very critical time for many on campus. 


I soon received an email from Carson Daly's producer in Los Angeles that works on his morning radio show. Soon thereafer we spoke on the phone about the events and what I was experiencing at the time.  Next came a phone call from a New York City radio station -- I still do not remember who it was. Things were moving so fast -- tweets, Facebook comments, texts to friends and family. Next came a message from a Twitter follower who wanted me to call into Fox 7 Austin.  I spoke live on their TV broadcast of the situation. People began sending tweets and Facebook messages that they were seeing me on TV. Even co-workers were seeing it offices away.  I then received a few messages that people were hearing me on the Bobby Bones morning show on 96.7 KISS-FM ... well, they weren't "hearing" me, Bobby Bones was reading my tweets to his listeners. Next came messages that Good Morning America was interested in speaking but I'm still not sure that's accurate. Lastly, tonight I was messaged by the San Antonio NBC affiliate for a TV interview on social media and its use in emergency situations.  


From radio to TV, from West coast to East coast, the power of social media is real. It's a platform that extends all boundaries and allows many people to share and learn information instantly.  It's also a platform that gives a voice to many. 


It's relieving to know that no one was injured in this shooting and hope that social media and mass communication tools; e.g. text messaging, emails and sirens UT used, played a significant role in keeping people safe and informed. Information is power.