CULLMAN, Ala. – A small collection of agencies representing news sources, first responders, local schools and city leaders – as well as some of the largest social media followings in the Cullman area – met Thursday, July 13, 2023, at the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office with Cullman County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Tim Sartin. Sartin presented an idea that might seem radical in this age of misinformation – harnessing the power of social media influence to spread factual, informative news that impacts the daily lives of stakeholders in the community through a new taskforce called the Cullman County Crisis Communications Team.
The idea is not a new one in the scope of EMA in other counties, Sartin shared, saying that the idea came from another director in the state at an annual meeting.
“In her county, they started one,” he said, “and she said the response from the community and different agencies, and getting the information out in times of need was phenomenal!”
Sartin said the idea isn’t intended to be a “follow-train,” or to amass more likes and engagement; the goal is simply to spread applicable information to residents in a timely manner.
“We want to bridge the gaps and help to reach more people with helpful and useful information,” he said. “We want to build a team that will reach across any social media.”
Sartin noted the difference between the existing alert system that EMA already utilizes and this task force, which is hoping to home in on those needing the information most. “Something major happens, yes I can do a mass notification and hit everybody in the county,” he said. “But, say you have a road closed, and you want to send that to everybody in the county? It wouldn’t affect anybody in Vinemont (if) the road is closed in Hanceville.”
Sartin also noted the impact that social media communication has on the younger population, a population that many agencies struggle to reach. Social media is typically where those aged 18-29 receive their information, regardless if it is real news or simply unverified posts.
“If you think about it, a lot of kids don’t watch the news now,” he said. “That (social media) is where they get their information – whether it’s true or not – that’s how they get it. And there’s people out there who just try to put out stuff falsely.”
01To learn more about becoming involved in the Cullman County Crisis Communications Team, contact Tim Sartin at tsartin@co.cullman.al.us.
