Like most others in the Pikes Peak Region, I followed the Black Forest Fire closely. Many people wrote commentary regarding the causes, which is understandable. Still, maybe we should spend more time looking at the effects of the disaster. It’s worth reflecting on how social media helped turn this disaster into a community exercise in conversation, compassion, and togetherness.
Amid the devastation of natural disasters and human-made incidents alike, communities naturally band together. This increased community awareness occurred in Boston after the bombing. Likewise, this has happened in the fire-stricken Colorado Springs area. Accordingly, sites like Twitter and Facebook are essential to community organizers during the disaster.
Despite aging governmental infrastructure, a tech-savvy generation found ways to communicate through many differing mediums. Instead of waiting for the news on TV, I followed the El Paso County Sheriff @EPCSheriff. I also followed the Colorado Springs Fire Department @CSFDPIO and the Gazette @csgazette.
Communication mediums like Twitter can deliver information over almost any device, so anyone can receive news updates on the go. I’ll be the first to admit that these three contacts keep me updated and in the know. I am very impressed with their response time and continual updates. Furthermore, Justin Blough, Seth Myers, and Josh Westerland posted useful information for the community on a Facebook Community page. Their dedication allowed community members to support each other in an organized fashion.
Social media also enables our government, officials, and news agencies to get important information out to a vast network of individuals. This ultimately allows for user-controlled and user-propagated content. I customized my Twitter news feeds with little effort. The small text allowed on tweets limit the writers to use concise wording. I received news without bias, and not once did I have to suffer through a newscast bemoaning our collective fates. Additionally, the Black Forest Fire Facebook page created a place where we all could ask for help or give it as needed.
I can’t help but think of a video I watched a while back. Musician Amanda Palmer is on the forefront of using social media technologies as an organizer to support her art. She discusses how we are recreating our communities by forging online connections on “The Art of Asking,” her YouTube video for the TEDTalks Channel. When asked how she made people pay for her music while other musicians struggle against piracy, she says, “I didn’t make them. I asked them, and through the very act of asking people, I connected with them. And when you connect with people, they want to help you.” Her willingness to ask for support allows her to continue creating music.
In Colorado Springs, the fire victims asked for assistance. In turn, community leaders requested grain and feed for animals they housed. Those offering donations only had to visit the Facebook Page to find a way to help. The Colorado Springs area increased our own interconnection and bolstered our infrastructure using cyberspace. Our natural instinct to congregate and protect ourselves helped everyone.
We literally passed through fire earlier. Last year’s Waldo Canyon Fire showed how inept our aging infrastructure was. As the fires raged once again, we linked together in cyberspace. Our community continued to grow closer, more organized, and increasingly supportive as a result.
Crisis can lead to panic, but few in the Springs panicked during this disaster, even though the fire caused more property damage than the Waldo Canyon Fire did. Instead, many took action, and a fire that could’ve potentially destroyed parts of the city has been largely contained.
Still, for all those who lost their homes, animals, or loved ones, I mourn with you because I know I could have easily lost family members in the fire. My sister was driving down Meridian when the fire jumped to the Eastonville Cemetery. Still, because of effective communication, and quick and effective organization, few of us ever lost hope. In the midst of a disaster that could have crippled us, we rose up strong and came together as a community, and hope kept many of us from despair.
As we continue to rebuild from the inevitable wildfires that will come, I wonder if we can keep our hope alive and our community ties this strong. I, for one, believe we can.
