Nextdoor Is Changing Emergency Alerts — Here's What Public Safety Agencies Need to Know

WEBVTT
00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:08.080
I am Jeanette Sutton.
00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:09.599
And I am Eddie Bertella.
00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:13.759
And we welcome you to another episode of the Alerting Authority.
00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:20.160
And as always, we encourage you to subscribe, follow, listen, and most importantly, participate in these podcasts.
00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:26.800
We want your cons your questions, your concerns, your ideas, your problems, and your pain points, and your success stories.
00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:32.079
So we as alerting authorities can better do our jobs and make our communities safer.
00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.520
And Jeanette, isn't it just feel good to be home?
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:38.240
It does.
00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:39.759
Yes.
00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:44.479
We just got back from four days in Seattle.
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:49.679
And from the East Coast to the West Coast, that is a long travel day.
00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:50.640
It is.
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:52.320
And it's so fun being out there.
00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:54.640
And they were amazing hosts and everything else.
00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:58.240
But I'm telling you, there is no place like home, right?
00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:05.040
No place in your own like in your own community where you know everything and you know, you know, your neighbors and everything else.
00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:11.439
And it's just, it's always good to be here, which can I say is a total lead in to our topic today.
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:12.239
It is.
00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:13.040
I love that.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:14.000
It's perfect.
00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:14.959
All right.
00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:26.560
Um and I'm saying because our our sponsor, it's cool because we have a sponsor, um, but we have an important topic, and there's a really cool opportunity we want to talk about next door.
00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:38.000
And and just to talk about next door just for a minute um beforehand, one of the biggest challenges in public alerting and warning is making sure we're actually reaching the people that need our information.
00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.159
It's a topic that comes up all the time.
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:41.040
It does.
00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:52.799
Next door, and this is the entity next door, and the software that we'll talk about, and just the system, gives public safety agencies another way to connect directly with their communities.
00:01:52.959 --> 00:02:00.959
Um, a really fun fact, and I did not know this ahead of time, is one in three US households is already connected to nextdoor.
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:01.439
Really?
00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:10.319
Every person that's connected is a verified resident of that individual network, of that next door group.
00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:24.319
Um, and what makes it particularly valuable is the ability to target uh communication specific to the neighborhood or the community, and even use custom graph um geographic areas such as flood or evacuation zones.
00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:28.719
And it makes it a really good way to target an actual community.
00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:35.039
Um, it's just it's a way to expand your reach, connect with residents, make sure that important information gets out.
00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:44.719
And there are some pretty cool statistics that I have learned as I've looked into this here, and we've gotten the information that we're gonna show a little later in the show.
00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:46.960
Um, but I think you're gonna be really surprised.
00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:47.840
I know I was.
00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:49.759
I can't wait to hear about it.
00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:54.560
And our guest today is going to be telling us all about this system.
00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:57.280
So let me introduce today's guest.
00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:05.280
This is Joseph Rotelli, who joins us from Nextdoor, where he leads the public agency and disaster response work.
00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:14.000
Prior to joining Nextdoor, he launched Boston's first neighborhood social network for residents and civil servants at the Boston Police Department.
00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:19.520
He was the first community engagement strategist at the Department of Homeland Security.
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:29.759
And he created FEMA's national preparedness community and built the community engagement practice at Gov Delivery, which is now Grenicus.
00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:44.800
He's also a global ambassador for Harvard's National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, the Preparedness Advisor for the Emergency Management External Affairs Association, and the Secretary of Vermont's Emergency Management Association.
00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:49.520
He's also a board member in his spare time of Atma Connect.
00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:55.360
He's got so much experience in the government communication space.
00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:06.240
It's really exciting to bring him onto the show to share with us his background and how he's bringing all of that to this technology that I think emergency managers really need to know more about.
00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:08.400
So, Joseph, welcome to the show.
00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:11.439
Well, hello, neighbors, and thanks for having me.
00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.719
I've been waiting to say that since you started the introduction.
00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:17.839
What's your walk-on song then with all of that?
00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.480
Is it the I love Vermont or what?
00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.759
I mean, I think it's like the Howdy Neighbor song, whatever that is.
00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.519
So I usually start with hey neighbors, and when people see me, they're like, hi neighbor.
00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:28.639
I'm like, hello neighbor.
00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:31.759
And it's great because if you don't remember somebody's name, you're just like, hi neighbor.
00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:33.279
Isn't that uh what Mr.
00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.040
Rogers used to say when he'd walk in?
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:35.920
That's right.
00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:36.480
Yeah.
00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:37.759
Absolutely.
00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:39.199
I love all that.
00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:39.680
Okay.
00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:44.800
I mean, that's a pretty rich, you know, history of experience that you have.
00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:51.759
Um can you can you break it down and help us understand how you got into government communications?
00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.240
Because it sounds like there's a few different steps.
00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.560
And as Jeanette was reading, you know, your background, I'm like, okay, I can see this path, but then now we're over here.
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:02.560
Now, you know, we move somewhere else.
00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:07.360
But it really seems like they're all connected and they have led to where we are now.
00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:15.199
Yeah, I think it really just comes down to I just I believe in the power of neighbors helping neighbors and getting accurate information.
00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:18.079
And so I think throughout my career, I've looked for different gaps.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:28.959
So when I was living in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood in Boston, the gap was neighbors weren't in communication and didn't really know each other, and they weren't getting important information from the police department.
00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:31.199
Turned out we had a bunch of violent crime.
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:38.639
And I brought neighbors together and I started doing these social community socials, neighborhood socials.
00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.839
Neighborshood came, the neighbors came, and I invited the police department.
00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:42.959
And it was really fun.
00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:48.959
And we would have like a hundred people show up, and the cops would talk for a little bit and be like, hey, here's the things we need you to pay attention to.
00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:54.160
Like your neighbors are literally being mugged one after another walking home from the metro.
00:05:54.319 --> 00:06:04.079
And so when we learned this, we're like, usually, actually for the first month when we started organizing, neighbors stood on their porches and just like said hi to each other walking home, and crime dropped dramatically.
00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:07.439
And we also learned other things we could do, and it just worked.
00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:12.879
A little bit of coordination, a little bit of information, a little bit of cooperation, and things got better.
00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:15.920
And that kind of repeated itself throughout time.
00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.519
Um, I used technology to bring neighbors together.
00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.639
When I was at the Boston Police Department, you mentioned that earlier, Eddie.
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:25.439
I used a social networking platform.
00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:33.439
It was called Ning, and it was a social network that brought neighbors in my neighborhood together, but also the police department had access, and so did the mayor's office.
00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:41.279
So neighbors were talking about all the neighbor things, and when needed, the police department would jump in and share information, be like, hey, we need to pay, we need you to pay attention to this.
00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:42.800
And that kind of blossomed.
00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:48.319
And from that experience, one day my phone rang and I got a call from a contact of mine that worked at Ning.
00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:52.720
He's like, Homeland Security is running a social network on border affairs, and they have no idea what they're doing.
00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:58.560
You're the only person with law enforcement, consulting, and like technology experience.
00:06:58.720 --> 00:06:59.279
You interested?
00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:00.240
I'm like, sure.
00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:06.800
So I drove to DC and told them about who I was and told them about how I operate, and they said, great, run this network for me.
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:07.680
And I did.
00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:13.920
And then from there, Gov Delivery, actually, it was my friend Steve Wrestler, started a network called GovLoop.
00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.399
It was on the same platform, Knowledge Network for Government.
00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:22.800
He got acquired by Gov Delivery, and they wanted to build a practice building online communities for government agencies.
00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.079
So I was one of the first people in that space to help make that happen.
00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:30.560
And that led to FEMA creating community.fema.gov with the ready campaign.
00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:34.000
And that was like the first time I really scaled impact across the country.
00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:35.360
And that was kind of awesome.
00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:42.720
And so when I saw Nextdoor raising money and growing in 2013, I finally got the courage and wrote in and said, Hi, this is who I am.
00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:43.759
Love to talk to you guys.
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:45.199
I got a call in five minutes.
00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.439
And I've been there for 12 years.
00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:50.560
Okay, that's that's amazing.
00:07:50.879 --> 00:08:09.519
And and um I know I know some students who are paying attention to your bio that you just provided and connecting all these dots of like, do this and be engaged in that and know these people and and opportunities, you know, and um that was that's a fantastic connecting story.
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:11.040
I love how it all fits together.
00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:17.279
Yeah, I I think just for for the students, I want to say like I'm just really passionate and interested and curious.
00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:18.959
I like solving problems.
00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:27.040
So I'm more of a problem solver, problem solver who works for a company in like the business operations space.
00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:31.360
But it was really like that interest and curiosity that drove me and still drives me.
00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.919
I'm still trying to understand gaps and fill them.
00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:38.240
And that's what keeps me smiling and has me doing what I do.
00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:41.759
Yeah, and having a passion for your work makes all the difference.
00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:43.039
It sure does.
00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:44.240
Absolutely.
00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:44.960
Yeah.
00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:48.240
So let's talk a little bit about social media.
00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:50.399
Um, what do you, Eddie?
00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:51.679
What do you use social media for?
00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:56.720
We asked our participants this when we were in Seattle this week, and it was really interesting conversation.
00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:00.799
So, Eddie, what how many platforms do you have and what do you use it for?
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:02.559
So, on a personal level.
00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:03.039
Yeah.
00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:06.639
Personal level, I mean, I think I'm in, you know, for my business.
00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:11.679
So, you know, you check the LinkedIn and you check, I mean, if you were to go under Meta, right?
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:17.679
You have your Facebook, you have, I would say that's kind of the main one, but then you have Instagram, right?
00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:19.039
For for those.
00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:30.159
But at the same time, what I have noticed for me is that there are people that I'm trying to connect with, but I have to use different platforms because not everybody's on the same platform.
00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:38.559
Um and if I'm trying to reach out to someone, they may use one specifically that that I don't use.
00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:42.639
And it's really difficult, I would say, to try to keep that connection.
00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:46.240
And I mean, we have our neighborhood one, right?
00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:54.080
Um, and to be totally honest, it it doesn't work that great because it ends up just being a complaint area.
00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:03.600
Um, and so you get those that are heavily engaged in it and those that will check, you know, sometimes and and there is good information on there, but it just gets lost.
00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:04.320
Mm-hmm.
00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:05.919
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:09.519
I, you know, connecting with people that you're trying to keep up with.
00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:16.159
That's where I keep up with family and friends from many, many years ago on Facebook.
00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.440
For a long time, I was a user of Twitter.
00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:25.759
Uh I've started using Blue Sky more recently because there's a lot of academics that spend their time on Blue Sky.
00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:26.639
Very much so.
00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:27.840
I use it for the same thing.
00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:28.559
Yeah.
00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:32.799
Um, but my son, who's 21, he's an Instagram user.
00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:36.799
Um and uh he recently joined Facebook.
00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:41.120
And then I spend, as probably many people know, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn.
00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:48.720
Um because I that's where I'm where I'm getting a lot of feedback and interaction around the thing that I'm passionate about.
00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:51.759
So uh, you know, we're using them for different purposes.
00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:55.440
And oh, and then we've got the alerting authorities on YouTube also.
00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.639
So we've got a lot of different channels we're making use of.
00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:09.440
Um and you know, so uh Facebook launched in 2004 and YouTube in 2005, then Twitter is 26, 2006, Instagram in 2010.
00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:13.679
We've got this like history of all these different tech technologies that are growing.
00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:17.519
And then Nextdoor was launched in 2011.
00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:21.440
It's kind of a late comer, and it also functions really differently.
00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:23.840
So, Joseph, how how does it work?
00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:25.440
Tell us about Nextdoor.
00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:29.039
Yeah, so Nextdoor is built from the ground up for the neighborhood.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.240
Our sole purpose is to connect neighbors to each other.
00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:39.840
Um, and since we've launched, we've evolved to include public agencies, which came online in like 2013-ish, I believe.
00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:44.080
And then more recently, publishers and journalists and small businesses.
00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:48.879
Um, but everything is around the geography of our home, our neighborhoods.
00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:56.720
And while the other platforms are great, like I use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family, Instagram, frankly, a waste time, kind of like that.
00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:01.200
Um Blue Sky, typically for learning and like for academics.
00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:07.200
Um, and then you know, I like Substack as well for learning as well, different topics.
00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:15.360
But coming back to next door, it's really just about what's happening in your neighborhood, how to connect with your neighbors, how to do stuff with and for each other.
00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:37.759
And on the public agency side, it's to learn about the things that are impacting you in your community, be it from you know, the public library events to, you know, I have road construction on my street right now, um, to, you know, crime in the neighborhood, to, you know, disasters and weather events that we hear from um emergency management agencies.
00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:45.840
So the common denominator is the neighborhood, not necessarily so much interests or things that uh are outside of your neighborhoods.
00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:48.879
And that's really the niche um that we fulfill.
00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:54.480
And only people who are in that geographical area are part of that conversation?
00:12:54.799 --> 00:13:01.039
Yeah, so there's something like 300 and some thousand neighborhood networks around the world that are on next door.
00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:08.399
And uh in my community, I've joined my neighborhood network, and I can choose to see networks from outside of my neighborhood.
00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:12.399
Like, for example, I have a propane heater that I just I bought.
00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:13.440
I've never used it.
00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:22.720
I put it on next door, I'm actually putting it on this weekend, um, and I'll share it with as wide an audience as I can because I want to sell that thing and get out of my garage.
00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.879
So you have those kinds of choices.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:33.519
Um, but that that geography, if we also think of it in terms of proximity, it really helps because it actually increases trust, right?
00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:53.519
Like if if I post on next door, I'm looking for a plumber, and um, you know, five people recommend uh actually the plumber uses his name, Jeff Baker, Jeff's more likely to get business because if Jeff Baker was a bad plumber, which he's not, he's a great plumber, there's just that proximity in e increases trust.
00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:55.679
But the same thing also happens, right?
00:13:55.759 --> 00:14:08.080
If we think about like ground truth emergency managers talk about what's actually happening, when you hear your neighbors say, like the river's flooding down the street from me, like it's approaching my lawn, you're like, oh wow, that's really happening.
00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:17.679
So that matters from light lifts and things like just happening buying and selling, but also when things were more critical and life or properties threatened.
00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:18.399
Mm-hmm.
00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:19.039
Mm-hmm.
00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:35.679
Well, one of the things for social media, like we were just going back and forth a little bit, that I know we get asked about, and I I get confused and concerned and frustrated with are the way that conversations sometimes happen just on social media.
00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:52.480
And I will be the first to admit that I will look at some of our neighborhood pages that are not next door, that that are just these groups, and I can see someone post something, and I'm like, oh great, someone just, you know, lit the fuse, talked about that barking dog again, talked about something, some traffic concern.
00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:59.600
And it's just gonna blow up with you know 80 comments that are just late, laden with sarcasm.
00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:01.600
They involve people not in our group.
00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.480
Like it's it just it gets a little crazy.
00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:09.600
Um, not to say I haven't done that on purpose sometimes, if I'm you know, if I'm frustrated, I don't know.
00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:11.679
I probably'm not admitting to anything.
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.840
But how is it different with with Nextdoor?
00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:23.919
And are there unique ways that that you guys help control or moderate conversations to keep it um productive?
00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:24.720
Yeah.
00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:29.360
So uh I just I think I'll first by saying it's it's not an easy task, right?
00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:31.679
Um all platforms struggle with this.
00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:35.759
Something definitely happened after the pandemic, and people are a little more short-fused.
00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:39.519
Um what I can say though is that it's something we really care about.
00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:42.399
We have robust community guidelines in place.
00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:51.440
Uh we use machine learning, we have something called a kindness reminder, we have a transparency report we put out there, and there's volunteer community moderators.
00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:59.919
So um against our guidelines, actually, any member can flag content or report it that may not meet our community guidelines.
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:15.759
Um less egregious reports a community moderator might look at, but we also have staff for things that are more serious that will actually go and look and make a determination whether or not this is something we should take action against or not.
00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:17.679
So we have these things in place.
00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:26.480
We know that people's experience really matters, so we've done a lot of investment in doing everything we can to help quell some of that stuff.
00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:27.919
Uh it's not an easy task.
00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:31.120
We're continuously learning, but it is something we care about.
00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:36.320
Uh and some of the, I mean, I think machine learning is really promising, and the kindness reminder does help.
00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:43.759
Um, we've seen, I think the stat, let me just look at it right here, 15% fewer violations since we've announced that.
00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:46.720
And overall, it's just over 1% of content.
00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:54.159
Um, let me just re make sure I'm referencing this correctly, um, was reported as harmful or violating our guidelines.
00:16:54.320 --> 00:17:07.279
So um there's a lot of investment that's been made, and we will continue to make investments to make sure that experience is is productive and feels neighborly on the platform.
00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:09.519
We don't always get it right, but we really try.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:18.240
Yeah, I think one of the things that we saw pretty visibly during Hurricane Helene.
00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:25.200
This isn't about people not being neighborly, but it's more about how information was flowing on other channels.
00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:25.839
That's right.
00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:33.039
In particular, there was a lot of misinformation, there was disinformation, like intentionally sharing information that was false.
00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:33.839
You're right.
00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:40.720
And um and really misleading statements being made about FEMA and the response.
00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:42.640
And um, quite familiar with that.
00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:43.200
Yeah.
00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:46.319
So how does Nextdoor manage that kind of an issue?
00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:48.960
Let me talk about like structural design first.
00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.000
So earlier you mentioned verified residents.
00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:58.400
So I can't like join your communities and just start spewing stuff.
00:17:58.480 --> 00:17:59.599
It's not possible.
00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:04.079
And so you've got real residents in each of the neighborhood networks.
00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:05.200
That's the first thing.
00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:08.319
The second side of that is we do have public agencies.
00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:17.920
So when you were mentioning earlier geotargeting, there's next door the resident platform, and then there's next door for public agencies, which the government agencies have to apply for.
00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.319
We actually verify they are who they say they are.
00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.720
You know, there's like verified badges on other platforms.
00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:25.359
There's no unverified public agencies on next door.
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:27.039
We do that right from the get-go.
00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:31.920
And so where there's active public agencies, they're able to put out accurate information, right?
00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:36.640
So you've got real residents, authoritative, accurate information from public agencies.
00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:42.559
And then we also have guidelines that it's not okay to share uh misinformation and disinformation.
00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:45.359
And when neighbors report that, we can take action against it.
00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.160
So it's a multi-layered approach.
00:18:48.319 --> 00:19:00.079
Um, I think from a government emergency management perspective, having that presence before a disaster, you kind of I call it like a deposit in the trust bank.
00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:04.720
If you're consistently communicating, you're communicating in a thorough way.
00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:14.079
Like I actually think there's a difference between what I call public affairs air game communications and um ground game customer service communications.
00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:23.839
If you're helping people solve problems that impact them and helping them to be aware of hazards they are going to experience in the real world, it does drive trust, right?
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.880
And that's a theme here you'll hear me talking about today.
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.000
And so that really matters, right?
00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:38.480
And what we saw, especially during Helena, is there was a lot of horrible misinformation, disinformation that was hurtful to many people.
00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:51.839
And so I think it's a long game play, but our structural design helps mitigate some of that just by how the platform is built and how neighbors use it and what we work with and give public agencies access to.
00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:58.480
Yeah, I think that the things you're describing are really important for both populations that you're serving.
00:19:58.720 --> 00:19:59.039
That's right.
00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:09.839
The public, the users who are looking for accurate information from their peers, from their neighbors, from the agencies.
00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:19.279
Um, and so managing it for that, but also managing the agency's experience of making sure that they're verified.
00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:26.160
And I know you're gonna talk in a little bit about how you help them to become visible on the platform.
00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:41.440
And so you as the as the neighborly next door person, you're helping to make that possible by setting guidelines and continuing to support those efforts on both sides and helping people to come together.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:46.160
Um so I yeah, that's a really important task.
00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:48.160
And like you said, it's not easy.
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:49.279
Yeah, it isn't.
00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:54.880
But I think it's also one of the reasons why I appreciate getting to know you and incorporate your research.
00:20:55.039 --> 00:21:04.720
We'll talk about in a bit our uh behavioral comms and alerting prompt, like having that message have all the important information so people don't go looking, especially with alerts, is critical.
00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:13.920
So you're right, we do give people the platform, but having worked in government for the city of Boston and for Homeland Security, I know the internal challenges they face.
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:38.559
So coming back to the my origin story, filling those gaps, I really want, I believe I need to provide uh the kind of supports and the guidance and the tools so they can be successful, so we mitigate misinformation, disinformation, and we get people to take actions that are of high value that help them flourish in blue skies and persist during gray skies.
00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:45.440
Well, I wanna I I I referenced earlier some of these statistics.
00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:48.960
And I I I think I threw in the teaser in the beginning to to Jeanette.
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:56.640
I'm like, I am amazed about some of these statistics and not just the one that says one in three households in the United States.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:02.799
But if I can uh just bring up and and I know we're going to talk about this, but I think it's pretty cool.
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:23.279
Um, Jeanette, did you know that among next door users, right, out of that group, 20% of them are not on Facebook, 34% are not on Instagram, and 53% are not on X, formerly Twitter, form and it could be something else tomorrow, I don't know, but on the X Twitter thing.
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:30.000
And just to think about that, we have people who are investing in these social media groups.
00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:36.799
And it really goes to show, I think, the the people that we're not reaching, right?
00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:53.039
If we focus only on social media, and it really goes to show what Nextdoor is essentially doing and how they are, they're saying, okay, those that aren't on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or X, sorry, you're you are a part of your community and you're a part of this.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:59.279
And so while you're not getting the information on existing channels of others, you're getting it here.
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:11.680
And for me, it's it's really interesting uh from that public safety agency space because this cool service, right, that we're talking about, it doesn't cost anything.
00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:17.920
There, there is no contract, it's absolutely free, and you don't have to create a new communications program.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:27.279
Um, you reuse information that you're already using on posting on other platforms, you can share updates and manage comments.
00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:34.640
And I think that's a really cool piece on your own agency posts without getting involved in neighborhood conversations.
00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:44.799
Um, another piece that I think was referenced is Nextdoor even offers free behavioral communications and a learning prompt to help agencies develop messages.
00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:48.640
And I think we'll talk more about that because um, Joseph, you just talked about that.
00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:58.880
But ultimately, at the end of the day, effective public communication is about reaching people where they are and looking at those statistics of finding out where people aren't.
00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:04.480
It's cool to see that Nextdoor can do that um through its through its own software.
00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:07.359
So, Janet, I don't know if you knew that stuff before.
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:09.200
I think it's it's pretty cool.
00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:14.240
I didn't, but you know, we use different platforms for different purposes.
00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:20.640
And so obviously, Nextdoor is filling a niche that is not being met by the other platforms.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:27.039
And I think that's really important when we're talking about reaching people in the spaces that they use.
00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:37.519
Um this geographically defined network, it functions very differently than all of the other ones that are out there.
00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:43.440
And I think that's filling a gap that the neighbors are looking for.
00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:45.519
So I I think it's fantastic.
00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:47.519
And thank you for sharing those statistics.
00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:50.559
I'm telling you, it's there's like there's just cool information.
00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:59.200
Uh I like an off-topic question because it just, as you're talking about this, how public safety agencies can use this.
00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:06.640
If I'm a part of a neighborhood that does not have a next door network or anything, is it hard to get?
00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:08.559
Is it hard to get that together?
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:12.079
No, you simply download the nextdoor app if you're the first person.
00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.599
So all next door neighborhoods were created by a neighbor.
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.079
So you download the app if you happen to be the first person.
00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:20.160
It's very rare that that happens anymore.
00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:24.079
You draw a boundary of what you think your neighborhood would look like.
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.319
So you wouldn't have that context.
00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:34.000
And then we give you the ability to send invitation letters to your community to join, right?
00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:40.799
So you may not have their number, you may not know how to get in touch, but we provide those mechanisms to allow uh you to invite your neighbors.
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:47.839
So um, from the ground up, when we started, there was one neighborhood in California named Lorelei where Nextdoor started way back in the day.
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:51.039
So neighbors actually created this because they wanted this.
00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:52.880
It felt a gap, it filled a gap, right?
00:25:53.279 --> 00:26:00.160
And as you said earlier, on the public agency side, you have a built-in audience, and this is actually really important to share.
00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:06.559
Uh, if you're an agency and you apply, go to nextdoor.com forward slash agency, click the application form.
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:17.680
When we build your page, you may have an audience if you're a small city of a couple thousand people, or a large city, a couple million people, or a state, millions and millions of people, whatever that is, uh, the audience is built in.
00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:32.880
You've got these verified residents, you can geo-target messages to specific, like, for example, a state, a county, or a city, or you know, all flood zones, or if you're a coastal state, like all your counties with flood zones are evacuation zones.
00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:39.039
And so you can reach a lot of people who aren't following you, who may not be following your other social platforms on next door.
00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:41.119
And I really think that is the gap we fill.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:48.079
So it's fun when I have conversations with folks and they're learning about, they're like, why did we not know about this before?
00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:49.119
It's a no-brainer.
00:26:49.519 --> 00:27:02.240
So if I download the app, right, I it'll I'll say where I live and it would show me existing if if I live in an existing neighborhood, right, of next door that I could then apply to join.
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:10.240
So when you download the app, you just put in your name uh and your address, and we will place you right in the neighborhood where you live based on your address.
00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:13.279
So it's it's very simple, only takes a couple minutes.
00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:19.680
I will say though, the best time to get next door is before the next disaster because you want to be familiar with it.
00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:23.440
You want to build those relationships with your neighbors because that really matters.
00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:27.599
So I also say the same thing to uh public agencies.
00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:43.759
We will expedite your application during a disaster, but I'd much prefer that you have a presence beforehand so you can build that trust and you can educate your neighbors to do those preparedness actions so you're more um self-reliant and you can help those neighbors who might need it.
00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:51.200
Or if you can encourage those neighbors who might need help to ask for help from those neighbors because those agreements we know tend to save lives.
00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:51.839
Absolutely.
00:27:51.920 --> 00:28:10.000
And it's one of those for all the EMs and anybody in a public safety agency or anything else, obviously you want to get people signed up ahead of time and you want to get them comfortable with the process before the emergencies start, because when the moment arrives, right, the time for preparation is over and you have to perform.
00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:17.519
And uh speaking of performance with in this um process and specifically more about alerts.
00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:31.200
So if I'm a public safety agency, and in fact, so when I worked for the California Patrol, um, we had plans like crazy trying to reach people because people, our audience was everywhere doing different things, right?
00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:37.599
Um, I mean, we tried to use Twitter and I think we were successful for a time, then it transitioned to X.
00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:39.839
We got X'd.
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:41.599
Um, I mean, a whole bunch of things.
00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:44.400
How does it work with alert providers?
00:28:44.480 --> 00:29:01.599
And now this could be I think if I'm a public safety agency that I have alert origination software, and and there are there's a lot of different versions out there, how can I incorporate next door without creating another like cumbersome step or process?
00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:02.480
Sure.
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:06.160
So uh I'm gonna answer your question, then I want to give some important context.
00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:16.079
So right now, um, if you're a public agency and you use HyperReach, Connexus, or Civic Plus Mass Notification, there's an API access, there's a handshake.
00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:17.519
You publish on those platforms.
00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:19.759
If you connect next door, it automatically goes out.
00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:21.200
Good news for those folks.
00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:29.759
Um, we are also talking to some other major vendors, um, and hopefully they'll come online uh early next year or second quarter, is what I'm hoping.
00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:32.799
And that will be an unlock for many public agencies.
00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:39.920
The thing to know is that on Nextdoor, through the Nextdoor for Public Agency platform, there are four post types.
00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:41.759
Um, one of those is the alert.
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:46.400
And the alert on Nextdoor is an incredibly powerful tool.
00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:49.440
Um, an alert bypasses our algorithm.
00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:57.759
It goes to the top of our newsfeed, it creates an in-app and a push notification, and it sends an immediate email to neighbors.
00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:01.200
Uh, nextdoor, we're not trying to be a doom scrolling platform.
00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:08.559
Um, so this matters because somebody may not be on Nextdoor yet today, or they may not log in for a couple days.
00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:16.559
That uh those notification types, like there's a really important message from your local government agency, right?
00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:23.200
And it's emergency managers post alerts, police post alerts, fire post alerts, city administrative agencies post alerts.
00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:25.599
There's many alerting types.
00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:29.440
Um, and so those notifications get people's attention.
00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:38.160
And I was actually just talking to someone in a major state yesterday, um, and I asked, like, how many people are signed up to receive alerts in your state?
00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:39.920
And it was just a couple hundred thousand.
00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:42.720
And on Nextdoor, there were millions of people they could reach.
00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:46.720
So when we think about alerting products, they're all opt-in except for WIA.
00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:51.359
You know, we understand that, but the audience on Nextdoor is typically larger.
00:30:51.599 --> 00:31:10.880
And so there's a it is worth, even if you don't have that API integration, there are certain hazards that, in my opinion, are worth you logging into Nextdo, copying that message, you need using the warning lexicon, of course, um, and posting that message on Nextdoor.
00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:19.039
I just love that this is a network that's already built for emergency managers in so many ways.
00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:31.359
This is it's not about getting people to sign up for a new platform, which I know so many emergency managers struggle with trying to figure out how do they increase their enrollment and their opt-in alerts.
00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:36.160
And this is one of the things that we try to explain in many of our trainings.
00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:41.119
Um, but next door doesn't, you're not trying to get people to sign up.
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:42.319
They're already there.
00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:46.240
You're just you're joining their community, which is a different approach.
00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:47.200
It is.
00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:50.400
Yeah, it totally is, and it really matters too.
00:31:50.640 --> 00:32:03.680
Um, and you even coming back to Eddie's question, you know, it we do understand that you know, alerting warning coordinators, alerting folks have a workflow and it goes through these tools.
00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:14.640
So the you can while you can do it on the platform, you know, you post something on your tool, let's say you reach 100,000 people, you post something on next door, you could reach many more than that.
00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:19.759
So it's really kind of I hate to use this term, but I've worked in federal for a long time too.
00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:21.680
You know, a force multiplier.
00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:24.160
I call it a new I'm sorry, man.
00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.720
Are you gonna go?
00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:27.200
I know sometimes that throws people in shock.
00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:30.000
Work with stay with the interview just got better, right?
00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:31.759
Because you're using the the term.
00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:36.079
So I mean, is it it is just such a powerful tool.
00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:51.599
And um again, well, like one of my favorite things with talking about tools is whenever we like I like to review policies of organizations, and it's tell me what you do, why you do it, right?
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:53.200
And the kind of the reasoning behind it.
00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:59.599
I know we get into procedures and that, but you will see a list of things that they will do to reach out to people.
00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:08.720
And one of my favorite questions, if I'm having a one-on-one with them, is okay, I see you're taking this step to use this platform to push information out.
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:10.240
What's your audience?
00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:12.079
What's your response been?
00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:14.240
Have you found success with it?
00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:18.640
And more often than not, I get I do it because it's listed in there.
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:20.319
I I don't I don't know.
00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:22.559
Well, what's the response you get from the public?
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:24.640
Well, I I really don't know on that one.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:27.119
We just put it out there because we need to put it out.
00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:46.880
When if you have a limited amount of time, a limited amount of staff, limited amount of everything because welcome to government, and especially if there's such a high urgency, um, my recommendation to them is do the things that are the most effective, do them first, right?
00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:48.559
I mean, put that at the top.
00:33:48.720 --> 00:34:00.079
And if you have to go through every other step, okay, that's fine for policy, but reorder it to be the one where you're reaching people where they are first and then go to the next one.
00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:01.839
So it kind of goes to what you're saying.
00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:07.039
And and again, there there is not one system out there that that does everything, right?
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:09.280
We're our hands are in a lot of different places.
00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:09.920
That's right.
00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:17.840
And so identifying the most effective one first, second, and third, I think is gonna help anybody who's pushing out alerts.
00:34:18.239 --> 00:34:19.119
Yeah, I agree.
00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:20.000
Yeah.
00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:33.199
So Joseph, we've talked about um the the way that the system works, that uh emergency managers are joining existing geographically targeted, defined, geographically defined neighborhoods.
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:38.639
They can put their alerts out and they get promoted to the top of the feed.
00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:40.400
They show up in emails.
00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:46.159
Let's take that and translate it to some examples where this has actually worked in real time.
00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:54.079
Can you share some of those stories with us that help to really put some context to all this?
00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:55.039
I can.
00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:57.199
I want to just clarify one thing.
00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:01.679
And just because I I get this all the time, do I have to join each neighborhood network?
00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:02.480
You do not.
00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:07.119
So if you're a town with 10 neighborhood networks, that they can already hear from you.
00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:10.480
If you're a large city and there's hundreds, they can already hear from you.
00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:14.239
If you're a state and there's thousands, you pick and choose where you post.
00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:17.920
You don't have to join and you're not moderating a million conversations.
00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:24.559
Uh you know, our our alerting functionality has been used so many times in lots of different examples.
00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:27.440
Um, I'll I'll speak in general here.
00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:32.639
Um we see alerts used all the time for things like uh, you know, major highway closures.
00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:39.519
Like Alaska State Police posted something like a year ago when I don't know the name of the highway, but it's a big one that goes through the whole state.
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:41.440
Major accident, not good.
00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:42.639
Like you just can't get through.
00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:46.000
So they put an alert out statewide to let everybody know.
00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:52.079
Um, we consistently see alerts out for things like tornado warnings for Hurricane Isaiah.
00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:55.360
Alabama Emergency Management puts them out for Isaiah.
00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:59.760
This, I think it was a couple weeks ago now, just to let people know this is what's happening.
00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:03.679
This is where you need to, this is what you need to do, here's where you can get more information.
00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:11.280
Um during Hurricane Harvey, actually, um, if you remember a couple years ago, that was a really intense storm.
00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:20.800
The water rose very quickly, it was unexpected, and those agencies were using next door to like, here's where it's flooding now, go up to the second floor.
00:36:20.960 --> 00:36:32.400
And I remember there was um, I I there were, I think it was a police officer put an alert out, and this really, I I it just kind of a scary situation.
00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:38.000
It's like if you were on the second floor, you need to get on your roof now so you don't get trapped in there, right?
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:42.639
Like, holy crap! Like that that's a frightening situation, but they got the message out.
00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:46.000
Wave a white flag so the helicopters can see you.
00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:50.480
So there are so many different ways you can use this for.
00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:53.039
Um, and it it can be very important.
00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:57.360
It's you know, we we try and define because it's such a powerful tool.
00:36:57.599 --> 00:37:07.519
You know, we we we we think it's appropriate to use alerts when life or property is threatened, when there's like I just saw an alert yesterday, I forgot the agent's name, but nine my mom went down, right?
00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:08.400
Which has happened.
00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:14.559
Actually, last year uh there was an issue when a Wii alert was issued in Massachusetts, I think, and it went also into Connecticut.
00:37:15.199 --> 00:37:15.599
Not good.
00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:17.039
Like Connecticut put out an alert.
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:18.079
Hey, we're okay, guys.
00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:20.079
That's it just doesn't apply here.
00:37:20.320 --> 00:37:28.800
Um so uh as I was saying, life or property, um, availability of services, and also infrastructure, right?
00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:31.599
Like things that are gonna jack up your day, right?
00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:32.960
Like those highway closures.
00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:37.360
When 95 in Philadelphia, that little bridge fell down, right?
00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:40.960
Alerts went out to let folks know, hey, we got a big problem here, folks.
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:43.679
So it all depends what's happening.
00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:51.119
And it's that, you know, it's it's that you made a really good point, Eddie, earlier about those protocols and your policies, when do you use things?
00:37:51.360 --> 00:38:00.239
It's very important that public agencies incorporate next door into their crisis communication plans and that they have multiple administrators on the page.
00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:09.599
Because if, you know, Eddie is the director and out on vacation and I'm uh a PIO, if I don't have access to nextdoor, then I can't be helpful, right?
00:38:09.760 --> 00:38:15.679
So making sure that that is operationalized so everybody can issue those alerts.
00:38:18.079 --> 00:38:23.199
Well, one of the like the strengths of the wireless emergence sealer, right, is it can reach so many people.
00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:29.199
And we get to 98%, right, of households have a Wii of capable device, all those cool things.
00:38:29.360 --> 00:38:34.480
But there are drawbacks to it as well, um, where it is it is text only.
00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:39.599
If you update, I mean, you're essentially sending out this new tone and everything.
00:38:39.760 --> 00:38:41.280
I mean, there's a lot to it.
00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:42.880
Again, super powerful tool.
00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:46.639
I'm a huge proponent when it is used appropriately, right?
00:38:47.039 --> 00:38:51.039
By trained personnel with the right wording, all those things.
00:38:51.360 --> 00:39:02.880
Um, it seems that we're next door becomes a really good supplement to that because there are other, there's more information that can be sent and managed within within next door.
00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:03.920
That's right.
00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:06.159
That can really act as that support.
00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:07.840
Because again, there's no pictures.
00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:14.320
Um, there's you can do links, but there there are things that limit the Wii A.
00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:16.800
And you you guys expand on that, right?
00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:17.199
Yeah.
00:39:17.360 --> 00:39:19.519
So you can have a picture, you can have a video.
00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:24.559
It can, there's, I think the character limits like 10,000 or something ridiculous like that.
00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:28.480
Um, and so that though that really helps get the information out.
00:39:28.719 --> 00:39:33.199
Also, neighbors can comment on those alerts and you can have two-way conversations.
00:39:33.440 --> 00:39:43.920
I know that there are some PIOs that are like, I just can't handle that, and they'll close the comments down, which is okay, but I actually think they should always leave them open because neighbors can learn things from each other.
00:39:44.079 --> 00:39:46.639
And you know, we talked about misinformation, disinformation.
00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:57.199
Sometimes people get things wrong, but I haven't seen too much evidence that suggests that um like there's been any egregious situations.
00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:04.480
And what I hear from PIOs is I like getting the situational awareness, that ground truth, because people respond and give us information, right?
00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:09.920
And you've got to they have to do their due diligence and verify stuff, but it can be very helpful.
00:40:10.159 --> 00:40:17.280
So to answer your question, yes, you can have a picture, you can have a video, unlimited characters, and you can allow conversations.
00:40:17.679 --> 00:40:20.800
Because I look at the potential success stories, right?
00:40:20.880 --> 00:40:30.239
Um, one of the things that Jeanette and I have um jumped into, I'd say more recently, are are children with autism or even adults.
00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:44.480
And, you know, we have statistics and information that is just really sad uh that the those that are found deceased, right, after a search, um, I mean, we're into the 80 plus percentile of those that are found deceased in water.
00:40:45.119 --> 00:40:53.280
And the whole idea is we're talking about a wireless emergency alert, which I think is a great idea in a hyper-targeted area.
00:40:53.519 --> 00:41:09.199
Um, I think this would be an example of something that would be an immediate supplement to that to be able to provide a picture of the individual, um, a picture of the community, and even if it's a video saying, look, you know, we need your help for these reasons.
00:41:09.440 --> 00:41:18.800
Because again, as as we talk about these networks, these these neighborhoods, I mean, we can select a specific one as a public safety agency, right?
00:41:18.880 --> 00:41:20.880
To say, this is the target area.
00:41:20.960 --> 00:41:22.159
I don't need to go beyond.
00:41:22.400 --> 00:41:22.719
That's right.
00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:23.519
Is that correct?
00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:24.079
It is.
00:41:24.239 --> 00:41:30.079
And actually, in fact, Nemek will email me when a child wanders and they want to help get it found.
00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:32.000
So I carry my laptop everywhere I go.
00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:33.280
People, why are you carrying your laptop?
00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:34.000
Long story.
00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:35.360
It's part of my work, right?
00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:43.760
But um because and I correct me if I'm wrong, like a wandering child does not qualify for an Amber alert, right?
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:51.039
But on Nextdoor, we give agencies leniency to use it in the ways they see fit, given the criteria I shared earlier.
00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:57.039
So you can use that for all these other types of alerts that may not qualify, which can be very helpful.
00:41:57.280 --> 00:42:07.760
The second thing I want to just weave in here is, you know, because you can push a message out to neighbors, um, but you can also suggest ways neighbors can help each other, right?
00:42:07.840 --> 00:42:09.519
That connectivity is really important.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:19.840
So in the case of a child that's has wandered, hey, this child is out there, the message could also be an action is go outside and look around your yard in your home.
00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:21.519
See if you know, find that person.
00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:23.119
If you do, call this number.
00:42:23.280 --> 00:42:29.760
And you know, if you want to organize a search party with your neighbors and go walk the field or the woods or the park or whatever that is.
00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:42.800
So coming back to that neighbor multiplier, um, it's a way to activate your residents to take high-value actions that can help them stay safe and help their neighbors stay safe.
00:42:43.760 --> 00:42:48.239
No, like one thing Jeanette um highlighted in in Seattle.
00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:53.679
And again, those that were a part of our class in Seattle, if you're listening to this in the podcast first, thank you.
00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:59.199
Like they they were a wonderful, wonderful class and super engaged.
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:01.440
And I mean, jumped into every scenario.
00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:08.960
There's one with a child with autism, and and we gave them this scenario and they came up with a you know a good message and everything else.
00:43:09.119 --> 00:43:14.960
Um, Jeanette pointed out something that's super important, and I think you you mentioned it there for those.
00:43:15.119 --> 00:43:17.440
It's it's check water first, right?
00:43:17.679 --> 00:43:27.199
And and she hit that like we need to provide that type of that type of guidance because there are we we can't deal with assumptions in emergency management, right?
00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:28.239
In life safety.
00:43:28.400 --> 00:43:33.599
As soon as you if you're in charge and you're working off assumptions, you're you're opening up a can.
00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:38.480
Um because you just you just can't assume people know all those different things.
00:43:38.639 --> 00:43:48.719
Um but can I, and this is I think it may spark another little conversation because we've had multiple people on the show that have talked about AI, right?
00:43:49.119 --> 00:43:51.760
And this is a developing field.
00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:59.760
And I know as soon as we start talking about AI, I think people are gonna be like, okay, I stayed on listening because I want to know more about this.
00:44:01.440 --> 00:44:10.559
You guys have an AI or a prompt for AI generated messages or something to assist in the creations for public safety agencies.
00:44:10.639 --> 00:44:11.519
Is that is that correct?
00:44:11.760 --> 00:44:14.320
Yeah, we call it the behavioral comms and alerting prompt.
00:44:14.639 --> 00:44:14.880
Okay.
00:44:15.039 --> 00:44:16.480
Can you can you walk us through that?
00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:34.239
Because I think sometimes people are immediately like, nope, nothing AI can't use it, versus I don't want the other side where I know I'm gonna have Jeanette probably be like, er, is when you get the people that are like, I don't need to learn how to send messages, I'll just throw it into AI and let it do everything.
00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:36.400
Which by the way, folks, it can't.
00:44:36.960 --> 00:44:37.440
That's right.
00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:39.199
But can you walk us through?
00:44:39.280 --> 00:44:41.679
And I'm sure Jeanette will have a follow-up or two.
00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:42.800
Absolutely.
00:44:43.039 --> 00:44:49.920
So um, you know, we started off the podcast talking about like, you know, how I got my career started and how I've always looked for gaps.
00:44:50.079 --> 00:44:57.519
And when I looked at um a lot of the data across next door and the type of messages people were posting, they're great messages.
00:44:57.760 --> 00:44:59.840
They didn't always get people to act.
00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:03.280
And so I have this engagement formula I use in my head.
00:45:03.360 --> 00:45:04.079
It's pretty simple.
00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:07.679
Motivation plus supports minus obstacles equals engagement.
00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:10.559
And the thing I can influence the most is supports, right?
00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:11.760
Through the platform.
00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:14.480
And so I invest a lot in training.
00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:15.519
We have online courses.
00:45:15.599 --> 00:45:27.519
We even have a content library on our resource hub, which has like 120 posts that are well written, that we've written with our partners, you know, government partners, federal, nonprofit to help people save time.
00:45:27.679 --> 00:45:28.880
They don't always fit.
00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:43.760
And so as I was learning about AI myself earlier this year, um, getting to know Claude and I was learning about prompts, I wondered like, could I make a prompt that would help people, help government communicators get more people to act?
00:45:43.920 --> 00:45:46.480
And so uh I was actually introduced to Dr.
00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:52.880
Laura Myers at the University of Alabama, and I spoke to her, and we're like, oh my God, this is awesome.
00:45:53.039 --> 00:45:55.760
We totally geeked out for like two weeks.
00:45:56.000 --> 00:45:58.239
That was the first iteration of the prompt.
00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:02.480
And I learned that people have biases that prevent them from acting.
00:46:02.639 --> 00:46:04.239
It hasn't happened here.
00:46:04.480 --> 00:46:06.159
Um, I'll do it later.
00:46:06.320 --> 00:46:08.800
Like all these kinds of things that get in the way.
00:46:08.960 --> 00:46:12.320
And so as I learned more about them, like, oh my God, this is a really serious problem.
00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:14.559
And I don't often see messages addressing that.
00:46:14.719 --> 00:46:19.199
Behavioral science isn't woven into enough of government communications.
00:46:19.440 --> 00:46:27.599
Um, and actually, in fact, when the pandemic happened, I did some work with the behavioral insights team.
00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:30.239
I think they're out of the UK, around vaccine uptake.
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:31.519
And that was my first introduction.
00:46:31.599 --> 00:46:36.320
So I've kind of been listening for this and didn't quite understand how to apply it generally.
00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:38.719
And then after working with Dr.
00:46:38.800 --> 00:46:40.480
Myers, I'm like, this is really cool.
00:46:40.639 --> 00:46:42.960
And then I forgot how I heard about you, Dr.
00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:45.440
Sutton, but like I saw your work.
00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:46.800
I'm like, oh my God, this is awesome.
00:46:46.960 --> 00:46:49.840
So I sent you an email and I'm like, can I learn?
00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:52.880
Can I play with your research and weave it in here?
00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:54.000
Would you be comfortable with that?
00:46:54.159 --> 00:46:55.199
And you said, yeah.
00:46:55.360 --> 00:46:57.920
And then I started asking you a billion questions.
00:46:58.159 --> 00:47:03.039
And now I've got your warning lexicon and your post-warning lexicon built into the prompt.
00:47:03.199 --> 00:47:06.880
And actually, it was one of the things you shared with me that really kind of opened up my eyes.
00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:09.119
And Eddie, this addresses what you said.
00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:12.639
Eddie, you know, AI can't write, and it's a turnoff for a lot of folks.
00:47:12.880 --> 00:47:13.199
Dr.
00:47:13.280 --> 00:47:19.519
Sutton, you had said that it's really important that the AI teach people how to write, not just do it for them.
00:47:19.760 --> 00:47:21.360
That made tons of sense to me.
00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:27.199
And so this prompt, um, you go to nextdoor.com forward slash comms prompt.
00:47:27.599 --> 00:47:31.599
Um, you can either copy and paste the prompt or download the text file.
00:47:31.760 --> 00:47:34.000
By the way, I update it sometimes twice a week.
00:47:34.079 --> 00:47:36.000
So always go back and grab it there.
00:47:36.079 --> 00:47:39.519
Um, but you put in, it'll ask a question like which agency do you represent?
00:47:39.679 --> 00:47:41.119
What are you communicating about?
00:47:41.280 --> 00:48:01.840
And if it's anything that has that's alert worthy or alert-like, it will say, Okay, and it jumps you right to like getting to write because we know folks don't have time, they got to get it done, but it forces questions about what's happening and it walks through all the five core principles of the warning lexicon.
00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:05.519
So it's helping to write and it's teaching at the same time.
00:48:05.679 --> 00:48:10.239
And at the end of the prompt, it's like you need to review and verify all this is correct, right?
00:48:10.400 --> 00:48:16.800
So it's an assistant, it's an educator, and it also is a, we think, a very helpful tool for folks.
00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:25.599
And so we'll actually be by the time this uh podcast airs, we're gonna put some put out the word in some PR and some op-eds about this.
00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:30.239
And so um very excited about it, but mostly grateful to you, Dr.
00:48:30.320 --> 00:48:35.920
Sutton, for working with us and helping us develop this because I think it's gonna be really helpful for folks.
00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:41.360
And I will I will just say too, is if you try it and you think we can improve it, please reach out to me.
00:48:41.440 --> 00:48:47.280
My email is joseph at nextdoor.com and I'd love to learn about your experience and we'll make it better.
00:48:48.880 --> 00:49:17.920
Yeah, I I remember when you reached out and um I was shocked, is not the right word, but um intrigued and also just really happy to know that the academic work that we'd been doing for so long was going to be incorporated into more tools that are being built that can be applied immediately by emergency managers.
00:49:18.159 --> 00:49:24.159
And I think you asked me like who's responsible for sending these messages?
00:49:24.320 --> 00:49:25.199
Is it PIOs?
00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:26.159
Because that's my audience.
00:49:26.320 --> 00:49:35.119
I'm like, it's not PIOs, it's it's emergency managers, it's it's alert and warning um coordinators or dispatchers.
00:49:35.280 --> 00:49:39.599
Um and uh it's really hard to get the word out to them.
00:49:39.679 --> 00:49:50.480
And so finding out that there was an opportunity for next door to use the research we've been doing to reach this other audience, that was really thrilling to me.
00:49:50.639 --> 00:49:53.440
Um because it's just so important.
00:49:53.599 --> 00:50:02.079
And I still wholeheartedly agree that we have to teach in addition to show.
00:50:03.440 --> 00:50:08.960
Um we we can't just be reliant on AI to do everything for us.
00:50:09.119 --> 00:50:13.760
So thank you so much for making that part of the emphasis of the tool that you've built.
00:50:14.239 --> 00:50:15.119
Absolutely.
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:20.400
Um I I I I've really been enjoying this process because I'm learning a lot.
00:50:20.559 --> 00:50:27.840
Um, but it also I think there's a lot of people that, you know, people go into civil service because they want to make a difference and have impact.
00:50:27.920 --> 00:50:38.320
And so working together through your research and our tools, and frankly, the breadth and reach of all the thousands of public agencies that use our platform is just a really great partnership.
00:50:38.639 --> 00:50:40.400
I I I I do want to address one thing.
00:50:40.480 --> 00:50:46.400
You said it is a um alerting coordinate or warning coordinators on Nextdoor.
00:50:46.480 --> 00:50:54.480
It typically is PIOs, but one of the things I learned from you is that we should probably start reaching out to those folks as well and make sure they have access to Nextdoor.
00:50:54.559 --> 00:50:58.000
So that's given us some really interesting direction uh to do.
00:50:58.159 --> 00:50:59.920
So Yeah, yeah.
00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:09.920
PIOs are are an obvious choice to be utilizing the tool that you've built and to be think learning more about how to craft really good alerts and warnings.
00:51:10.079 --> 00:51:16.800
And um it's uh it's a it's an odd skill that's not generally covered in PIO classes.
00:51:17.119 --> 00:51:18.239
It's not, it should be.
00:51:18.400 --> 00:51:21.440
Maybe we could make a maybe we should work on that a little bit together.
00:51:21.840 --> 00:51:22.960
I love that idea.
00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:28.320
And being part of the emergency EMEAA.
00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:33.199
Emergency Management External Affairs Association.
00:51:33.440 --> 00:51:33.760
That's right.
00:51:34.159 --> 00:51:34.800
Struggle with that too.
00:51:35.039 --> 00:51:35.920
Yeah, I know.
00:51:36.800 --> 00:51:39.920
Being part of that group, I'm I'm also part of that group.
00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.559
You know, there's a real opportunity to help to bring this information to a broader audience.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:49.760
Yeah, come join us at emea.org.
00:51:52.239 --> 00:51:53.920
I think that's a great idea.
00:51:54.159 --> 00:51:54.639
Yeah.
00:51:55.199 --> 00:51:57.199
So final thoughts.
00:51:58.880 --> 00:52:12.559
You know, um I think I'll I'll say a couple things I've said already today, but it's really important to have access and be comfortable with using next door before the next disaster hits.
00:52:12.800 --> 00:52:34.239
It's really important to think about communications, not just from telling people, I mean, it's very important emergency managers make the case or what they do, and people understand, so they appreciate that, but to educate their residents so they are ready themselves and they step outside their door and cross the street to help their neighbors get ready and self-reliant.
00:52:34.320 --> 00:52:35.840
That connectivity is really important.
00:52:36.079 --> 00:52:51.519
So when you use next door, I highly suggest using our poll functionality for preparedness, readiness, messaging, using our alerting functionality with the comms prompt or taking your warning lexicon and post warning lexicon into account.
00:52:51.760 --> 00:52:54.400
Um, and I also just invite folks to reach out.
00:52:54.480 --> 00:52:55.360
I'm curious.
00:52:55.519 --> 00:52:58.239
I want to learn what are your what are what's working really well?
00:52:58.400 --> 00:53:00.000
What problems are you trying to solve?
00:53:00.239 --> 00:53:01.039
Reach out to me.
00:53:01.119 --> 00:53:08.159
And uh to get started with Nextdoor, simply go to nextdoor.com forward slash agency, and you can reach me at joseph at nextdoor.com.
00:53:09.280 --> 00:53:10.000
That's great.
00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:10.800
Yeah.
00:53:11.039 --> 00:53:13.599
Well, I've really enjoyed the conversation today.
00:53:13.840 --> 00:53:30.960
Um, you know, we we hear from emergency managers an awful lot about the use of social media, and we've seen social media kind of go on a bit of a roller coaster of it had its ups and then its downs, and it it remains a really uh key and important way to reach people.
00:53:31.119 --> 00:53:40.079
And so this was, I think, a great conversation about I think probably a platform that doesn't get enough attention.
00:53:40.639 --> 00:53:48.960
Um and but knowing that there's so many users that are already on next door, it really does deserve an additional look.
00:53:49.119 --> 00:53:51.920
So thanks, Joseph, for being part of this conversation.
00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:54.880
I've really enjoyed it and I think that we've learned a lot today.
00:53:55.199 --> 00:53:56.400
Thank you, neighbors.
00:53:56.880 --> 00:54:14.320
Yeah, and just as she said, I think this this fills a generational gap that exists between, you know, again, going through you have those on Facebook, and then you have others that go on Instagram, others that are on even more different you know, different ones.
00:54:14.559 --> 00:54:25.119
Um, and the fact that they're like, Well, I'm not joining Facebook, you know, you need if you're gonna reach out to me, you know, it's gonna be on X or it's gonna be Blue Sky, it's gonna be whatever it is.
00:54:25.360 --> 00:54:28.559
This is one that everybody can be a part of.
00:54:28.880 --> 00:54:35.199
And you're not necessarily following all the trends because there will be a new social media platform that comes up.
00:54:35.280 --> 00:54:40.880
I'm not actually, I don't know in advance, but I'm telling you historically, guys, there's gonna be a new one that pops up.
00:54:40.960 --> 00:54:43.440
Like that it happens when you see a transition.
00:54:43.760 --> 00:54:51.599
But but next door is something that will be within the community, your community, throughout all those different transitions.
00:54:51.679 --> 00:54:52.559
So I don't know.
00:54:52.639 --> 00:54:54.159
It's like I said, I've I've had a lot.
00:54:54.239 --> 00:54:55.360
I'm I'm looking into you.
00:54:55.519 --> 00:54:57.599
I'm telling you, I'm going to download it.
00:54:57.840 --> 00:54:58.159
All right.
00:54:58.559 --> 00:55:03.599
So you'll have you'll have one in three households plus the Bertola household, right?
00:55:03.920 --> 00:55:11.199
I'm gonna be a part and I will actually I will follow up and share my experience with you if that helps at all.
00:55:11.519 --> 00:55:12.079
Wonderful.
00:55:12.480 --> 00:55:13.840
Um, but just thank you.
00:55:14.000 --> 00:55:18.480
Again, this is the Alerting Authority, and um, we're really here to help you.
00:55:18.639 --> 00:55:23.840
If there's anything that any of you guys need, if you want more information about Nextdoor, please reach out.
00:55:24.000 --> 00:55:38.719
Um, if you want information about um the Warn Room, about publications that are coming out, about all these different things, about uh us actually helping you with your policies, practices, coming to where you are to do training, just just reach out.
00:55:38.880 --> 00:55:43.199
We're we're very easy to contact and we enjoy hearing from all of you.
00:55:43.440 --> 00:55:49.039
Um we love telling your story because we truly believe that every second has a story.
00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:54.159
And this is an episode where we get to help share another one that we've learned about today.
00:55:54.239 --> 00:55:56.639
So thank you and have a great day.