The answer right now is that emergency management standards do not say much about the use of social media in emergency management. The standards provide guidance on developing, testing and exercising communication systems and procedures and this guidance pertains every bit as much to social as well as traditional media.  But is social media included? 

As a member of the Canadian Standards Association technical committee that developed and is now revising the Z1600 emergency management and business continuity program standard, I thought you would be pleased to know that technical committee members most certainly do recognize the importance of social media. In a recent web conference on upgrading the standard significant mention was made about the importance of reflecting social media in the communication section of the standard. Work is progressing but I will be anxious to see what the final version looks like. 

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