The recent terrorist attack in Mumbai has underscored the power of Twitter to instantly provide firsthand information on events as they unfold.
But Twitter can be more than just a powerful new tool for citizen-journalists, it can also be a powerful tool for governments to use as part of an emergency notification system.
There are plenty of government information feeds on Twitter, but I’m wondering when a state or local government will integrate a Twitter feed into an emergency notification system to generate Tweets on natural disaster warnings, amber alerts, weather emergencies and other types of emergencies.
There is a Twitter feed for Amber Alerts that is maintained by AmberAlert.com – although this isn’t a government agency, its exactly the idea I am referring to.
I hope some folks in law enforcement in state and local governments take notice.