ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — Thursday, Facebook's parent company, Meta, hosted a Disaster Preparedness Summit in partnership with San Diego County disaster response organizations.
During the event, government entities, emergency responders, non-profits, and small businesses learned how to leverage Meta apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp before, during, and after a disaster.
For example, the "safety check" feature on Facebook allows people to let loved ones know if they're safe during a natural disaster.
Jeff Toney, the Director of San Diego County's Office of Emergency Services, said they often utilize social media from notifying communities the moment a wildfire breaks out to evacuations.
He said he hopes to learn more ways to leverage the technology.
"It evolves every single day. The capability and the ways you can interact with it so I'm here to learn lessons and try to apply that to future disasters," Toney said.
Toney encourages people to register for Alert San Diego and download the SD Emergency appin order to stay prepared and know when a disaster happens.
