Protecting our Nation through YouTube

Posted by Pamela S. on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

When a government office makes a YouTube video that goes viral, you need to watch. Yesterday, I wrote that many people, especially the younger generation, are getting their news from YouTube, instead of traditional sources or Internet media websites. In order to reach people, you have to go where the people are. The Department of Homeland Security and the Houston Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security understand that.

The Houston Mayor’s office has been taking a lot of flak for spending money to make a series of videos that enlighten their citizens regarding public safety issues such as terrorism and an active shooter event.

The videos were produced with assistance from grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These are professional quality films. The latest film, “Run, Hide, Fight” cost $200,000 to produce. It was filmed using members of the Houston Police Department’s SWAT team, as actors.

The video is graphic. It informs the public what to do if they are caught in a situation such as the Colorado shooting. “Run, Hide, Fight” was released a week after that tragic event. Director of the Houston Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Chief Dennis Storemski said this was intentional, to bring awareness to this issue.

The videos have garnered controversy. Many people have complained about cost vs. effectiveness. Watch “Run, Hide, Fight” This video has already received 943,489 hits on YouTube. Storemski said that this averages out to pennies a view, and if it saves even one life, it is worth the cost.

See what you think:

One of the earlier videos produced by the same team focused on preventing terrorist acts. There are three videos in this series, addressing civilians, employees and one on improvised explosive devices. Here is one.

 

You can watch all three at Ready Houston.
Do educational videos such as these really work? Apparently they do have an affect, and this form of communication is nothing new, only the delivery is new.Watch this:

Duck and Cover was a civil defense film produced in 1951 by the United States federal government’s civil defense branch. The film shows what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. It was released shortly after the Soviet Union began nuclear testing. Duck and Cover may be a favorite of hipsters and others who view things ironically, and it only has 94,494 views on YouTube, but some experts feel that there is some validity to this approach. The film is making a bit of a comeback, because we are once again worried about our national safety.

 

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