"When the bombs went off on Boylston Street near the finish line of the marathon, traditional means of communication were quickly overwhelmed and to communicate with citizens, the police department immediately went to Twitter."

The Emergency Management magazine article about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings shows how the Boston Police Department's experience with social media was valuable.

For more information on using social media in emergencies, read the report generated by the 2013 National Capital Region Social Media in Emergencies Summit.