People who are accustomed to communicating via social media continue to do so even in exceptional situations—posts, photos, and videos of floods, explosions, and other disasters not only inform friends, family, or followers, but in some cases also emergency responders who must deal with these dangerous situations. Resourceful, tech-savvy volunteers recognized this early on. As a result, there are now Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOSTs) around the world that work independently, quickly, and competently to sift through the flood of information and misinformation on the internet for relevant clues. They distinguish credible content from misleading content, skillfully combine various data sources, and thus significantly help those in charge on the ground to make the right decisions. The Technisches Hilfswerk (THW)—Germany’s volunteer-based organization for civil protection and disaster relief—also has such a VOST.
Ralf Daniel, a police officer and lecturer in criminology, heads the THW’s VOST. In this Digitalgespräch, he explains the range of expertise within his team and how exactly it collaborates with emergency responders on the ground. He describes typical operations and the questions that guide social media monitoring, how information is processed and shared, and where the VOST’s limits of jurisdiction and capabilities lie. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Daniel discusses what constitutes an effective approach to false reports and deliberate misinformation—especially in complex situations—how important local networks are, particularly in emergencies, and what role communication via social media and networks plays—or should play—in civil protection and disaster management today.
Episode 63: Digitalgespräch feat. Ralf Daniel from the THW’s Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST), 1. April 2025
Further Information:
To the Virtual Operations Support Teams of the THW’s webseite: https://www.thw.de/SharedDocs/Einheiten/DE/006_vost.htm
all episodes of Digitalgespräch
The podcast is in German. At the moment there is no English version or transcript available.