All local communities can find themselves facing inclement weather or another emergency situation that requires a concerted response, and this in turn is the duty of the local government's Office of Emergency Management.  These offices have carried out these duties using a variety of traditional communications methods in the past, but several local governments have decided to expand their programs to make use of a newer method: the use of social media.  By including social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube into their existing emergency management framework, these local governments are able to reach an even wider audience amongst their citizenry, thus ensuring the vital messages being sent out are received by those who need them most.