Facebook Launches ‘Community Help’ Safety Check Feature in Canada

Facebook has launched a new feature called Community Help within Safety Check, its feature which allows people to check-in during natural and accidental disasters, to let friends know they’re safe.

Facebook safety check

With Community Help, it will allow people to “find and give help such as food, shelter and transportation after a crisis,” explains the company in a blog post. Here’s how it works, according to the social network:

  • If an incident is a natural or accidental disaster, people will now see Community Help. They can find or give help, and message others directly to connect from within Safety Check after a crisis.
  • Posts can be viewed by category and location, making it easier for people to find the help they need.

Facebook community help

Community Help will debut only for natural and accidental incidents, such as earthquakes or building fires.

The feature launches today in Canada, along with the US, Australia, New Zealand, India and Saudi Arabia, for the “first couple of weeks”, and as Facebook learns more about how users use the Community Help, they will look to expand it to other countries and additional types of incidents, explains Naomi Gleit, Facebook’s VP Social Good.

Facebook’s Social Good product designer, Preethi Chethan, explains more details behind the research and design process for Community Help, which you can check out here.

Last fall, Facebook noted an update was coming to Community Help, referencing how they learned from how people used the social network during the devastating fires in Fort McMurray, to help each other find a place to stay.

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