Facebook wants you to check its new 'Crisis Response' feature when disaster hits

Facebook's emergency response features now include much more than just Safety Check.

The social network introduced a new "Crisis Response" hub that helps Facebook users learn about natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other events affecting people around the world.

Think of the new Crisis Response sections as a sort of upgraded version of the Safety Check tab that was introduced last month. (The existing Safety Check section will be updated to "Crisis Response" in the next few weeks.) The new tab provides much more than just the tools and information associated with Facebook's Safety Check feature.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In the new Crisis Response section of the app and website, Facebook users view photos, video, and news stories about specific events. This content is pulled from public posts to "help people learn more about a crisis," according to Facebook.

Facebook's Safety Check, Community Help, and fundraising tools will also be part of the Crisis Response section so that users can take action when events affect them (Safety Check) or they want to provide help (Community Help and Facebook's fundraising tools.)

The company says the new tools were inspired in part by how Facebook users responded to Hurricane Harvey and Irma over the last few weeks. Many users took to social media to organize rescue and relief efforts in the wake of the storms.

"Over the past weeks we've seen many disasters and we've seen our community come together to help each other," Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post on Facebook.

"We think this is important infrastructure for helping to keep our global community safe."