The most practical government applications for Twitter are in public safety and emergency notifications. I’m currently kicking around a blueprint for exactly how I can use Twitter more effectively to keep the community instantaneously informed of fires, road closings from MVA’s, power outages etc.

Currently I use Twitter as a tool to spread information on stories I post on my departments website. These Tweets about incident reports usually draw a good number of followers who go to the story via a link on the Twitter post. I truly know though that the value of Twitter is being able to give real time information during an emergency.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has been at the forefront of Twitter usage. They Tweet with bulletins about structural fires, the number of responding firefighters, and injuries and casualties. A typical post is something like: “12126 Burbank Bl* No ‘formal’ evacuations; Firefighters maintaining 500′ exclusion zone pending LAFD Hazmat arrival.”

When a commuter train derailed Sept. 12, 2008, in Chatsworth, Calif., killing dozens and injuring hundreds, the LAFD tweeted several times to update the public about rescue operations. And citizens near a wildfire in Griffith Park in 2007 tweeted to the LAFD about wind direction and smoldering hot spots, which helped firefighters, control the 800-acre blaze.

I know the value of Twitter, and once my blueprint is complete I will embark on the marketing phase to get the community involved as followers.

I would appreciate hearing from my fellow PIO’s about any department that has a Twitter emergency response plan in place.

Here is a quick video about the emergency use of Twitter by Public Service of New Hampshire when thousands of homes lost power during a major ice storm.

Share on Facebook