I want to thank Doug Walton who forwarded me this story from Gerald Baron who writes Crisisblogger. Baron’s blog for many years has provided some great insight into crisis communications. The blog should definitely be on your favorites list.
The post reviews the virtual communications response to the recent IRS Austin plane crash.
Late Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense released its official policy covering new media and social media. With some three million employees, the DoD is one of the largest organizations in the world, so this is major news.
The Salt Lake Tribune just posted an interesting story about SGT Craig Martinez, the new Public Information Officer for the Orem Department of Public Safety. Martinez has scored a triple play with his use of social media via blog, Twitter and Facebook to help keep the residents of Orem safe and informed.
I have taken a few days to review all the public information related quotes pertaining to the plane crash and fire in Austin, Texas.
From an Austin Fire Department perspective they did all the right things. On the fire ground their response, attack and search all followed SOP. During the initial news conference Austin Fire Chief Rhonda Mae Kerr spoke briefly, discussed the fire, thanked the Department and applauded the response of the entire unified command in the city. She turned the investigation over to the FBI.
With all the snow in the northeast during this bitter winter a good old “Adopt a Hydrant” program was in order. I am happy to report that it was a big success, due in no small part to the new strength of the word “public” in public relations.
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.
Lindsey Miller from Regan Communications recently wrote about the effective use of Twitter in the Charlotte and Mesa Fire Departments. It offers good insight into how a Twitter plan can be built that leads to interaction with other forms of social media.
When we signed on the dotted line to become firefighters we quickly became the guys on the other side of the yellow caution tape. While we go about our business of fire suppression or extrication or EMS emergencies the public is watching us at the scene with critical eyes. In essence we are characters in a drama being played out before them.
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