The LA Fire Department using Twitter

The city fire department is on the cutting edge of Web 2.0, the new wave of innovation that has moved the internet away from the static screen and helped turn it into a dynamic, world-wide community. Exhibit A for the LAFD - the Twitter feed. Every time fire trucks roll or rescue helicopters fly in the city, details of the emergency go out on Twitter.

LA Fire Department's aTwitter with Web 2.0

Comments

[Brian Humphrey]

Alan,

Thank you for including kind mention of the LAFD Twitter feed, which is one of several ways our agency is maintaining the 'community that dominates our brand'

Your blog is an enjoyable and thought provoking read that we've been pleased to add to our daily RSS must view list.

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department

[C. Enrique Ortiz]

In a very serious when I'll say that I hope it is not being used for critical and/or life-threatening situations, as Twitter's stability is extremely weak, and the system is not reliable.

That said, this shows a great use case for near real-time many-to-many (group) messaging apply to health and emergency space.

ceo

[Alan Moore]

Dear Brian,

Many thanks for responding to the post. This blog and our book Communities Dominate Brands champions the type of collaboration, and network thinking that the LAFD has adopted.

I would happily send a copy of CDB for the LAFD, if you guys would like a copy?

Kind regards

Alan Moore.

[Brian Humphrey]

Mr. Ortiz expresses rightful concern, but can rest assured that the LAFD Twitter feed is not an official warning system, but rather one of several robust and redundant 'channels' that offer our stakeholders 'nice to know' information that arrives expressly without guarantee.

An important overview of such systems - with caveats, can be found at:

http://lafd.org/alert

Alan,

Thank you for your generous offer. While agency policies prohibit us from accepting the book as a gift, your kindness is indeed noted - as is your passion for our common quest of building communities surrounding a brand, which we think of as an important waypoint to the clearest and most catalytic marker of success: the existence of apostles!

Again Alan, thanks for your evangelism on business and marketing, lessons which are indeed applicable the public service and safety sector.

Please do let us know when your travels bring you to Southern California. There is plenty of room at our firehouse kitchen table, and always a warm cup of coffee with your name on it.

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department

[Alan Moore]

Dear Brian,

I am often in California, so I may well take you up on the offer! Today I am flying to NY.

All the best

Alan

[david cushman]

Alan et al. Are the fire dudes also using twitter to monitor where fires are breaking out? Twitter usually beats all news agencies on reports of natural and man-made disasters, after all.
Wouldn't advocate this as an replacement for other channels, of course.
I'm sure twitter could also be a great way of recruiting future fire people.