Up Periscope on the PIO/reporter – Live report from house explosion
For years I’ve been describing the modern public information officer as being part reporter. The advent of websites and then social media, allowing public safety agencies to report the news directly to the public without having to first go through a news organization, means PIOs need some of the skills of a journalist.
Just like you’ve heard on promos for your local TV news team, it’s crucial for your department to become a valued and trusted source of information. Twitter and Facebook also make it clear you need to be an instant source of information. For a while now I’ve been watching smart PIOs doing some of the same work I used to do as a TV reporter. And now it has been taken to a new level.
The addition of Periscope on Twitter has some PIOs doing live reports from breaking news scenes. Look at the video above as Captain Garon Patrick Mosby with the St. Louis Fire Department walks through the rubble of a house that exploded Thursday and describes the actions of firefighters live as they happen.
Captain Mosby is just one of a growing number of PIOs becoming skilled at doing these “live shots”. I asked Captain Mosby to share some of the thought process behind this decision to regularly report live from the scene of fires and other incidents.
The St. Louis Fire Department & Social Media
Fire Captain Garon Patrick Mosby
Public Information Officer
Shortly after being promoted from Firefighter to Fire Captain, I learned of my assignment to the Fire Chief’s Command Staff. While most Fire Officers textbook will detail how tough the transition is from Firefighter to Fire Officer, very few, talk about the challenges in transitioning to the Chief’s Command Staff! Not knowing fully what to expect, I sat with another newly promoted Captain, anxiously awaiting the wisdom that the Chief would undoubtedly bestow upon us. As Chief Jenkerson shared his vision for the department, he spoke of the important role Public Affairs would play. Giving his strategic vision, he left the operational pieces to us, simply stating, “go get em!”
It was clear to me then and certainly now, that change was inevitable! There are two things I feel every employee should know about their company/department, its Mission and Philosophy. Understanding these provides the constant direction and guidance necessary to accomplishing your goals. A portion of our philosophy reminds me of the Star Trek introduction, “we must constantly strive to maintain the study of every new technological advance” translated, and “boldly go where no one has gone before.” Social Media and its ability to connect the public with the important services that we provide is a natural progression for the Fire Service. Since joining the digital age, it has been a constant goal to expand the usage of platforms that allow our work and safety information to reach a broader demographic.
In a time when Hollywood shows over romanticize the profession and while politicians argue for the reduction of funding or resources, the general public has an unclear picture of what it is we actually do! Social Media and especially Periscope allow us to speak directly with the population we serve. Periscope enables the PIO to broadcast live from anywhere. Structural fires, water rescues, community outreach, training exercises all benefit from the near-real time usage of this new app. The possibilities are endless.
The use of this technology hasn’t been without open discussion and rigorous debate on the type of incidents and commentary that we show. What if something happens that we don’t want people to see? After all, this is a live broadcast.
I won’t tell you that I have all the answers. Much like a fire scene, the use of this technology is dynamic and we are constantly evaluating and discussing our best option. I can’t even say if Periscope is right for every department. I will say this, no one expects us to be perfect. While we are fortunate (through the countless hours of training we do as fire professionals) in minimizing our mistakes, we are proud to show our citizens (and the world) that the St. Louis Fire Department responds to a wide variety of incidents daily. While most in St. Louis assumed we responded to fires and medical emergencies, few knew of the responses to natural gas leaks, carbon monoxide alarms, rings stuck on fingers, water and elevators emergencies, car accidents, and complex technical rescues while not engaged in community events and safety talks.
We are proud of our privileged position as the nations second oldest career fire department. An aggressive, progressive department in nature, we have long been at the forefront of Fire Service technology and strategy. Our presence on social media platforms is an extension of the philosophy. In a society that demands transparency, the St. Louis Fire Department is proud to show our taxpayers the return on the investment they make in a world-class fire department.
