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Hampshire Fire & Rescue connecting with audiences ‘in their space’
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is widening its attempts to engage with target audiences through the use of social media channels.
The Service has launched three new communication channels, that it will use to engage with its target audiences. The intention is to start conversations with people in the community, to learn what their thoughts, opinions and ideas are, and to keep them up to date with Service news, as well as educate them about how they can keep themselves and others safe at home, work and on the road.
A Youtube channel has been launched at www.youtube.com/hampshirefireservice where people can watch videos about the recruitment process and corporate planning process, as well as see footage of incidents and the many other activities that go on throughout the Service.
Facebook users can keep in touch with the Service by becoming a fan of the official Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service page. The page includes incident photos, event listings and links to other useful information, as well as regular status updates about the various goings-on across the Service.
Finally, a Twitter channel has been set up at @hants_fire which allows followers to get up to the minute information about events, news and recent incidents, as well as the various movements of fire service personnel. Just last week Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer, John Bonney, who is also President of the Chief Fire Officers Association, was tweeting from a national fire chiefs conference he attended in Canada.
Deputy Chief Officer (CDO) Dave Curry explained the Service’s adoption of these communication channels: “Although the fire service does not have a product to promote, it does want to connect with its target audiences in order to engage with them and educate them about safety at home, work and on the road.
“Using social media channels to do this makes perfect sense. We do not want to be left behind in the continually changing landscape of communication and technology. Ultimately taking our messages into our target audiences space, rather than expecting them to come to our space such as our website, will help us to achieve our vision to make life safer”.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will continue to develop and grow its social media strategy in an effort to engage with and listen to its communities. DCO Curry, who is also Chairman of the Service’s e-Communications Development Board, concluded: "Although it is early days, these social media channels are growing daily in popularity and already delivering the engagement opportunities it was hoped they would provide".
