Fire Critic An Unadulterated View of the Fire Service
Yesterday, the Southern U.S. experienced a snowstorm that they aren’t quite used to. The storm, which in most places didn’t dump feet of snow, but mere inches yet crippled cities as large as Atlanta. I am not a meteorologist, but I think it is safe to say that the City of Atlanta, and the people living there, are not prepared for this type of weather.
This baby was born on the interstate due to her mother being stranded and then going into labor.
That being said, the storm became a perfect teaching point for the fire service (and other government agencies) and why social media is so important. I speak often to fire department Chiefs who think they have NO use for social media. I am not referring to them personally using social media, but rather for their departments using social media. Some refuse to utilize it. It continues to amaze me.
While I might be removed from the greater Atlanta area, I did have an experience yesterday that made it hit very close to home.
My sister called me from Atlanta to wish me a happy birthday. I appreciated it. She then told me her husband was stranded and unable to get home. He was approximately 10 miles from home, it was cold out, and the roads were a frozen mess. He was not alone. He needed to seek refuge somewhere…but he was having a hard time finding out what was open.
I went to the internet. I found a firehouse near him; a mile away. I thought about going to The Fire Critic Facebook page and seeking help in finding someone working at the firehouse. I figured that maybe 1 of the nearly 100k fans of the page might know someone there. However, I also realized that me seeking help in finding a warm place for my brother in law to stay might open up a can of worms for others seeking help. So I continued searching.
I found the Facebook group SnowedoutAtlanta created just hours, maybe even minutes before, assisting people who were stranded. One of the very posts on the group page was at the same exact location as my Brother in law.
Just one example of how utilizing social media might have affected getting help to a diabetic man.
I was able to utilize that Facebook group to give my sister options for keeping her husband alive and safe last night. He was finally able to get home around noon today. He was not alone, there were thousands stranded.
Companies like CVS and Home Depot offered to stay open for people to seek refuge. People opened their houses to strangers. Information was shared about shelters around Atlanta. The media shared the FB group. All of this information was available and some stranded people only had a minimal amount of time to find it due to dying cell phone batteries.
School children were stranded at schools. Information was shared on the status of schools and children kept within.
I am certain that local government agencies were taxed by what was going on. 24 hours after the storm began, people were still stranded in and around Atlanta…and that is just one City that was affected by the storm. A child was born on the interstate during the storm because they were stranded.
There are plenty of examples at how normal lives were affected by this storm and the people who are typically available to help them were overwhelmed.
Here are some links:
- Facebook group SnowedoutAtlanta
- The Blaze – Stunning, Touching images emerge from disastourus snowstorm in deep south
- Police using ATVs to reach those who need warmth
- Woman forms Facebook group to help others
So I ask you doubting Fire Chiefs…Do you still think social media is bad?
