Article updated August 8, 2018
By Shannon Eliot
More dependent than other professions on communication with its workers, the government, and the public, EMS is in a prime position to take advantage of the benefits of social media. If your agency hasn’t yet jumped on the social networking bandwagon, now is the time to pay close attention to how many EMS agencies are doing so.
More than ever, sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are playing a role in how the public receives and processes a range of information and news from different sources.
The South Orange Rescue Squad in South Orange, N.J., is one EMS agency that has embraced the use of online networking in its daily operations, maintaining an active presence on Twitter and Facebook.
“South Orange is mostly a volunteer squad, so we need community donations to cover expenses,” Captain Don Boyle said. “We’ve been struggling for people to become aware of us, so one of our members — a social networking enthusiast — decided to create our accounts. Happily, we’ve received quite a reaction so far in our small part of the world.”
Capt. Boyle not only sees online networking as a tool for garnering community support, but also strengthening the morale and quality of the squad itself.
“This provides an easy way for our members to get in touch with one another,” Capt. Boyle said. “Our volunteers often work one 12-hour shift per week, so interaction can sometimes be sparse. These sites help to establish a sense of camaraderie both among ourselves and within the community, which also aids our recruiting efforts.”
Social networking is an asset
Greg Friese, EMS1 editor-in-chief, sees social networking as an asset to EMS agencies providing they stay focused on the organization’s mission.
“It’s easy for those of us in social networking to get sucked in and distracted from the larger purpose,” Friese said. “For an EMS agency’s efforts to have some measurable effect, the online interactions must be targeted on helping to achieving specific goals.”
Further, Friese notes that social media is an invaluable way to spread real-time information during an emergency.
“Anyone with a smartphone can now be a public information officer,” Friese said. “We can now send out information before the media outlets are even on scene. Bystanders, witnesses, and responders who choose to tweet, blog, or post pictures can be a huge help to the hospital who will be tending to the victims of a MCI.”
While Friese is enthusiastic about the potential, he also notes the need for social media to be monitored.
“While this can be very beneficial to the industry, it’s also important to establish firm guidelines,” Friese said. “You don’t want an on-duty EMT texting in the back of an ambulance when they should be tending to a patient.”
5 specific ways to use social media in EMS
Here are five ways EMS agencies are using social media and social networks.
1. Educational tools
Social networks provide a way of keeping EMS professionals updated on day-to-day safety protocol and procedure. Because responders can receive differing input on how to address similar problems, it can be helpful to hear stories of what worked from the perspective of other agencies. For instance, a challenging issue that was resolved in New York may help a responder in California a few weeks later.
2. Recruitment
By involving members of an agency in an online social network, they can more easily connect with each other both on and off the job, according to Boyle. In building a sense of camaraderie within an organization, EMTs feel more invested in the agency on a daily basis, which will translate into tighter crew chemistry and a positive impression relayed to potential recruits. Networks also provide an easy and convenient way for prospective hires to get a sense of an agency’s culture without having to be there in person.
3, Community announcements, updates, and events
Social media can be an efficient way to get the word out about CPR classes, local traffic delays or accidents, first aid training, ambulance and fire truck tours, and general safety educational programs. Instead of making phone calls to individual households or booking costly ads in various publications, a centralized Twitter feed or Facebook page can serve as a cost-free hub for all relevant information in community engagement.
4. Solicitation for disaster aid
Large-scale disasters in New York and Washington make CNN, but for the thousands of other cities in the U.S., media coverage is not as mainstream. Should your community experience a widespread fire, earthquake, flood, MCI, or some other large-scale emergency, it could prove helpful to ask for help via the Internet. By sending real-time information of what responders need — whether it’s supplies, shelter, or simple manpower — potential damage is significantly minimized.
5, Personalizing the agency
By publicizing your achievements and victories, writing blog entries, and sharing personnel stories, the public will be able to see the faces and personalities behind the uniforms. While such familiarity breeds a greater sense of trust within the community, it also helps when funding time comes around. Think your agency needs that new ambulance or radio system? If you’ve been maintaining local relationships and a sense of transparency, the odds are much greater to be in your favor.
Get involved in firest responder social networking
Dave Konig, EMT and EMS1 columnist, encourages all responders and public citizens — regardless of age or generation — to become involved at some level with first responder social networking.
According to Konig, first responder use of online networks is on the rise, but agencies have yet to claim any ownership. Rather, it has largely been a grassroots effort taken on by responders themselves.
“Currently, there isn’t a strong public safety presence out there, and someone needs to step up,” Konig said. “There also needs to be an established policy to prevent online abuse. Those in charge of the agencies don’t want to be bothered, but ultimately, they will be held accountable, as their names are out there. It’s important to be aware of your online presence so you can continuously monitor your name and reputation.”
Konig also believes that if an agency maintains a strong social networking presence, responding to an emergency will be much smoother.
“If a local disaster happens, citizens aren’t watching CNN, but monitoring social networks,” Konig said. “As a result, the agency can get more volunteers, acquire help for shelter in the region, provide traffic updates, and treat the public not as a liability, but an asset.”
They key in making social networking work, Konig said, is using it, and using it frequently.
“If agencies start an online 2.0 presence, they need to actually use it and be consistent,” Konig said. “If they update sporadically, they won’t have the audience when they need it the most.”
Despite the challenges presented by the new medium, plenty in the industry have already seen and will continue to develop the potential.
“It’s too soon to know the end result,” Boyle said. “But we are excited to see where this goes.”