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Showing posts with label
Iowa volunteer fire departments.
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Showing posts with label
Iowa volunteer fire departments.
Show all posts
Photo credit: www.cedarpoint.com
It's a warm September afternoon. You're enjoying family time at Cedar Point. You and your family are thrilled to get right on the Skyhawk, the ride pictured above.
As the ride takes, off, happy, energetic Josh gets on the broadcast system, "Hello and welcome to the Skyhawk. You are about to enjoy the world's tallest and fastest swing. With today's fun at Cedar Point, you will reach speeds of 60 miles per hour and heights of 125 feet. It's what you imagined you might do on your swing in the park as a kid. Welcome to the fun!"
Josh's deep smile transferred to his message. His message added depth, breadth and credibility to the Skyhawk swinging experience. Josh and his message soared.
How are you transferring your passion for Fire and EMS service to those around you?
What message that soars are you sharing about the lives your mission saves and changes?
Are you able to communicate the value you bring in three sentences or less?
Share your thoughts, ideas and experiences below.
FlashPoint offers communication services to help your message soar. Email us or call us at (319) 775-5210 to discuss options for taking your communication to new heights.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcopako/
Recently, an Iowa Volunteer Fire Chief's Workshop was hosted by the Iowa Fire Chiefs Association and the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau.
A survey of the audience yielded many hands from department leadership across Iowa in response to the question, "How many of you have no online presence at this time due to lack of resources, etc.?"
Future FlashPoint blogs will provide information and options for setting up a website. In the meantime, as discussed at the Chief's Conference, creating a Facebook page for your department can be a great place to get started with sharing more information with your community.
FlashPoint recommends starting with Facebook for an online presence due to sheer numbers. No other social media platform is being used by more people.
If you don't currently have a Facebook account, you may sign up at www.Facebook.com. With a little time and effort, you can ensure your privacy settings are high. Games and other activities available on the site can be blocked from your news updates.
To start the process of creating a Facebook page for your department:
1. Visit this link on Facebook.
2. Select Company, Organization or Institution from the box in the middle, top row.
3. From the Choose a Category drop down, click on the arrow and select either Government Organization or Non-Profit Organization (if you are setup as a 501 (c) (3) from the options.
4. Enter in your organization's name exactly as you want it to appear and check the box next to Facebook pages terms and conditions. You will have to type in some letters that appear on the screen to authenticate your login.
5. At the next screen, you will be given an option to create a Facebook account or use your existing account.
6. On the next screen, you will see steps 1 through 6 in terms of options for your new page. Select the option(s) that work(s) best for you.
7. Click on the Info option on the left hand side of the page to enter basic information about your department.
8. Once you start establishing fans for your page, create at least one additional Administrator for the page by clicking on the list of fans and selecting the Make Admin option from the right hand side of the screen. This will ensure the responsibility for the page is easily shared.
9. Set a goal to update your page with information, photos, videos or whatever is available from your department at least once a week. This could be specific to your operations or general safety tips. Ask for feedback and input from those who Like your page whenever possible.
10. FYI, once you have your Facebook page setup, there is now an option to Use Facebook as Page that may be accessed from the account drop down of your personal account on the far right hand side. This will allow you to comment and have most of the Facebook functionality you have with your personal account.
Want to take a look at other departments that are using Facebook effectively? Visit the links below:
Denmark Fire & Rescue
Montrose Fire & Rescue
What ideas and experiences do you have to share with Facebook and your department's website?
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