This is the news! Hampshire go live with video updates
Hampshire are proving first with the news when it comes to staff and their communities.
Video bulletins have been created for their internal and external audiences to cover the latest developments in the Service.
It began with Fireflash - the internal bulletin for staff - at the end of last year, which has so far covered a range of topics as broad as support for traumatic incidents, Crufts, MP visits and updates on safety campaigns.
Feeding off the success of Fireflash, the digital team then developed a quarterly news digest for the public - HFRS News.
Rob Penn, Digital and Creative Manager at Hampshire, said: "There is so much going on across the Service, we felt monthly video updates were an extremely effective way of not only updating staff on changes and corporate news, but reflecting the huge range of work and activity that goes on across our stations and staff.
"Fireflash has been really well received by our staff as an easy way of keeping up to date with what's going on in the Service, while our first edition of HFRS News has also gone down well with our residents and attracted in excess of 1,000 views so far."
Notts station Facebook page wins local award
A Facebook page set up by a station in Nottinghamshire has scooped a local award.
Stapleford Fire Station’s page won Local Website of the Year in the Best of Broxtowe Awards. The awards were set up and run by the local authority, Broxtowe Borough Council, and the local paper, The Nottingham Post.
Jack Grasby, Communications Officer at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The page was officially set up in January as part of a project delivered by the comms team to roll out individual Facebook pages to stations, the caveat being that there needed to be staff on station willing to run the page and also be given some training and guidance on how to effectively use the pages.
"I’ve since been out to deliver the training on each of the interested stations (one by one to ensure each is set up properly and to help get them off to a good start) and we’ve now got 10 stations officially on Facebook – with a few more to come very soon which will take us to half of all our stations being on there.
"It is firefighters that have been coming up with most of the ideas for posts and getting them on there, following the guidance we’ve given them, and we have helped when needed with things such as proof reading, double checking, approving more sensitive posts etc. Stapleford is definitely one of the leading station’s with regards to FB and have done a cracking job, as evidenced by the award."
Cow pics provide moo-ving response for Northern Ireland
Images of a tricky cow rescue from a 20-foot ravine provided a huge social media response for Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NI FRS).
The Large Animal Rescue Team from Omagh Fire Station and firefighters from Strabane Fire Station rescued the heifer from the ravine in Strabane. They attached a sling to the animal and were able to lift the animal up out of the ravine back into the field. The cow returned to its pastures unharmed by the mooooving rescue!
Deric Henderson, Corporate Communications Officer from NI FRS said: "This was a very well received piece issued on our social media platforms and helped spread the word to farmers about the dangers that can be posed to animals."
Manchester firefighters make a splash to spread summer safety advice
Following the rescue of a teenager from a canal in Middleton in June, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) seized the opportunity to promote its prevention work and Safe4Summer campaign.
The 13-year-old was rescued from a canal lock after falling into the water during the upturn in temperature on the evening of Sunday, June 5.
The following day, members of the Service’s Water Incident Unit, based at Eccles Community Fire Station, appeared live on national television as BBC Breakfast filmed three dramatic water rescue demonstrations at Salford Quays.
Assistant County Fire Officer Geoff Harris delivered water safety messages and other prevention advice during an interview with host Louise Minchin.
The programme also featured an interview with GMFRS’ water safety champion Becki Ramsay, whose 13-year-old son Dylan tragically drowned swimming in open water in 2011.
With over a million viewers each morning, BBC Breakfast provided the Service with a fantastic opportunity to reach the public with safety messages that resonate across the country.
Meanwhile, representatives from GMFRS and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) went to the boy’s school to reassurance pupils who were affected by the incident. They delivered water safety and other Safe4Summer messages to help the pupils have an enjoyable summer.
Safe4Summer is a multi-agency campaign that delivers information and advice to help young people in particular stay safe and out of trouble during the school holidays.
GMFRS’ community safety team also visited Cardinal Langley, Middleton Technology College and Newman College to provide advice, as all are situated close to the Middleton Canal.
Posters highlighting water safety messages were delivered to local shops and businesses in the area, while volunteers worked in conjunction with GMP to deliver advice at Dovestone Reservoir – a popular destination during summer weekends.
Lesley Allen, GMFRS’ Other Emergencies Co-ordinator, said: “GMFRS are keen to get into as many primary and secondary schools every year to talk to students about how to enjoy outdoor activities safely. We were able to speak to more than 250 pupils at Middleton Tech and their attention was total.
“We encourage young people to join in with safely organised water sports and activities with proper equipment and lifeguards on hand rather than be just tempted to take a dip alone or with friends.”
Dorset and Wiltshire - when two become one...
1 April 2016 saw the dawn of a new era in the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire, as two fire and rescue services combined to become one organisation.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service boasts 50 fire stations, 73 fire engines and over 1,000 full-time and on-call firefighters, serving over 1.45 million residents in the local authority areas of Bournemouth, Dorset, Poole, Swindon and Wiltshire.
The combination journey started in December 2013, when the two constituent Fire Authorities agreed to develop a business case for joining forces. Following consultation with staff, the public and stakeholders in the summer of 2014, both Authorities met in November 2014 and agreed unanimously to combine.
Amongst the communication challenges over this time were:
- Maintaining status quo for both Dorset FRS and Wiltshire FRS until 31 March 2016.
- Keeping staff informed and engaged throughout the process – achieved through monthly newsletters, a dedicated staff information website, regular briefings for staff and managers, CFO video messages and station visits.
- Keeping partners and external stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the process – achieved through attendances at community and local authority meetings, regular website updates, media releases and targeted letters from the CFO.
- Developing a new website to go live on 1 April 2016, retaining the best content from the old websites but also having a fresh new look to reflect the new branding.
- Rolling out the new branding onto all fleet, all premises, new uniforms, ID cards and stationery – staff had a significant influence on the chosen brand and also uniforms, following an extensive staff survey.
- Changing existing social media accounts to reflect the new Service
- Developing new internal communications, based on the findings of a staff survey, with a new monthly e-magazine due to launch in July (staff have been asked to suggest names).
And we made it! The new Service boasts a new media and communications team, with investment made in additional staff and a wider remit. We are:
- Vikki Shearing – Head of Information and Communications
- Louise Knox – Media and Communications Manager
- Emily Cheeseman – Senior Communications Officer
- Jackie Greene – Media Administrator (Events)
- To be appointed – Media Administrator (Digital)
You can contact any of us by email – firstname.surname@dwfire.org.ukOur new communications channels are:
- Website – www.dwfire.org.uk
- Facebook – www.facebook.com/DWFire
- Twitter – www.twitter.com/DWFireRescue or @DWFireRescue