California Professional Firefighters

CPF Affiliates Use Social Media to Keep Members Informed

UFLAC.org includes a map with every Los Angeles City fire station and an icon for those with reduced staffing.
There was a time when "social media" was a wedding video or a paragraph in the newspaper's "Society" page. No more. Thanks to the Web, anyone with an Internet connection or a cell phone has the power to become a correspondent in a vast instant communications network.

In a business where seconds count, it's not surprising that firefighters are on the cutting edge of this new technology. CPF and its local affiliates have used these new media outlets to bring firefighters and their issues directly to members and the public alike.

Fighting Back With Technology

Most local firefighters unions have been on the Web for some time. But several locals have taken their online presence to the next level, using online communications to keep members and the public informed about important issues ... especially those affecting public safety resources.

  • Alameda City - In their battle over station closures and brownouts, Alameda City has built a dedicated Web site - www.savealamedafirehouses.com -- as a clearinghouse of information. Their pages on social networking sites Facebook and MySpace have allowed them to distribute media releases and mobilize public support.
  • United Firefighters of Los Angeles City - Locked in a high-profile struggle over station brownouts, LA City has turned to the power of GoogleMaps. A special insert on their Web page - www.uflac.org -- displays a map with every LA City fire station, and a special icon on those with reduced staffing that week. Citizens who want to know which station is affected can enter their address and get a close-up view, along with the name and contact information for their local council member.
  • San Diego Firefighters - For Local 145, the Web has become a valuable image-building tool. Their "Friends of San Diego Firefighters" Facebook page displays photos from their community service activities, training information and links to important department safety updates. And Local 145 has a dedicated page - sandiegofirefacts.com- that is a clearinghouse for information about the department, its services, and its funding challenges.
We want to hear from you!

If your local is doing something interesting to communicate - whether it's incident communications, public relations or spreading your labor message - drop us a line and let us know -info@cpf.org.

CPF on the Web

As one of the first fire service organizations to have a Web presence, California Professional Firefighters is on ...

• Facebook - Official CPF page features links to latest news, videos, photos and incident updates. Access page through www.cpf.org, or log in to www.facebook.com and search "California Professional Firefighters".

• Twitter - Accessed either by computer or through text message. Quick updates on latest news, with links, etc.http://twitter.com/CAFirefighters

• YouTube - Dedicated channels feature CPF videos, as well as those from the California Firefighters Memorial and the CFFJAC. http://www.youtube.com/user/caproffirefighters, http://www.youtube.com/user/CFFJAC

• www.cpf.org -- Still your central source of information on all things relating to firefighters and their families. Our "Find it Here" section on the CPF home page takes you to locations of greatest interest and links to other CPF locals. You can also link up with other CPF affiliated sites (www.cffjac.org; www.cafirefoundation.org; www.ffprint.org; www.firestarproductions.org).