As many of you are aware, we have worked hard over the last few years growing our social media and resource pages. We typically post area related traffic issues, missing and wanted persons, scam alerts, suspicious activity and crisis notifications.
Getting information out to a large population is challenging as everyone has their own computer limits. Some folks can surf a website, some use social media and some do not. Relying on off the shelf public solutions such as Facebook and Twitter limits us as we cannot control when our information pops up on your screen. Some folks don't own a computer.
In designing our method of delivery we have to look at getting real time accurate information over multiple methods in the quickest amount of time. Here is how we do it:
Our Police News and Emergency Notification Page which you are reading now automatically feeds to the police page of the Town Website. That website if listed below:
Getting information out to a large population is challenging as everyone has their own computer limits. Some folks can surf a website, some use social media and some do not. Relying on off the shelf public solutions such as Facebook and Twitter limits us as we cannot control when our information pops up on your screen. Some folks don't own a computer.
In designing our method of delivery we have to look at getting real time accurate information over multiple methods in the quickest amount of time. Here is how we do it:
Our Police News and Emergency Notification Page which you are reading now automatically feeds to the police page of the Town Website. That website if listed below:
You can also access the blog directly by using this link:
We maintain a facebook presence at the below address:
Lastly we also use Twitter which can be located here:
We also have a mobile app which works on both the Android and IPhone. The benefit of the mobile app is that we can control and make sure that Emergency Notifications go to your phone as soon as we press the Send button. The alert shows up on the main screen of your phone. Below are the download links:
For folks without computers or cellphones, in a critical emergency we use the Reverse 911 system to place recorded phone calls to your home. If you are not a Fairpoint Customer, you must register your phone number with the State of New Hampshire to receive these calls. The link to Register is listed below:
Over the last several years, the Social Media and Emergency alerts have been handled by one person 24 hours a day seven days a week. If that person was off duty, a text would be sent, often a police radio turned on and real time information would be put out to the public, most times uncompensated.
We are in the process of installing computers in our police cars that have web access. For this reason we are changing our delivery method and creating the ability for Officers to send critical information to the public from their police cars. Each officer will be given authorization to our Police News and Emergency Notification page. Here they can type information and insert any photos or videos necessary. It is simple to use and similar to a Microsoft Word Page.
The Officer will then have access to a mobile app which will allow them to log in and send this page as a Push Notification to our Mobile App and intern through the APP send the same information to our Facebook and Twitter Accounts. So with a few button pushes our information goes to the Town Website, Blog Page, Facebook Account, Twitter Account and Android Phones and Iphones with our Mobile App Installed.
During critical events our users often share information which is put out which generally results in a reach of 25,000 to 100,000 users. This is pretty good considering we are a population of about 1800 fulltime users.
In closing, our social media programs are not monitored 24 hours a day. The best way to reach us in an emergency is through dispatch at 473-8288 or in an emergency 911. We do not accept reports via social media.
The best way to receive immediate information is to install our mobile app on your phone as that notification gets to you immediately. In the mobile app there is also a scanner link where you can actually listen to what is going on.
During a critical event, our purpose in posting is to get information out. We don't constantly monitor the social media programs at events until such time as we need to put updated information out. For this reason, comments do not get to us during critical events.
Our Agency features one of the most robust Social Media and Emergency Notification Programs in the Country. We are proud to have bragging rights to be the First Agency in the State of New Hampshire to create a Mobile Application. All programming has been done in house at no cost to the taxpayer.
We are always looking for ways to improve so if you have some, feel free to contact me at tbrown@middletonnh.gov
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