“There are almost 100,000 people following CFA on Facebook and they can now receive official warnings and information through this social media platform,” CFA Digital Media Manager Martin Anderson said.
“These warnings can already be viewed through the new CFA FireReady smartphone application - which is available for download - and via the CFA Twitter account.”
Warnings issued by CFA and DSE are categorised into three levels - Advice, Watch & Act and Emergency Warning.
“All warnings are posted on the CFA and DSE websites. You can also receive information by phoning the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667 or by listening to ABC Local Radio or other designated emergency broadcasters,” Mr Anderson said.
“In addition to this, official warnings and incident updates will now be available via Facebook (facebook.com/cfavic) and Twitter (twitter.com/cfa_updates). This is just another way of providing critical, emergency information to Victorian communities.”
Mr Anderson said CFA has used social media to engage with the community on fire safety issues for the past few years and its use by Queensland Police during the 2010-11 floods proved how effective it can be for communicating with the public during emergencies.
“This is not replacing the ways in which we already communicate with people – it’s just ensuring that we are using a variety of methods to get information out quickly and to a wide range of people,” he said.
“Improvements made to the fire services’ warnings systems are part of recommendations made by the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.
“CFA’s mission is to protect lives and property, and providing timely and accurate information to Victorian communities is a critical part of that mission.”
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