Morning Lineup – May 13

The other day we looked at the San Ramon Fire Protection District’s innovative creation of a smartphone app that connects their citizens (and anybody else who is interested) directly with the FPD in various ways.  If you missed it, read our Lineup HERE where we showed you some of the ways they’re using it.

While checking out the FD’s story on their app development, I got to looking around their extensive and very innovative official website and I’m really impressed with their product.  Not only is it using web technology in a very tasteful way, but it is relevant to the information delivery and not just a “see what I can do” blast of technology.  You can see that the moment you enter their website.  It’s the creativeness that impresses me the most.  No standard list of little page topics in a box along the left edge of the site, but an active list of tabs that literally invite you to click and follow.  You’ll see what I mean when you try it out.

Besides the flash-and-dash dynamics of the site itself, what’s inside is even more innovative.  Just roll your cursor over the section tab you want to visit and then click on the semi-page that opens.  You will get complete descriptions and photographs of all the stations and apparatus along with the accreditations the department holds.  The dispatch tab will take you to links where you can listen to the live-stream of their dispatch radio channel and related links.  The tabs for Community Outreach and Recent Events are very well thought out and maintained.  And they keep the taxpayers informed about how their money is being spent in the Construction Projects section.

There is genuine dedication to the public’s education evidenced in both the Photo Gallery and Video Gallery sections.  I could go on and on with this, but it’s best if you take time and look through the website yourself.  Be aware that you might end up spending a fair amount of time looking at the work.  Interestingly, the website was put into service just 13 months ago in April 2009.  But it’s probably that fresh start that allowed them to be so innovative with it.  Somebody got in early and nailed down the champion of generic URL’s for their site: 

http://www.firedepartment.org/default.asp 

When the webpage craze first arrived several years ago, there was a big rush to get online and almost every FD, rescue squad, and even individual stations began posting “stuff” on their individual websites.  After a while,  the novelty wore off and contributors lost interest leaving a universe of stale web pages that nobody looks at anymore because they are never updated.  Some official department websites never had any repeat viewers in the first place because they were just plain awful.  No information or any other reason to look at them.

But forward-thinking agencies know the value of keeping their marque out in public, because if you can keep the taxpayer interested, informed, and proud of their local emergency agencies, then you get better cooperation and that includes funding as well as support.  I’d like to see more departments follow San Ramon’s lead and make their citizens excited over their work and accomplishments.

We’d better get  this equipment checked out now, so while you start on that I’ll go make a fresh pot.  See you in the day room in a little while.

Also on FireGeezer…

• Morning Lineup – January 31 – January 31, 2011