Page 4, Fire News, February 2014
FireNews.com
From the Editor’s Desk Dennis Whittam, Editor
The Two Sides of Social Media Whether or nor you like it, social media is here to stay. For those that may not know it, social media sites are where people interact with one another freely, share and discuss information about each other and their lives using a mix of personal words, pictures, videos and audio. There are lots of well-known sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and many others. I use Facebook to share my photos, let my friends know about important events and to let them know what is coming up in the next edition of Fire News. The Fire News Facebook page is liked by over 40,000 fans. Our purpose is to remind our readers of events that are happening in the fire service. We share photos and brief stories that we will be covering at length in our next paper. We thank the people who are working hard to make their department look good. What can be bad with this? Social media is a wonderful tool, but it needs to be continuously monitored for inappropriate posts. Unfortunately, the risk of misinterpretation presents problems. Occasionally, someone will twist a post or misinterpret a photograph and offer negative comment that now provokes a firestorm of comments that occasionally gets out of hand. We must remember that what you write could be viewed as a slanderous comment if you
make a comment or statement that is not true. The answer to preventing this from happening is simple. Send a private message to the person who makes a statement you do not agree with and offer your feelings. Posting controversial or antagonistic statements creates problems for everyone. This is why departments and even your jobs are creating social media policies that could result in termination if your posts are deemed inappropriate. A new job interview question that comes up from time to time refers to your social media sites. Can you open your social media page and share it with the person who is interviewing you? Don't put yourself in a bad situation. Keep things positive and use social media for what it was intended to be used for. And remember, even if you delete a post, it is still floating in cyberspace and can come back to haunt you at a future date. As for Fire News, we enjoy utilizing this tool. It is an extension of our purpose which is to promote the fire rescue and emergency services in a positive light. Keep up the good work and offer positive comments that make all responders proud of the job they work so hard at to keep our communities safe. Dennis
19 SHOWS
WITH BONUS DISTRIBUTION JANUARY Issue
FDSOA - Lake Buena Vista, FL
FEBRUARY Issue
Lt. Andy Fredericks Memorial Seminar - Tarrytown, NY
MARCH Issue
LI Fire & EMS Mega Show - Uniondale, NY EMS Today - Washington, DC
❏ $39 ONE YEAR
❏ NEW ❏ RENEWAL
(12 issues)
plus $10.00 for out of state
❏ NEW YORK STATE ❏ LONG ISLAND ❏ NEW JERSEY
❏ $69 TWO YEARS (24 ISSUES)
plus $20.00 for out of state
❏ $89 THREE YEARS (36 ISSUES)
plus $30.00 for out of state
Outside US call for prices.
MAIL TO:
Accepted
Fire News · 146 South Country Rd. · Bellport · NY 11713 Name _________________________________________ Address ________________________________________ City ___________________________________________ State____________________________Zip ___ Phone # (_____) _________________________________ E-mail __________________________________________ Credit Card No: ______-______-______-______ Exp. __________ V -Code (3 digit code from back of card) ____________
Call 631-776-0500 Ext. 1 Fax 631-286-6866
MAY Issue
FDIC - Indianapolis, IN West Patterson Fire Show - Paterson, NJ CFSI Annual Dinner, DC
JUNE Issue
Harrisburg Fire Expo - Harrisburg, PA
JULY Issue
NYS Fire Chiefs - Turning Stone, NY Maryland State Firemen’s Convention - Ocean City, MD Delaware Fire Chiefs Expo New England Fire Chiefs - Springfield, MA
AUGUST Issue
FireHouse Expo - Baltimore, MD
SEPTEMBER Issue
IAFC - Chicago, IL FASNY - Albany, NY Delaware Volunteer Firefighter’s Conference - Dover, DE
OCTOBER Issue
NJ State Firemen’s Convention - Wildwood, NJ
NOVEMBER Issue
NYS Fire Districts - Ellenville, NY International Conference for Fire & Rescue Executives Boston, MA
* Trade Show Calendar Subject to Change