I think by this stage almost everyone has heard about the 'Bad Lieutenant' Twitter account that spouted 'inappropriate' tweets. The tweets were by Tim Dluhos - A 12 year veteran of FDNY. This has caused huge amounts of issues for him, FDNY and public relations. This article aims to give advice to emergency responders on 'how to stay safe on Twitter' without making judgements on previous issues.
Smart phones do not make you smart, in fact they are more likely to enable you to post something stupid in a moment of anger, weakness or frustration. Many subconsciously think that their twitter accounts are only read by followers people they tweet to. The old adage - 'Out of sight, out of mind' also comes into play. The above two statements could not be further from the truth once you post something on Twitter - it is available for the entire world to find, read and share.
'Ah sure I'll delete that post now - I realize I was wrong' isn't a reliable action either. Nowadays any Twitter user is able to take a screenshot - it's as easy as donning a pair of latex gloves.
Remember Twitter is a public space - If you wouldn't say what you are going to tweet to your boss, parent, coworker, child or partner then maybe think twice about posting it. Honestly think - 'Would I say this out loud to everyone I know, and be able to stand over it?'
Consider the context of people reading it - You have 140 characters to get your message across, think about it from someone else's view. Would they understand it's context? If the answer to that is no or maybe then maybe reword it or don't post it at all.
Have some 'Cohonas' - Use your real name and info - Don't hide behind the internet's perceived anonymity. If anything it will make you think twice about that 'risqué' joke or that offensive tweet about your boss.
Don't share everything - Be careful with the location setting on Tweets while on a turnout. Yes we all know you shouldn't be tweeting but while your waiting for backup, standing by at a 'jumper' or cleaning up after an MVC - you may be tempted to tweet in order to vent a feeling/thought you are having. In general just don't overshare info as media may be scanning twitter and your post could be up on the national news.
You're an ambassador - You represent your station, organization and profession - don't do anything to mess up the reputation of any of those. 'If in doubt, leave it out' as my mum would say.
Twitter is great but just like you follow 'best practice' in the job - follow it on Twitter.
Having an open and collaborative environment is one of the reasons we built Decisions [D4H] - Multi-Award Winning Emergency Response Team Software.
Written by Adam Scott, [D4H] Customer Success Dept, EMT & SAR Responder