Kinnelon Considers Social Media for Community Messaging

The is considering turning to social media more to connect with residents. The mayor and council are looking into other municipalities’ success using Facebook and Twitter during major events.

Mayor Bob Collins brought up the idea at the council’s Nov. 17 meeting.

“We received a letter from county officials indicating social media was helpful during the storm,” Collins said, speaking about the October snowstorm that left hundreds of Kinnelon residents without power.

The borough does currently have a Twitter account (@kinnelonboro) but not a Facebook account, however, some Kinnelon organizations are on Facebook, including the Kinnelon Office of Emergency Management.

The does not have a Facebook page but communicates with the public using Nixle alerts, which send emails and text messages to subscribers, when they need to send emergency or community messages. About 900 residents are currently signed up but the mayor said he would like to see subscriptions increase.

Collins said the storm has him wondering if using social media could help police and emergency officials disseminate important information more quickly to residents.

“We had people calling dispatchers for information. With phones overwhelmed, we want to see if there’s a better way,” he said.

Collins said he would like the entire council’s assistance in reviewing different social media sites to see which would be appropriate for the borough. Collins said Monday he will be attending a county meeting later this week for elected officials to learn about the benefits of municipalities using social media.

Neighboring borough uses their Facebook page to inform followers of upcoming events, borough council meetings and special announcements. Additionally, council meetings are now video taped and posted in segments on the borough’s Facebook page.

"Utilizing social media is a great asset to our borough," said Bloomingdale Mayor Jon Dunleavy. "With the use of Facebook we were able to notify residents of any and all issues, from emergencies to communty events. It is an added tool to get out the borough's message."

"Our Facebook friends have grown and when one individual shares a story it is amazing how many views a particular story can get. The more residents we can notify by using social media, the better. I hope to utilize YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn in the upcoming year. The use of social media combined with our website and reverse 9-1-1, is a great way to communicate with the public."

Bloomingdale also uses the SWIFT 9-1-1 system which calls residents with emergency information if they are subscribed.

In Butler, the uses Facebook to distribute community messages, as well as the Nixle messaging system.

Below are a few ways tri-boro residents can connect with their communities through social media:

• Receive Nixle alerts from the Kinnelon Police Department or Butler Police Department by signing up at Nixle.com
• Receive SWIFT Reach 9-1-1 alerts from the Bloomingdale Police Department by signing up here
• Follow the Borough of Kinnelon on Twitter at KinnelonBoro here
• Read updated alerts from the Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Company (Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Co.) or Kinnelon Office of Emergency Management (Kinnelon OEM) on Facebook here
• Read updated alerts from the Butler Police Department (Butler Police Department) on Facebook here
• Read updated alerts from the Borough of Bloomingdale (Borough of Bloomingdale) on Facebook here