I knew the Los Angeles Fire Department was using Twitter but I about fell out of my chair reading this. Brian Humphrey of the LAFD:
“We can no longer afford to work at the speed of government,” he said. “We have responsibilities to the public to move the information as quickly as possible … so that they can make key decisions.”
“The idea for us is that not everyone who is in need of information in times of distress will be sitting in front of a computer,” Humphrey said.
And then … get this:
Humphrey advises other government agencies testing the waters of Web 2.0 not to fall into a common misconception about the technology: That it will allow an organization’s voice to be heard louder, more clearly and over a greater distance.
Instead, “having this Web 2.0 presence … allows us to listen more clearly and more accurately over a greater area,” he said. “It is all about getting much more feedback [from the public].”
YES – it allows you to listen more clearly! Wow! This guy so gets it.
Remember Typhoon Milenyo? And the power outages? People need information when the power is out and how better to receive it here in the Philippines than over our cell phones. I tried to put a bug in Meralco’s ear last year. Wouldn’t it be great if one of the utilities here actually implemented something along these lines. Almost all of them are bigger than the LAFD – they CAN do it.
And the payback to the utility is that it puts them in closer touch with their customers. If you don’t think that’s valuable, wait till your next rate case.
2 Comments
sure its a great thing. the trouble is, it will have to go through the ERC and the meralco board (which is manned by some government officials). this will fall under new operating expenses, something that rarely get approval. if this is, say a repair of a pole, this is approved as of yesterday. but new projects that need new equipment? dont hold your breath. new equipment means new rate base which also means new rate increases, etc etc.
Heh! Interesting perspective from an insider, Robbie. Maybe I should have said “I hope a Board member reads this.”