The Danville Fire Department is now making news releases regarding fires, fire prevention and emergency management available to the public. Citizens must subscribe to this service. The subscription is free.
The department will provide the news releases through the city’s “News Flash” service, which is a web application that sends an email and text message when a news release is available.
“The Danville Fire Department is committed to the safety of all citizens living in and traveling through our city,” Fire Chief David Eagle said. “A major component of providing that safety is a well-informed public.”
Before now, the department issued news releases through an email distribution list that was primarily composed of media outlets. With “News Flash,” citizens who sign up will be notified at the same time as the media that the department has issued a news release.
“The local media do a fine job of helping us get information to the public, and we have been fortunate in that regard,” Eagle said. “However, we would be remiss if we did not take advantage of the technology that is available today.”
For three consecutive years, the city of Danville has ranked in a national survey as one of the top cities for use of technology in municipal government. For two consecutive years, the city’s website – www.danville-va.gov – has been named among the country’s best city web portals, placing in the Top 10.
The Fire Department will post all news releases to the city’s website. “News Flash” subscribers will receive an email notification when the fire department posts a news release. The email will provide a link to the news release.
Subscribers also may choose to receive a text message when the department posts a news release.
To subscribe, citizens must go to the city’s website – www.danville-va.gov – and click on the “Notify Me” bar on the right rail of the homepage. They will be directed to a page where they will type their email address in a box provided and then select “Sign In.”
Once signed in, find the “Danville, VA Emergency Management Media Releases” and “Danville, VA Fire Department Media Releases” list names in the “News Flash” category, and then choose the method of notification – email or text or both – by clicking on one or both boxes located to the left of the list name(s).
After selecting the method, they will receive a confirmation email or text message. Open the email or text message, and then follow the instructions to confirm your subscription. This step must be followed to confirm the subscription before receiving notifications of news releases posted.
With the addition of emergency management and fire department news releases, “News Flash” now provides six different news subscriber lists. The other four are general local government news and announcements, police activity reports, Police Department news, and Utilities Department news.
If any citizen already is a subscriber to one or more of these lists, then they only need to “sign in” and manage their subscriptions.
Citizens who have questions about the subscription process should contact Public Information Officer Arnold Hendrix at hendrag@ci.danville.va.us or (434) 857-3331.