Emergency Officials Open Social Media Accounts

Harford County emergency officials are looking at new ways to get out important information during storms or other hazards.

The department of emergency services announced on Wednesday officials have opened a Facebook page and a Twitter account to keep residents informed.

Emergency services Director Russell J. Strickland said in a statement the social media accounts will "help us deliver emergency preparedness and other public safety messages to the citizens of Harford County to help them be better prepared for storms, fires, chemical disasters or other significant incidents."

The Facebook page will share outreach material, preparedness tips and alerts, according to a release, while the Twitter page will largely be used for short alerts. The pages will not be monitored 24 hours a day.

Other county agencies and officials are already on social media, including Harford County government, Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association and County Executive David Craig.

You can also follow your local Patch sites on Twitter: Fallston Patch, Bel Air Patch, Aberdeen Patch, Havre de Grace Patch and Harford County Patch.

Or on Facebook: Fallston, Bel Air, Aberdeen and Havre de Grace.