Case Study: Azusa Police Department achieves lifesaving emergency outreach with Hootsuite

Azusa Police Department used Hootsuite to communicate during an emergency response

The Azusa Police Department, a 63‑officer force outside Los Angeles, launched a social media program on January 1, 2014 under Officer Mike Bires. Just 15 days later the Colby Fire erupted, forcing mandatory evacuations and threatening the 46,000‑person community — creating an urgent need to keep residents informed, calm and out of harm’s way while reducing overload on 911 dispatchers.

Using Hootsuite to manage multiple accounts from one dashboard, the team scheduled posts, monitored #ColbyFire and responded across channels in real time. Over the three‑day response they sent 5,991 emails and 9,380 texts, reached an average of about 3,000 people per day and drove 10,000+ website visits; local and national outlets referenced their feeds. The effort reduced non‑emergency calls, enabled direct public–police communication, saved staff time and strengthened community trust.

Azusa Police Department

Mike Bires

Officer