U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Fire 

Social Media Guidelines for Wildland Firefighters

It is a fact of the internet that every click, every view 

and every sign-up is recorded somewhere. Depending 

on your view, this is either very creepy or fantastically 

interesting. Social media has amazing uses; it enables 

firefighters to express a thought or opinion or share an 

experience at almost any time, from any location. 

The capability can be very positive for the fire and 

aviation community. For example, new technologies 

can be used to provide documentation for accidents or 

provide helpful information to investigation or review 

teams. Social media provides an instant medium for 

messages and education. We can also use it to share 

with family, friends, or national audiences. 

On the flip side, there have been instances of video 

or photographs taken in unsafe, unprofessional or 

embarrassing circumstances. When that happens, 

it reflects poorly on the entire fire and aviation 

community. 

BLM managers and supervisors don’t want to police 

video and photo postings. They’d rather approach it in 

terms of “doing what’s right” and allow employees to 

use their own judgment about what is appropriate and 

what is not; and trust them to know the difference. 

This simple social media guide may help firefighters 

make decisions when it comes to posting on their 

personal social media accounts, because it’s not always 

easy to discern the difference between appropriate and 

inappropriate. 

Always Maintain Situational Awareness 

Firefighters are, of course, one of the best sources 

for fireline photos. Some of the most-liked images 

posted on BLM social media platforms come from 

firefighters; however, it only takes a split second to 

forget your situational awareness. Although firefighters 

are always safety-oriented, please don’t forget to pay 

attention to your safety while you’re snapping images 

or shooting video on the fireline. A firefighter who is 

concentrating on a camera can’t be looking up, looking 

down and looking all around. 

Ponder Before You Post 

If you are going to post anything work-related on your 

personal social media platforms, it’s a good idea to 

read through the Department of Interior’s Social Media 

Policy. The policy provides good tips and guidance 

for all DOI employees. For example, the policy states 

that you should not use a photo of yourself in official 

uniform as your profile picture and you shouldn’t use 

your official title in posts or comments.

The DOI Social Media Policy can be found at: 

https://www.doi.gov/notices/Social-Media-Policy 
BLM Fire

Social Media Guidelines for Wildland Firefighters

Check It Before You Wreck It 

Before you post a photo or video, take a minute 

to think about the content. Does the photo or 

video involve firefighters without proper PPE? 

Does the photo or video portray something that 

could embarrass you or your crew? If we pause 

long enough to reflect on whether the content is 

inappropriate, we can avoid posting something that 

could have negative effects on firefighters or the 

firefighting community. Once a video goes viral, it’s 

out there and not much can be done to take it back. 

An unprofessional or unsafe activity will have a shelf 

life of years and may result in a disciplinary action. 

Avoid Unwanted Surprises 

If you do share work-related information on your 

personal social media, make sure it’s information 

that is already available to the public. 

For example, posting photos or information about 

homes that have just burned may create a horribly 

unwanted surprise for homeowners who have not 

been notified that their homes have been affected. 

It’s always a good idea to pause and think about 

whether the information you’re about to post is 

already public knowledge. 

Compensation for Your Creation? 

Questions about compensation or photo rights come 

up quite a bit. Although your fireline images may 

be unique and amazing, the U.S. government owns 

all copyrights photos and videos if they are taken 

while you are being paid as a federal employee. You 

are free to snap appropriate photos or shoot suitable 

videos and to share them with family, friends or 

firefighters, but you’re not permitted to sell them or 

copyright them. 

Questions? 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact 

your local public affairs specialist or call the 

National Interagency Fire Center’s Office of 

External Affairs: 208-387-5050.

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