Sioux Falls Fire Rescue finds global audience on TikTok

Jodi Schwan

November 8, 2021

It all started with a video about a kitten stuck in a tree.

In less than 15 seconds, there’s the graphic:

Dispatch: Caller says there is a kitten stuck in a tree.

It’s followed by quick video of members of Sioux Falls Fire Rescue hauling cat food, dangling fake mice and swinging a cat toy.

The first time the department posted it to TikTok, “it didn’t blow up,” said Kieran Tate, a communications and marketing coordinator for the city of Sioux Falls, who works with the department.

“And I was like, OK, well, this is really funny. And I know it’s good content. So we posted it again, and that’s when it was crazy.”

The clip, posted less than a year ago, has been watched 3.4 million times and generated nearly 750,000 “likes” on TikTok, making it one of several viral videos produced by Sioux Falls Fire Rescue on an account that has gained the department worldwide popularity.

@siouxfallsfirerescueReposting this video but it didn’t get the hype it deserved🤷🏽‍♀️♬ original sound – Sioux Falls Fire Rescue

Tate decided to try TikTok as part of the fire department’s social media strategy a few years ago.

“We’re totally missing out on that younger demographic we’re looking for, especially when it comes to recruiting and safety messages,” she said. “So that was the whole idea: How can we engage with that group?”

As it turns out, a lot of people want to engage with Sioux Falls Fire Rescue on TikTok. The department has more than 181,000 followers on the platform, with multiple videos watched more than 1 million times.

“It’s all about engaging the public and meeting people where they’re at,” said Fire Chief Matt McAreavey.

“We need to serve the entire demographic of Sioux Falls.”

The idea is to balance entertaining videos with educational ones.

So while a Miley Cyrus-inspired lip-sync drew 2 million views, the idea is to draw in viewers when the department posts about doing post such as trench rescue training.

“My generation doesn’t necessarily understand, but when you do the training and look at generations, you get a short snippet to gain attention and perspective,” McAreavey said. “So you have to be on there and on the edge of excitement to capture that attention.”

An effective attention-getter for the department takes the form of a puppet. Frank the Firefighter generally is used in fire safety puppet shows for local elementary students, but he has gone digital in recent years too. The puppet shows now are done through livestreaming into schools, which allows for education outside of Sioux Falls, and Frank is a frequent star of the department’s TikTok videos.

“A lot of our followers love him,” Tate said. “Whenever he’s hiding in the back of a video, that’s the thing people love.”

While some members of Sioux Falls Fire Rescue admittedly are more into appearing on social media, fire apparatus operator Mark Olsen ran with it when asked to don a mop as a wig and lip-sync to the Miley Cyrus song “He Could Be the One” while his crew jammed in the background of Central Fire Station.

“We have fun. We laugh at ourselves. We have a little flair for the dramatic. It reaches people we don’t normally reach. It’s an opportunity to make them laugh, and then they can see that video of us training or teaching or doing community service,” he said. “I went to a family reunion a week later and everybody said, ‘I saw your TikTok.’ I’ve had lots of 10-minute conversations about TikTok. It’s funny how many people wanted to know my hair game.”

@siouxfallsfirerescueWe’re baaaack! Sioux Falls Fire Rescue edition #fyp #firefighter #hannahmontana♬ He Could Be The One – Tristen🧃

The big goal, though, is to make at least some viewers want to learn more about Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. And there’s some evidence to suggest that might be working.

The department hasn’t had an entry test since the spring of 2020, and the TikTok account took off after that, “but I definitely think there’s been impact in the community,” McAreavey said.

For instance, several new firefighters going through training were following the TikTok account before they joined the department.

“And we had one who had all these crazy awesome ideas,” Tate said. “It’s just fun to see that demographic start to turn a bit.”

All involved in the account are quick to point out that the fire crews are available to respond to emergencies at all times.

“There’s no shutting anyone down. We’re ready to go,” Olsen said. “It’s usually just a quick break from our day. It’s not like we’re spending hours in production. It’s like 15 minutes.”

Meanwhile, Tate has a list of ideas ready to go as time allows.

“I think TikTok is such an amazing place for something like this to take off right now,” she said. “My favorite part about the whole thing is commenting back to people because they just love it.”

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