Posting Fire Pages to Twitter

[gfdfortynine]

Some here have been using a service called Posterous to update Twitter and Facebook pages which contain all their stations fire pages. This service is being discontinued so I have found free alternative sites.
I host both numeric and voice paging services so I have come up with a solution for both.

Voice Paging
I use TTD V57a to send the pages to a service call Audioboo. Audioboo then posts a link to the audio file to my twitter page. One note; the email link which is used to auto post mp3 to audioboo, must be the first email address in your TTD, mp3 address line.

Numeric Paging
I use PDW to send the text to Word Press which then auto posts to twitter.

I wanted to add the main reason I us twitter to host fire pages is because it is very easy to manage who receives the pages. The twitter account is restricted only to the followers I allow. They request to follow, I allow if they are a member of that fire dept. No emails phone numbers etc to keep track of. Also twitter can be set up to send a text message to your phone when a new tweet (fire page) arrives. I am finding its almost as fast as email.

[W5JER]

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

[ve3nsv]

I'm using TTD V58b and my alerts aren't going through. I'm assuming it's because I'm using the Bcc option since it works if I email directly.

Originally Posted by gfdfortynine

Some here have been using a service called Posterous to update Twitter and Facebook pages which contain all their stations fire pages. This service is being discontinued so I have found free alternative sites.
I host both numeric and voice paging services so I have come up with a solution for both.

Voice Paging
I use TTD V57a to send the pages to a service call Audioboo. Audioboo then posts a link to the audio file to my twitter page. One note; the email link which is used to auto post mp3 to audioboo, must be the first email address in your TTD, mp3 address line.

Numeric Paging
I use PDW to send the text to Word Press which then auto posts to twitter.

I wanted to add the main reason I us twitter to host fire pages is because it is very easy to manage who receives the pages. The twitter account is restricted only to the followers I allow. They request to follow, I allow if they are a member of that fire dept. No emails phone numbers etc to keep track of. Also twitter can be set up to send a text message to your phone when a new tweet (fire page) arrives. I am finding its almost as fast as email.

[cavmedic]

I do the same thing from PDW to our Companies member only Facebook Page. No audio thought, just the alpha.

[gfdfortynine]

Originally Posted by ve3nsv

I'm using TTD V58b and my alerts aren't going through. I'm assuming it's because I'm using the Bcc option since it works if I email directly.

I also found it wouldn't work with the Bcc option. The only way I could get it to post to audioboo is it being the first address in the line.
Maybe you could run a separate instance of TTD just for audioboo if you want Bcc for your other recipients.

[ve3nsv]

Hey I never thought of that! I will try it and report back.

Originally Posted by gfdfortynine

I also found it wouldn't work with the Bcc option. The only way I could get it to post to audioboo is it being the first address in the line.
Maybe you could run a separate instance of TTD just for audioboo if you want Bcc for your other recipients.

[ajalbarano]

Where do you find the email address that you use to have the audio pages posted on your boos page? I can't find it for the life of me!

[gfdfortynine]

Originally Posted by ajalbarano

Where do you find the email address that you use to have the audio pages posted on your boos page? I can't find it for the life of me!

Here you go, took me some time to find also.

FAQ: App versions / Publishing Boos / Knowledge Base - Audioboo Support

How do I use Boomail?
All you have to do is send a blank email to boomail@audioboo.fm and follow the instructions on the reply you receive back, which include a link to connect it with your audioboo account.
You get your own email adress (it’s quite an ugly one so we include a vCard for you to add to your address book. Then simply use the Subject line as your title, attach audio and an image and type any tags you might want to use.

[jpryor]

Thank you for the Audioboo recommendation for emailing TwoToneDetect mp3s and posting to twitter. Have been looking for a posterous replacement since losing that service. Tumlbr had not been working with direct emails via TTD, but looks like should be good with Audioboo.

Email Audioboo at boomail@audioboo.fm and they will echo back with an address to send and link to your account. See Audioboo for further.

So looks like my Toledo Fire Alerts (@toledoohfire_ap) twitter account is back in service. Now if I could just get better reception and decoding.

I am also experimenting with simulcasting all of the Toledo Fire Dispatch traffic via Zello on the "Toledo Fire Dispatch" channel.

[ajalbarano]

Thanks! Got it!

[ve3nsv]

My Twitter feed is also up thanks to Audioboo at http://twitter.com/OntarioFirePage.

[gfdfortynine]

Originally Posted by ve3nsv

My Twitter feed is also up thanks to Audioboo at http://twitter.com/OntarioFirePage.

Thanks for the idea... I just added our township stations to my FD Twitter page. One stop shop

[silfam1]

I have made an acct with Audioboo and forward it to our twitter acct. now does Twitter automatically send it to our followers or do you have to retweet it? I am waiting for a dispatch to test it out.

[gfdfortynine]

Originally Posted by silfam1

I have made an acct with Audioboo and forward it to our twitter acct. now does Twitter automatically send it to our followers or do you have to retweet it? I am waiting for a dispatch to test it out.

It will be posted on the twitter page and your followers will see the new tweet automatically.
Some on my dept have the paging twitter account linked to their cell phones which means they receive a text message of the new update also.

[silfam1]

Great thanks

[MikeOxlong]

Just a heads up for anybody left on Posterous. It appears they're having technical problems with their email to twitter gateway or they've just shut it down without warning.

Audioboo looks promising but I'm currently having problems with it. I get a message saying my Boo has been received and the servers are processing it. Nothing ever appears on twitter. I do have my twitter account linked so I'm not sure why it's taking so long.

I've turned off BCC: and audioboo is the first email receipient.

Any suggestions?

[MikeOxlong]

Figured it out.

Once you've got boomail setup, you must link it to your Audioboo account.