A former fire department spokesman violated county social media policy by using his Twitter account to tweet Bible verses from what appears to be an official county account, according to a Gazette report.
The paper reported that former Assistant Chief Scott Graham, who served as the official spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, has been asked by the county to change his Twitter handle, @MCFirePIO, so the public and media don’t think he’s acting in an official capacity. As of Wednesday morning, the account’s handle remained @MCFirePIO. The acronym PIO, often used in media circles, means public information officer.
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Recent tweets on Graham’s account include a picture of a volunteer firefighter training on March 29 and information about a flash-flood warning, but also tweets like this one on Feb. 27: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” The account’s bio reads: “Scott Graham served MCFRS for 25½ years” and includes his personal email address.
County government spokesman Patrick Lacefield said Wednesday morning that Graham retired from his position on Jan. 31. It doesn’t appear that Graham posted anything of a religious nature before that date, instead sticking to fire department-related information as the official spokesperson for the department.
Graham told the Gazette that he created the feed as a personal account after he saw a need for one, and contends that despite using it to report fire info, it’s not a county account. He maintained his right to use the account, saying, “This is a First Amendment thing,” according to the paper, and he said he accidentally posted the church related tweets.
