Marfa Public Radio, KRTS, is the little nonprofit that could. This public, listener-supported radio station in West Texas, with only three staff members, carried their community through the largest wildfire in Texas history.
The Rock House Fire began on April 9 and ran through May 13th. Shortly after the fire began, KRTS lost power to their terrestrial signal. In the middle of the process of purchasing a backup generator, thanks to a federal grant, the station turned to the next available medium to continue the broadcast: their website and social media outlets.
The KRTS Facebook page soon became a hotbed of crowd-sourced reporting on the fires. Staff from the radio station pulled all-nighters to ensure that official information and reports were released to the public while the community pitched in, posting photos, updates, and other information as the fire moved further into the community.
Official announcements via KRTS Facebook feed
As it became a virtual community center, KRTS not only made official announcements about the progression of the fire and evacuation plans, but became a place where individuals started asking after loved ones, who would call into the station to verify that they were ok.
Community members and loved ones used the Facebook page to find each other.
Meanwhile, community members continued to use the online space to share photos of the growing fires:
Crowd sourced photos of the blaze.
They also offered up shelter and respite for loved ones and animals:
More community announcements via the KRTS wall
The station answered questions on how to donate food and other supplies for firefighters, and even put together an audio report that they could pass on to other local radio stations upon listener request.
Working together to get more information out to the public.
The station became so central to wildfire relief efforts that the Marfa Fire Chief, Gary Mitschke, instructed the community to call KRTS to verify fires as they were spotted.
It wasn’t just about having social technology available for the community, but about how KRTS set to work using those tools, immediately setting the tone through their posts and quick responses that they were available to help inform and protect their listeners. The station created a sense of community and security for a town that was in the midst of losing historic buildings and their own homes.
The simple reassurance of the constant posts created a foundation in the virtual space for others to gather on, encouraging them to post their own updates, requests for information, and offers of help.
KRTS was quick to listen and engage with those posting, keeping posts relevant, timely, and helpful. This simple strategy became invaluable in a time of crisis and in turn, proved the listener-supported station is a vital resource.
As a result, the annual membership drive for the station, set to take place during the wildfires, turned out to be their most successful ever, raising upwards of $85,000.
We'd like to extened to the staff at KRTS our thanks and congratulations for their fantastic work.