London Fire Department names new Public Information Officer

LONDON KY—The London Fire Department (LFD) has named Magen Zawko as their official Public Information Officer (PIO) and Administrative Assistant. Following five years as the London Police PIO, Zawko continues to provide a public voice for the City’s emergency services.

“Firefighters and police officers work in high-stress environments while everything they do is within the public eye. As a civilian looking from the inside out, I strive to provide our citizens with a more personal view of those in uniform while providing useful safety information for everyday life.” Zawko said.

Zawko continues to disseminate information for the London Police to the media and through social media outlets but has recently taken on the focus of the London Fire Department. As an experienced PIO, Zawko is able to learn more about all the facets of the City’s emergency services for a unified voice to the public.

Since 2019, London Fire Department Chief Carl Hacker has emphasized community education and departmental improvement. With the City making plans to expand, Chief Hacker wants to ensure the public is well informed of the safety programs available to them through the LFD as well as the quality of public service his firefighters will provide.

“Our fire department is 98-years-old and we’ve never had a designated individual to share our efforts with the public. She is a great asset and blessing and she will help positively impact the future.” Chief Hacker said.

Hacker stated that due to COVID-19, many things in the community have halted but the Department continues to provide child safety seat checks and work towards fire education efforts within the local schools. With Zawko’s involvement within county-wide coalitions, he said the Fire Department will now be able to have more interagency collaboration.

Zawko not only manages the City’s emergency services’ social media accounts, websites londonky.gov, londonpd.com, and londonky.gov; she is currently developing a city-wide app. The app will provide citizens and visitors a platform for local information and improve communication. This app will include real-time alerts about roadway closures, local event listings, city-focused news, city council updates, and a simple form for citizens to submit requests/information to city personnel.

Whether it’s through a press release, website, social media, or an app – Zawko says citizen engagement and public safety education is key for a city to thrive. For more information about the London Fire Department, visit londonkyfire.com or their Facebook page www.facebook.com/londonfiredept. For further questions about services the Department offers, call (606) 864-2922.