Fire Department Asks New Yorkers Not To Tweet for Help

Your Facebook status won't do the trick, either

With New York City inundated by Hurricane Sandy-driven storm surge, heavy winds, and emergencies throughout town, the FDNY is pleading with people not to use Twitter to call for help.

"PLEASE NOTE: *Do not* tweet emergency calls. Please call 911. If it is not an emergency, please call 311," the FDNY tweeted at 9:32 p.m. ET as the massive storm roared through the city.

It's not that the fire department categorically won't respond to calls for assistance on Twitter, however. It just doesn't want New Yorkers thinking they can depend on the microblogging service for help from the FDNY. "Was helping when needed via Twitter," the FDNY tweeted to CNET this evening. "Just didn't want it to be seen as an alternative to 911/311, which is always best."