Fairfax County: There's an App for That

Want to stay connected to your local government? Fairfax County has released an app for iPhones, iPods and iPads that will make it easy to access county information on the go. The free app was released Thursday and is currently available on iTunes.

The first version of the app features nine sections:

1. Contact Us: One-touch calling of the county's main 703-FAIRFAX phone number, critical emergency phone numbers, libraries, parks, courts and by department/program.
2. Locations: Use the GPS features of your device to find the nearest library, park, community center, fire station, police station and government buildings.
3. Calendars: Browse upcoming public meetings, community events, tax deadlines and more.
4. NewsWire: Each business day, the Fairfax County NewsWire features the latest headlines from all county departments. Consult this central resource for the latest county news or sort by topic.
5. Alerts: Using mobile devices before, during and after emergencies has become critical. The county's new mobile emergency homepage is an optimized resource for the latest updates about major incidents or weather events that includes text/email alerts, social media updates, emergency RSS news feed, important phone numbers, seasonal preparedness information, recovery resources, mobile weather forecast, and links to key county, state and federal emergency agencies.
6. Social Media: Links to the mobile versions of all official county government social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and podcasts on iTunes. Residents can like or follow the county, watch a video, view pictures or listen to podcasts on iTunes through the county's social media efforts.
7. Transportation: Links to major transportation resources such as the Connector bus, Metro, VRE, bikes, pedestrians, Virginia Department of Transportation and more.
8. Supervisors: Quick access to our 10-member Board of Supervisors with links to mobile versions of their web pages, meeting schedule, agendas and more.
9. Search Site: Search the county's website for information or navigate through its mobile website: m.fairfaxcounty.gov.

The nine icons can be rearranged to your preferences. Most content can be sent via email or text message. The county is planning for more icons, information and features for the next version of the app, according to information about the app in iTunes, including mobile-friendly online services, enhanced mapping tools and more. The county notes it would like to hear your content ideas, too -- email the county at webcontent@fairfaxcounty.gov.

So far, mixed reviews on the app from two reviewers on the iTunes site. One said "good convenience" while another said: "A good start but no[t] quite there yet. This app is simply the county's website in a mobile format."