An app billed as Facebook for firefighters has landed first place at the Digital Canberra Challenge awards on Friday.

Three72 Digital's app, ESA Workforce Connect, links in the ACT Emergency Service Agency's 2500 personnel to internal communications while providing real-time statistics to senior executives.

The Fyshwick agency went head-to-head with fellow Canberra company Rollercoaster Digital, who created an app to help tourists understand and interact with the ACT's heritage sites. 

Ben Brillante, Three72 Digital's creative director, is hoping the app will be rolled out across several government directorates. 

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"At the moment, there isn't anything like it," Mr Brillante said.

"Currently staff can't access anything like this outside the office intranet."

Rollercoaster Digital's app, dubbed 'Walter' after Sir Walter Burley Griffin, encourages visitors to learn more about Canberra's icons, and to add their own personal stories. 

The creator of the winning app scored a $12,500 cash prize. 

ESA Commissioner Dominic Lane said the organisation will trial the app for 12 months. 

"The ESA is going through important reforms ensuring we're a sustainable organisation that's serving the needs of the community and representative of a workforce in terms of diversity, capability and our ability to response to incidents.

"Through tools like this particular mobile app we will be able to make sure we can continue to do that even better into the future.

"At this time of change it's important that we can communicate with our staff as to what's going on, not just in terms of messaging but to receive feedback as well in terms of where we're taking the organisation."