(Photos by Martin Jepkes.)
Promoting Your Fire Department (In Less Than Perfect Times)
FIRE PREVENTION
“Marketing” your department can give a big boost to your image and, in turn, to your education and prevention efforts. An audio/visual presentation is one way to do it.
FIRE DEPARTMENTS are finding themselves in difficult economic times. Agencies are forced to reduce costs, yet demands are made on upper management to increase productivity and service. Technological modernization creates the need for specialized teams, such as haz mat and high-angle rescue. Priorities are forced to change, and when they do, programs once very important to the department and to the public are often eliminated or severely reduced.
Morale within a department can fall as quickly as the budget axe, with the public’s confidence the next to drop. Civilians tend to take a dim view when their department cuts back on the service for which they pay taxes. Ask them for a mill levy to “maintain” services,
Does this sound familiar? Maybe your situation is not as drastic -hopefully, it’s not any worse. But if you’re like most departments, after the program cuts and service reductions have been made you’ll find a need to solicit help from the public.
The Aurora (CO) Fire Prevention Bureau had the traditional methods of public education on hand-a fire safety program for Fire Prevention Week and Sparky, the fire dog-but a group of eight firefighters thought the department, which had seen some budget cuts, needed something more to reach the civilians. Although appreciative of the bureau’s efforts, the firefighters knew that many opportunities to inform, educate, and improve the department’s image to the public were being missed. These firefighters took the matter into their own hands, and the results have been more than anyone expected.
The Public Relations Committee, with these firefighters and the help of Aurora Firefighters local 1290, was formed last September. Ninety-five percent of the department’s firefighters are union members, and support from the local came quickly.
The committee presented its ideas to Aurora Fire Chief John Speed. The next day he issued a memorandum to all personnel announcing his full support for the project and asking that all officers support it as well.
The first goal of the Public Relations Committee (PRC) was to increase public awareness and pride in the Aurora Fire Department. Ours is a department that protects more than 225,000 citizens and covers more than 120 square miles, including 17 miles of interstate highway. Last year, the department responded to more than 12,500 calls for help. A source of pride in the department was a recent user study conducted by the city. The survey showed a 98 percent satisfaction rate among the 10 percent of the city’s population that had used our services. We wanted to reach the other 90 percent of the city and instill in them that same sort of satisfaction.
PROMOTING YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT
Another goal was to destroy the myth of the firefighter as being an overweight, out-of-shape, cigar-smoking, checker-playing, high school dropout waiting for something to do!
The tool the PRC used to build this pride among the Aurora citizens was a slide show-but not like the one your uncle has of his vacation! The union gave the committee S12,000 from annual dues to develop a professionally produced audio/visual presentation. The slide show is computerized and complete with sound effects and music. As a way of showing support and confidence in Aurora’s business sector, a company in the city was chosen to develop the PRC’s ideas. The PRC also hired someone to train its members in public speaking, including introducing the show and fielding questions from the audience.
This 160-slide presentation, “Because Life Counts,” shows in an entertaining way what firefighters do, day in and day out-the things that are usually taken for granted. It also informs the public of some of the department’s sources of pride, such as its hazardous-materials team, one of the top teams in the nation. It presents firefighters as being human (something the public sometimes forgets) and tries to lower the veil of mystery as to what being a firefighter is about.
The final product reflected 150 hours of work on the slide show, and an additional 250 hours of work by the PRC. The effort included searching for photographs and taking additional photographs. We set up interviews with people who had used our services, asking them questions about the specific incident and their initial impression of the fire department. Grade school children were asked what they thought firefighters do. These interviews formed the basis of the show and provided unrehearsed narration.
The response from the public far exceeded all expectations. Happily, the PRC is finding many homeowner groups and civic organizations eager to view the presentation. From January through March, we’ve talked to 20 groups, and we’re scheduled through November to speak to about 45 more. Two members of the committee go to the meeting to show the slides and field any questions from the public. When asked what the department can do for the citizens, the response from the public is, “What can we do for you?”
Responses the PRC didn’t expect but are equally encouraging came from the department itself. Morale is on an upswing, even during these tough economic times. Firefighters are volunteering their free time to help. It is without a doubt turning into a department-wide effort.
The best the Public Relations Committee hoped for was to increase public awareness, but it got more than it bargained for.
