BY TOM KIURSKI
Taking the fire truck out to deliver fire safety information to a group of school children is a lot of fun. Going out and meeting residents as you deliver fire safety messages to adult groups in the community can also be gratifying. However, we should also explore reaching out to other segments of the community by writing fire and life safety articles in our municipal publications and community newsletters and newspapers (photos 1, 2). Although writing may not come naturally to many of us, let’s explore the many different outlets available to disseminate fire safety information.
Schools. School districts send newsletters and other communications to students’ parents and to the community at large. This is one good outlet to send our fire safety information to for delivery to its target audience. We can send full articles of several hundred words, short reminders that are just a few sentences long, or camera-ready artwork for quick reminders.
Civic organizations. Watch the mail you receive over a period of several months, and note the number of items you receive from community organizations (e.g., Rotary and Kiwanis clubs). You can provide them with fire safety information just as you would schools, and your message can be distributed to their mailing groups. By simply contacting such organizations and asking, they will usually donate space for your information. Because we’re not selling a product, we would ask for donated space for a public service announcement (PSA).
TV and radio. At the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), PSAs are also broadcast over television, cable, and radio networks for the good of the community. Local cable stations usually offer a “Community Bulletin Board” that is displayed on the cable channel during nonprogramming hours. We can request they advertise our safety messages on this program.
Newspapers. Local newspapers will sometimes provide space to the fire department to run a guest column in which it can share fire and life safety information with the community. Keep in mind, the more flexible you can be with the paper’s publishing deadlines, the more willing the newspapers will be to work with you. News is the paper’s primary business, so safety messages will run when space allows.
Contact the paper, find out the appropriate editor for such submissions (usually the community editor), article/photo submission requirements, and deadlines. Deadlines are especially important if your topic is time-sensitive (e.g., Christmas tree or fireworks safety). Ask the editor what are the appropriate issue dates for your article to appear and when copy for a specific issue is due. Try to offer as wide a publication window as possible. Early delivery of the article helps the editors figure out space considerations.
Scheduling topics. Check the calendar a few months ahead to see what information should be considered when. Certain topics are appropriate for different times of the year (for instance, bike safety information in May), but this must be planned well in advance. The writing process may take several weeks, especially if you can write only in small chunks of time.
Throughout the year, there are many opportunities to offer timely safety messages appropriate to the season. Don’t limit yourself to fire safety-include topics outside your normal realm. See the National Fire Protection Association’s “Risk Watch” section on the NFPA Web site (www.nfpa.org) for additional safety topics. Here are a few seasonal considerations.
Spring. Bike safety, pedestrian safety, stranger awareness, Wildfire Prevention Week (April), and National EMS Week (May).
Summer. Arson Awareness Week and pool and playground safety.
Fall. School Bus Safety Week, National Fire Prevention Week, Halloween safety (all in October).
Winter. Thanksgiving cooking safety, especially regarding safe use of the deep fat fryers (November). Other safety topics include cooking in general, candles, toys, furnace and heater operation, fireplace and chimney cleaning-all are good topics for this season.
Coordinate with your local media to find out their submission deadlines so the article can be produced and submitted well in advance, especially if it is time-sensitive.
Resources. Sometimes it’s difficult to think of a subject for an article or to get solid information on a specific topic. The following organizations offer good information on their Web sites: the United States Fire Administration, www.usfa.fema.gov; the National Fire Protection Association, www.nfpa.org; the American Red Cross, www.redcross.org; the Home Safety Council, www.homesafetycouncil.org; the National Safe Kids Campaign, www.safekids.org; the American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org; and the Burn Institute, www.burninstitute.org.
The information these Web sites contain can keep you busy for quite some time, but there are also many other good Web sites. Fully explore these resources, safety tips, and links. If quoting information from them, give proper credit to the source. If you are gathering information and put it together yourself, you will get credit for writing it.
Make sure your safety piece fits the available space organizations are offering. Develop a bank of safety pieces of varying lengths to accommodate the needs of the different groups within your community.
Graphics can be a great addition to your article, when allowed. The United States Fire Administration has several kits that include graphics (e.g., “Fire Stops With You,” and “This is Fire”). You can contact local high school art teachers to hook you up with local talent. Many high school kids need community service hours to help them obtain college scholarships, so tapping into this resource is beneficial to both sides. High school counseling offices are a good resource for student community service program information.
Reminders. Our safety messages don’t get old. Although they may seem old and familiar to us, residents have to be hit numerous times with safety messages to make an impact. Children don’t learn their ABCs after hearing them only once; they practice them over and over again. Adults also need to be hit with messages more than once. Look at any television advertisement-you see them over and over:Advertisers want to hit their target audience a number of times with their product message.
The basic messages we deliver to our communities can be put out different ways to our audience through writing. Short pieces that sum up the desired behavior work well (e.g., “Test Your Smoke Alarms” and “Crawl Low under Smoke”). You can elaborate on these concepts further if space for a paragraph or full-length article space becomes available.
However, don’t put so much information into a piece that it becomes overwhelming. A nice introductory paragraph, then a short paragraph on each topic (three to five paragraphs works well), and a summary can make it appear professional in little time. The key is to know your audience and tailor the message to that group.
Now, sit down and think about your community groups and their publications, then start writing. Your community will be glad you did!
TOM KIURSKI, a 25-year veteran of the fire service, has served Livonia (MI) Fire & Rescue for the past 20 years as a lieutenant, a paramedic, and the director of fire safety education. He is the author of Creating a Fire Safe Community: A Guide for Fire Safety Educators (Fire Engineering, 1999), and of at least 150 fire service articles published in numerous publications, including fire service magazines. Kiurski has an associate’s degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in fire and safety engineering technology, and an MPA.
