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Communications and Publicity
Using the media effectively to communicate messages about fire safety to your local
community is a key area of work for fire and rescue services (FRS). The media can help
you get clear messages across and help you improve fire safety and meet local targets on
fire reduction. This section will help you to understand and use local media to help you
communicate key messages to your local community.
This document is divided up into the following sections, which provide information on a
variety of aspects of media and communications including:
Responsibility for media and communications
Cost-effective publicity campaigns
Sponsorship
PR events
Mass media
This first section will provide you with tips about how to plan a campaign.
1.1 Stop press! Use your own press officers
Most FRS' have a press and communications officer or team of staff who should be
consulted during the planning of any activity. They will have expertise and experience of
using the media in your local area and will be able to guide and advise you on the best
way to do this. There are also likely to be rules and protocols in place for the shape, quality
and format of any communications campaign.
If you are thinking about undertaking any activity in your area consult the press office
before you put anything into practice.
If your FRS does not have a press office, use the information in the following pages to help
plan activity and make the most of the resources you have.
If your FRS does have a press office, use the information to get started; it will help
planning if you have thought through what you want to do, who with, how and why.
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1.2 FirePRO
FirePRO is the association of public relations officers in the FRS. Communication and the
effective marketing of community safety is at the heart of the modernisation agenda.
Achieving the potential of the FRS, in line with the Government's agenda for safer,
stronger, and more sustainable communities, is the primary objective of FirePRO.
FirePRO is committed to:
Sharing the principals of good practice
Developing relationships with the CFOA (Chief Fire Officers' Association)
Maintaining and building strong working relationships with the Fire Service Improvement
Team (FSIT) and Communities and Local Government.
Acting in support of the Fire Kills Media Campaign, and the wider community fire safety
agenda
Acting as a strategic support network to ensure the effective implementation of the
modernisation agenda.
For further information on FirePro contact the Chair Katrina Davis on:
davisk@manchesterfire.gov.uk
1.3 Stop press! Developing a media and communications plan
The first step towards running any media and communications campaign, event or activity
is to develop a 'Media and Communications Plan'.
Use the simple steps to help plan activity effectively and make sure your campaign has the
intended impacts. The information will help you select the appropriate mix of media to
achieve your aims. It will also help you to achieve value for money for any investment you
make. Complete each section of the chart below to help plan your campaign.
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Table 0.1 Planning a media and communications strategy
Planning Example Examples (Complete
stages these boxes to help
you plan your
campaign)
Aims What do you want to achieve with this media - For example – the
campaign or projects. What are local priorities overall aim is to
(linked to Community Fire Safety plan) contribute towards our
aim to reduce fires in
homes in our area by
1% over the next 12
months
Objectives More specifically what do you hope your media - For example – to
campaign will achieve? There may be 2, 3 or conduct an additional
more specific objectives 50 home fire safety
checks next month
Audience Who will the campaigns/activities be targeted - For example students,
at? Is it the whole local community or certain people living in shared
target groups within that? accommodation,
people in rented
accommodation, school
children, etc.
Intended What impacts do you intend the - For example: Raise
impacts on communications to have? awareness of chip pan
audience Do you wish to: Inform people? Encourage safety / ensure people
people to take action? Raise an emotion about in shared
an issue? Scare people using shock tactics? accommodation are
Reassure people? aware of risks of
multiple kitchen usage
Methods What will be the best way of achieving each of - For example you may
your objectives? Select the mix of methods of wish to send a fire
communication such as flyers / posters / engine to all local
attendance at a local events / TV advert / local school fetes one
press / banners, etc. summer to help raise
Discuss and explore the pro's and con's of awareness among
using each method and select the most school children and
appropriate ones to meet your aims and parents about fire
objectives in the most cost effective manner. safety.
Make a case or justification for using a
particular method.
Plan a mix of methods to cover the whole year,
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Planning Example Examples (Complete
stages these boxes to help
you plan your
campaign)
using the year planner.
Resources You will need to speak to someone in control of - For example 1 day of
(internal) budgets to check whether internal funds are your time planning and
available to support your plans. Ascertain how exploring options, 1 day
much funding will be available for your project. to meet local
Calculate what internal resources will be community groups and
required to make this media campaign work set up the event, 1 day
and whether you can achieve what you want to to sort out materials
do with the funds available. You may need to and liaise with the
downsize your plans according to the funds printers, and the budget
available. to cover room
You will need to include staff time for planning, hire/printing/ copying
set up and on the day/afterwards. You may etc.
also need to include equipment or other
resources that will need to be
reserved/ordered/booked.
Resources Calculate what external resources will be - For example you may
(external) required for the project to be a success. need to apply for
You may need to pay external suppliers (such funding to the national
as printers, copy writers, designers) to do some office or to another
aspects of the work for you. You may need to external organisation.
apply for funding to obtain these items. You
may need to clear any external expenditure
within your fire and rescue service before
placing any orders/commissioning any work.
Sponsorship You may wish to consider acquiring resources - For example you may
from external companies to help finance the be able to explore
project. This will involve working closely with sponsorship
local or national private companies or shops. opportunities with local
See the section on Sponsorship below for companies /
some guidance on the pro's and con's of supermarket / smoke
acquiring sponsorship and how to manage it alarm vendors.
effectively.
Timescale Set out a timetable for when the activity will - For example does
take place. Is there a case for having activities your campaign need to
at certain dates/times of the year? Plan a mix happen at the same
of methods to cover the whole year, using the time as a special event
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Planning Example Examples (Complete
stages these boxes to help
you plan your
campaign)
year planner. (e.g. Bonfire night or
Allow time for a planning and preparation Diwali). If so you will
stage. Be realistic about how long this will take need to start planning
since you will also be undertaking your usual well in advance.
duties alongside this work. Allocate task to
other members of staff and ask them to meet
the planned deadlines.
Work out what the timescale is for each stage
of the project/each planned activity.
For each aspect establish whether there are
external deadlines you need to meet (such as
deadlines for submitting text or 'copy' to
newspapers/magazines/printers).
Roles and Establish who is responsible in your FRS for - For example who will
responsibility media and communications (is there a press or take responsibility for
PR officer). Contact them to help you plan monitoring the local
activity. press and ensuring fire
Delegate tasks that need doing to relevant safety messages come
members of the team. across when fires occur
Ensure people undertake their tasks within the locally.
agreed timescale.
Targets What targets do you expect your - For example you may
communications campaign/event to achieve? aim to hand out 100
How will the success of your campaign be leaflets to people living
measured? This is important as it will help your in shared
brigade to understand what communications accommodation about
mechanisms are most effective at reaching fire risks and perform
target groups and how much money might be 50 home fire safety
needed when planning future activity. When checks in shared
setting targets make them realistic and accommodation
achievable. Don't be too ambitious, but at the premises over the next
same time be able to demonstrate impact that month.
shows value for money.
Evaluation Evaluating your campaign is vital so that you - For more info see the
can understand whether you achieved your specific Evaluation
aims and objectives and hit your targets. You sections below.
need to set in place methods for collecting and
recording information about how the campaign.
Key questions might be:
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Planning Example Examples (Complete
stages these boxes to help
you plan your
campaign)
- How many people saw/consumed the
campaign/received a leaflet/visited the stand?
- How many people bought or installed a
smoke alarm as a result of the leaflet
For each aspect you will need to work out how
to collect information to support it. This will
involve some careful planning to ensure this is
in place from the start.
Risk Conduct an assessment of the risks of your - For example key risks
assessment plan. Set in place actions to minimise the risks might include lack of
you identify and solve any problems that might funding to run the
arise. Your risk assessment needs to assess project, staff sickness,
what impact the risks will have on your delivery staff too busy to help
i.e. will you be able to cope with raised levels of out etc. Think about
demand for home fire safety checks? Have a and include solutions to
plan ready for the 'worst case scenario'. problem (i.e. how you
will minimise the risks
to your project) e.g.
investigating potential
funding sources,
providing adequate
staff cover.
Partners Identify any partners that you need to inform -For example working
about the project and involve in the project. with local schools, local
This might be both internally within your local university, local
and neighbouring fire and rescue services and community groups.
externally in your local community. Set up a (see the working with
means of involving partners effectively and a other groups section)
means of taking on board any advice they
might offer.
Sign off Ensure you obtain agreement for your plan - Identify who is
before you implement it. Take your plan to your responsible at local
local media or press office or officer to ensure level and make contact.
the plan draws on their expertise. They may be
able to provide useful inputs and expertise.
Obtain the necessary agreement for any spend
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Planning Example Examples (Complete
stages these boxes to help
you plan your
campaign)
you plan to make.
Implementati As you begin to implement your plan, take time
on to re-assess the project as it develops to
ensure it continues to run to target, to timetable
and within budget. Keep checking to ensure all
original aims and objectives will be addressed.
Good luck!
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2.0 Responsibility for media and communications
Most FRS’ across the country have a dedicated member of staff who deals with media and
communications. This may be a press officer, or press office team. Alternatively the station
manager may have taken responsibility for this aspect. Before starting any media and
communications activity, you must establish who in your FRS is responsible and speak to
them before you begin. This will ensure:
- you do not duplicate activity that is already taking place
- there is control and understanding of what budget is available for this type of activity
and where it is being used;
- that local protocols are adhered to (for example in some areas there are agreements
with local partners about the content of press releases);
- the FRS reputation and brand is protected and preserved;
- there is a co-ordinated approach to media and communications so that mixed
messages do not get out; and
- that activities are planned that will be a success and have the right impacts.
Press officers will advise you on what works best, what the costs will be, and help you plan
activity effectively. They will also provide guidance on what your key messages should be.
They will ensure your message fits with corporate strategy and policy.
Nationally there is also help and advice available. You should contact Mike Larking at the
Fire Kills Media Campaign. The Fire Kills Media Campaign will have experience from
running national campaigns that might be useful locally and may also be able to suggest
ways you could link up with national campaigns.
Mike can be contacted at ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
It is also essential to speak to other FRS' in your area before commencing activity. This will
ensure that you are all aware of others' activities (and ready for the consequences), that
messages will not clash, and that what you do will not impact on them negatively. For
campaigns or projects on some issues there may be a benefit to planning and co-
ordinating activity jointly, or even at a regional level, involving several FRS in order to
reach a wider number of people.
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Make sure you speak to all these contacts before you begin any media and
communications activity.
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3.0 Cost-effective communications
There are a wide range of types of media and communications you can use to
communicate fire safety messages to your local community. Some will be very low cost or
free, whereas others will have a cost attached that you will need to fund.
3.1 Free publicity
It is possible to use free or very low cost publicity. For example, your local swimming pool /
shopping centre / corner shops / library / schools and colleges might display
banner/posters for you for free. Local schools may be willing to collaborate of fire safety
campaigns as part of curricular or out of school activities. Local voluntary organisations or
the Probation Service may be able to provide people who will help you distribute leaflets
for free. Explore and exploit these low, or no cost opportunities and plan your activity using
Table 1.1.
3.2 Publicity you have pay for
Publicity particularly high quality, well-planned publicity - needs an investment of costs.
Budgets are needed for creative services, production work and media opportunities
whether you are developing:
advertising – e.g. press, radio, TV, posters, sides of buses;
exhibitions;
videos;
literature; or,
mobile displays.
For some FRS, there is little scope or budget for paid publicity work, particularly where
advertising is concerned. The Safe as Houses report of the Community Fire Safety Task
Force recommends campaigns and publicity materials developed by the Fire Kills Media
Campaign which are designed to provide support in this area. This should reduce local
duplication of effort and cost.
National campaigns offer a platform from which to build local outreach and influence. They
help to 'signpost' advice and information which only you can offer. The diversity of
communities means that, just as there is unlikely to be one single local fire safety need
neither will there be just one way to communicate with those who are at greatest risk. A
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variety of FRS initiatives may be appropriate and effective and, where funding is available,
these could include some planned publicity.
3.3 When paid publicity pays dividends
News and feature coverage of FRS fire safety activities can have a powerful impact and
positive influence on the communities involved. But while such coverage is free, its timing,
accuracy and target audience cannot be guaranteed.
Properly planned paid publicity, even with limited funding, can help you to target
information and awareness when and where it is most needed. In addition, paid publicity
opportunities extend the life (and communication value) of the message beyond the more
limited time span of daily and weekly news. Sustaining the initiative is a basic
consideration in Community Fire Safety work, and the more continuous the message, the
more likely it is to be seen, heard, remembered and acted upon.
Media choice is greater today than ever before. Budget tends to dictate what paid publicity
activity is affordable and what isn't. There is no point in planning an ambitious multimedia
campaign if you only have the budget for a radio commercial or a display panel. Consider
the size of the funds available to you as part of the planning stage outlined in the flow chart
above.
Sponsorship can be of help and support here, but you need to consider fire and rescue
service policy and sponsorship criteria, as well as weighing up the pro's and con's before
entering into any commercial sponsorship agreement. Click here to go straight to the
Sponsorship section below.
3.4 Take control of publicity
You must have control over any publicity that you are planning and paying for. When
working with external agencies, make sure they check each stage or draft of the process
with you and that they do not act without your say so. Share drafts of materials with your
local press officer or other responsible staff member who will be able to provide comments
and guidance. Build time into the process for doing this. Keep copies of all relevant
paperwork in case you ever need to refer back to a prior agreement or discussion. Refer
any major decisions back to the station manager if you are unsure.
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3.5 The community context
Involvement with community partnerships can generate funding for joint publicity initiatives,
for example on community safety or health promotion. In some districts there may be a
number of different initiatives, zones and programmes. Whilst it may be difficult to maintain
up-to-date links with everything that is going on, a profile of the main community issues
should help to identify worthwhile connections with other potential partners.
For more information in this Toolbox go to:
Before you Start in Getting Started, in particular p3, 1.3 Community Partnerships.
3.6 Get the brief right
Establish a clear brief which is understood by everyone in the project team.
Key considerations include:
Engage the press officer in your area to make the most of their experience and advice.
If you are working with publicity specialists within - or contracted by - the FRS, listen to
their advice, particularly in matters of technical production, cost and timescale.
Be clear about your objectives from the start; produce a clear specification from the
outset, even if it needs development or fine-tuning later.
3.7 Get the message right
An obvious but vital stage. Simplicity is the golden rule!
Key considerations include:
Use clear English, avoid jargon or technical detail
Use illustrations where they help to clarify the message, especially in fire safety action
points. (But remember that colour pictures and graphics can increase costs).
Make sure the message is relevant to the target audience. Like any organisation or
advertiser, you are competing for people's attention. Relevant but simple messages can
get through more effectively than worthy but complicated explanations.
Think about your audience: who are they? What are they like? How old are they? Do
they have any special needs?
Style, impact... and sensitivity: a fire in the home is not an attractive subject. As with
road and consumer safety, realistic imagery has a place in fire prevention publicity. But
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there is no benefit from aiming to shock people just for the sake of it. Research
suggests that they will simply shut out the message completely. Nationally produced
and researched campaigns and publicity materials show that it is possible to engage
people's emotions by linking recognisable circumstances with the reality, and
consequences, of fire.
If possible, test publicity material on a representative sample of your target audience
(called 'piloting'). The more you are spending, the more important it is not to leave
communication to chance.
Whatever your own message, aim to get it right before you go into production. Late
changes to publicity material are expensive and can delay delivery to beyond the most
useful opportunity.
3.8 Selecting the best media
If you need to commission paid publicity material, plan the most effective medium for the
chosen audience or area, budget and timescale. Some channels of communication are
more effective in reaching one group of people than another. Your local press officer will
be able to advise you on what works in your area.
The table below provides some details on how to decide what sort of paid publicity will be
most appropriate for your campaign.
Publicity Advantages Limitations Cost ranking* Local
activity contacts (fill
in names,
dates, etc.)
TV Mass market Cost of airtime Average
advertising medium; high and production; campaign
impact and limited targeting £400,000 in
regional London but
flexibility cheaper in
regions, e.g.
around £25,000 in
the West Country.
A cost-effective
alternative are TV
'fillers' with free
airtime donated
by TV companies.
These cost around
£40,000 to
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Publicity Advantages Limitations Cost ranking* Local
activity contacts (fill
in names,
dates, etc.)
produce
Local press A trusted Poor For a mono advert
advertising medium with reproduction; across four
local appeal difficult to target; columns costs can
and relevance; lack of audited be as high as
short data on some free £4,000
deadlines titles (Manchester
Evening News) or
as low as £800
(Bournemouth
Echo)
Local radio Immediacy – Restricted One week in
advertising on air next coverage; London around
day; low creative limits, £65,000. One
capital cost; e.g. no visual week regionally
young impact (although (South West)
audience bias; impact on the costs £5,500. Add
local imagination can production costs
relevance and be powerful) of around £200.
identification Free radio 'fillers'
also available
Magazines Accurate Long lead times; Not
readership regional recommended, as
profile; quality variations; very difficult to
of production; expensive; target regionally.
'long life' coverage in
monthlies cannot However large
be 'Latest news' circulation titles
such as TV Times
offer regional
variations
Leaflets and Can be low Importance of A cheap leaflet
literature cost; high level clear language, could be produced
of coverage layout and action for around £200
which points; need to for several
supports any plan distribution, thousand copies.
media or direct and follow-up. A four-page A5
community leaflet could be
activity; This is not always designed and
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Publicity Advantages Limitations Cost ranking* Local
activity contacts (fill
in names,
dates, etc.)
reinforce the most cost printed for around
personal effective of £2,500. In-depth
contact communication leaflets or
methods. It has newsletters are
been estimated more expensive
that this medium
(particularly if
using the material
as newspaper
inserts) has an
average audience
reach of a mere
2-3%.
Outdoor (paid Impact – Variable site A six-sheet ad
poster sites) largest quality; limited (e.g. at a bus
advertising targeting; shelter) costs
spaces expensive £200 per site in
available; production for London and £150
regional and small campaigns elsewhere. 48-
area flexibility; sheet sites are
strongly much more
reinforces expensive
other
campaign
activity
Transport Advertising in Difficult to put Varies, depending
advertising bus interiors across complex on form of
can be messages transport. Cards
targeted at a inside buses cost
variety of a few pounds but
ages; good for costs for
motoring- advertising on the
related sides of buses are
messages; similar to those for
can be very six-sheet outdoor
economical. posters (see
Can use above)
outside of
vehicles for
advertising
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Publicity Advantages Limitations Cost ranking* Local
activity contacts (fill
in names,
dates, etc.)
(e.g. buses)
Cinema Young Limited audience A four-week
audience reach; high campaign in
profile; scope production costs; London costs
for realism and availability £25,000. Costs in
impact the regions can be
much less, e.g. in
the South West a
similar campaign
costs around
£1,300
Letters and Low cost, May be seen as Newsletters
newsletters 'personal' and 'junk mail'; too pushed through
comprehensiv 'official'; limited letterboxes would
e area scope to make cost from next to
coverage; design content nothing to several
convey interesting thousand pounds.
importance Local direct mail
and campaigns,
immediacy delivered through
Royal Mail and
using customer
data, would cost
anything from a
few hundred
pounds to
£50,000,
depending on size
of campaign and
quality of mailing
Videos and When Cost; limited Varies according
DVDs professionally opportunities for to quality. Videos
produced, high viewing or costing nothing to
impact and community produce can be
engaging; presentation (but filmed on home
clear see below); need camcorders;
messages and to be supported professionally
action points. by information produced videos
May be an that can be taken can cost anything
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Publicity Advantages Limitations Cost ranking* Local
activity contacts (fill
in names,
dates, etc.)
opportunity to away. Also from a few
work with local ensure the format thousand pounds
schools or (video or DVD) is to £500,000
colleges to appropriate for
produce the selected
videos/DVDs audience
Exhibitions Strong Cost of sites can Anything between
community be high (unless £10 to hire the
focus for low-cost local church hall to
public community £250 per square
dialogue and areas); production metre at a major
involvement; costs for graphics conference centre.
target key and displays; Medium-range
risks and timing of venues cost
groups; fire commercial around £5,000 for
and rescue exhibitions may 64 square metres
service not match brigade
equipment a needs
'magnet' for
attention; build
up contact
database
Mobile Exhibition Exhibition costs, Between £10,000
displays benefits, plus plus mobile and £90,000
geographic resources; depending on
and conversion costs duration and cost
community for interactive and of various
flexibility; display units; exhibition venues
scope for need for long- and display units
interactive/pra term
ctical displays programming
Display Portable and Cost and Between £350
panels effective way production time; and £2,000.
to 'broadcast' practical Cheap information
key messages considerations of stands are the
and durability (e.g. best value, with
campaigns; inside/outside portable display
can be used use?), and units costing £500
as stand-alone flexibility to and pop-up stands
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Publicity Advantages Limitations Cost ranking* Local
activity contacts (fill
in names,
dates, etc.)
exhibitions, or change messages around £2,000
in support of a
variety of
events
Promotional Strongly Difficulty of From £200 to
items and reinforces matching constant several thousand
'giveaways' personal demand with pounds for basic
contact, realistic budget giveaways such
branding, and supply; as pens and key
impact and limited scope for rings. Long-term,
memorability wider messages planned
of simple merchandising
messages activity is
obviously more
expensive and
depends on
duration and
numbers of
promotional items
Internet and Significant In a survey by the Due to the
IT strategy consumer Office for National increase in
growth and Statistics 64% of internet usage,
opportunity adults in Great online is now
(e.g. local Britain (29 million) amongst the most
information had accessed the cost effective
'one stop Internet within the methods of
shops'; links to last 3 months in advertising
community October 2005. available. In
and other addition to
networks) The two most external paid for
common places sites using your
cited to access own space and
the Internet were regional websites
home and at – come at no cost
work. Of the to you and
adults who had therefore by far
used the Internet, the most cost
92% had used a effective.
search engine to
find information.
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* Costs quoted are for illustration only, to indicate typical order of budget that might be
required. Costs for all publicity work are subject to a wide range of production factors, local
variation and negotiation. It is important to have independent professional advice wherever
possible.
3.9 Time it right
Make the most of topical and seasonal opportunities, such as those contained in the Fire
Kills Media Campaign Year Planner. For a copy, contact the Fire Kills Media Campaign at:
ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Key points include:
Be realistic about production, delivery or scheduling lead times, which will vary
according to the media you are using.
Allow plenty of time for producing, distributing and displaying printed material - and
check, check and check again!
Ask for, and keep to, copy dates for advertising - work out your production and approval
timetable from these deadlines.
If you need a faster response, for example, a 'hot strike' message following a fire, use
direct community contact supported by media, which can provide quick reaction.
3.10 What happens next?
What action should the public take having seen your campaign? What will you be doing to
follow up your publicity initiative?
Key points include:
Where possible, provide a clear 'action point' for the public. For example 'install a
smoke alarm' or book a home fire safety check.
If more detailed information or advice is necessary, include a contact address, a phone
number or other means of follow-up. Brief in advance those who may be on the
receiving end of calls or queries. Plan how you will handle the volume of calls you think
you will receive and plan for the 'disaster scenario' of too many calls to handle.
Monitor response, phone calls, publicity material take-up or any other follow-up which
your initiative has generated (including any new community contacts which may be of
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value in future partnerships). Ask people who get in contact how they heard of you /
where they found your details to assess whether it was your campaign that encouraged
them.
Build up a local database which will assist future campaign planning and Community
Fire Safety development. Ask for people's permission to re-contact them again in future.
3.11 Using the internet
Using the internet is a fairly cost effective means of communicating with your local
community. Below are a few pointers to improve they way you use your website for
publicity:
Identify named contacts within organisations you want to work with or contact
Ensure your web pages are updated regularly and contain correct information
Make it clear how people can get in touch with you – by phone, post and email
Ensure your web pages are linked to other relevant websites e.g. www.Firekills.gov.uk
and more local websites such as the local authority, police and schools
Ensure your website meets disability and accessibility guidelines
Use the home page to highlight key issues or events (e.g. free home fire safety checks
or forthcoming community events)
Use photos and pictures of staff, the station and the local area
Provide an area to download any flyers, info sheets, posters, wall charts, materials for
schools, and other materials you have available
Spell check and edit all content for the internet (people won't read pages and pages!)
Make sure your site is tagged with appropriate search terms to ensure search engines
can locate your site easily
Include a feedback section on your website (such as a short survey or email form) to
collect feedback from users – this will also help you evaluate your website.
3.12 Evaluation of paid publicity
It is important to evaluate your activity to help you assess what impacts it has had. This will
help inform future activity, and help assess which communications mechanisms are most
cost effective. You need to:
decide how you are going to measure your activity from the start, so plan (and budget
for) any formal tracking, monitoring or research;
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brief the team involved – for example people taking calls or booking appointments – so
that everyone collects the right data for evaluation.
There may be costs associated with doing an evaluation, it will take time and effort. You
need to include costs for this in your project plan using the flow chart process. Make sure
your evaluation tests out the aims and objectives of your communications activity.
Key points include:
Measuring effectiveness - did you get the message across to the right people at the
right time?
Is there evidence of increased awareness of the message among the primary target
audience? Did you get an increased number of calls/queries?
In the longer term, has the initiative made a difference to the number of fires, fire deaths
and injuries?
If you are using tracking research, make sure a benchmark study is carried out before
the campaign so that changes can be measured.
What communications methods seemed to work best with which audiences and why?
Use the campaign evaluation to help plan future activity or to redefine target audiences
and community areas.
Where possible, please share your experience, good practice, successes and
cautionary tales with the Fire Kills Campaign.
Different media can be evaluated in different ways as follows:
Stands / demonstrations / events – how many people attended, were 'new' groups of
people involved who you had not engaged with before? Ask people to complete a short
survey at the end of the demonstration. (Refer to the evaluation section in PR events
below [add link]).
Leaflets – how many leaflets were handed out, how many people contacted you as
result of seeing the leaflet, how many leaflets were unused?
Internet – record numbers of hits / unique visitors to your website - did they increase
over the period? Did you receive a larger number of emails from the public? How long
did people spend on the site – were they just passing through or did they spend
significant time? Did the website prompt them to take action? Include a brief survey on
your website to ask for people's views.
Radio – how many people heard the programme (obtain listener figures from the
station), what sorts of people listen at that time of day (gender, ethnic groups, age
groups, socio-demographic groups), how long was your section on air, how many
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people called in as a result of the radio item, was the item discussed elsewhere in the
media as a result (e.g. local newspapers), what other impacts did the radio show have?
Information to help you evaluate can be collected in a number of ways:
Official statistics – analyse the statistics you or other local public bodies collect over a
monthly or yearly basis to look at the impacts of your campaigns (for example police
statistics on arson, FRS statistics on number of home visits, number of safety checks
done, number of schools visits etc)
Surveys - ask people to complete a short survey via the internet or paper based
questionnaire using tick boxes and comment boxes
Web site statistics – ensure your website can collect user statistics (there are a number
of off the shelf packages you can download for free which can help you collect user
statistics)
Call statistics – keep a log of how many calls are received / their subject or topic /
duration / audiences involved before, during and after a campaign.
Interviews and focus groups – invite groups or individuals to discuss the campaign and
its impacts on them and their communities.
For further information in this Toolbox, go to:
Evaluation in Getting Started
3.13 Good practice
3.13.1 Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service - working successfully with radio
A campaign for Fire Safety Week had the objective of making 1,000 homes safer by
having a working smoke alarm fitted, particularly in some of the more deprived areas of the
County.
The campaign had three main elements:
1. Smoke alarm promotion
There was a three-week promotional campaign on Trent FM. The first week of the
promotion was a 'pre-promote' week, where at least three times a day the radio presenters
would mention the forthcoming promotion and the importance of having a working smoke
alarm. For two weeks coinciding with Fire Safety Week, the radio station's promotional
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vehicle, 'Black Thunder' visited two locations a day to give out free smoke alarms. The
FRS provided the smoke alarms from the Community Fire Safety budget. The radio station
committed during the second and third week to giving at least five mentions of the
promotion and the importance of having a working smoke alarm. In practice the campaign
gained much more coverage. The campaign and the issue of working smoke alarms were
mentioned at least an estimated 100 times over the three weeks.
2. Targeting Communities
Each Wholetime Fire Station within the Trent FM broadcast area was able to choose two
areas to target. The Community Fire Safety Team at headquarters accompanied Black
Thunder and gave out the smoke alarms, fire safety literature, and a variety of other fire
safety promotional items. The FRS was delighted with the response from the public, and
over the two-week period handed out over 2,334 alarms to families in the target areas.
The cost for the promotional campaign was £7,500.
3. Four-week advertising campaign
Local commercial radio station, Trent FM created four adverts. The station has an
audience of almost 300,000 each week. The adverts used emotive language to get across
the message that a working smoke alarm can save your life.
The adverts ran six times a day, seven days a week for a four-week period, starting the
week before Fire Safety Week. The adverts therefore generated 168 messages about the
importance of having a working smoke alarm over the four-week period. The cost of
£12,000 was met by Nottingham Health Authority, as part of their work through the Health
Action Zone.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
With monies from the Communities and Local Government’s targeted Fire Prevention
grant, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service established a programme ‘ Publicity for Domestic
Safety’ and used local radio advertising and ROSPA ( Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents) to promote the fire safety message direct to the public.
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4.0 Sponsorship
The private sector can provide much-needed resources, expertise, and funds to
strengthen the impact of Community Fire Safety initiatives. However there are pro's
and con's to be weighed up when deciding whether sponsorship is a viable route or
option for your FRS.
In a competitive environment, more and more businesses are forming strategic alliances
(for example, by acting as sponsors) to make better use of resources and add greater
weight to the messages they are trying to convey. Non-commercial sectors can
successfully use the professionalism of businesses to help secure greater impact for their
campaigns and to extend their messages.
However, sponsorship can be a sensitive issue. There is enormous competition for
business resources from sports, the arts, charities, etc. Businesses which become 'social
sponsors' consider it as part of their overall marketing programme; they expect tangible
benefits from their investment. This idea of 'mutual benefit' is at the heart of any
sponsorship deal.
A lot of pre-planning and careful organisation needs to be done to secure private sector
support. Sponsors will often be keen to be associated with the positive public image of the
fire and rescue service, and care should be taken when judging the appropriateness of any
possible opportunity. For example there may be ethical difficulties in receiving sponsorship
from a firm that sells tobacco or is linked to tobacco advertising.
The practice of sponsorship for government publicity campaigns is now well established,
and recent campaigns by the Fire Kills Media Campaign have benefited from strategic
partnerships with a range of companies, from the fire and insurance industries to leading
high street retailers.
The Fire Kills Media Campaign can offer general help and advice on sponsorship. The
guiding principles contained in Cabinet Office Guidance for government departments are:
Companies' support should be seen as adding significant value to an existing
government message, campaign or event.
There should be no overt commercial advantage to the sponsor in terms of the
direct sale of products or brands as a result of their association with the
government.
The project should not be entirely dependent on sponsorship support for its
funding.
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FRS should be aware of their own local authority procedures and guidance, and should
seek advice before entering into commitments.
4.1 Definitions
Cabinet Office Guidance to Departments on Sponsorship of Government Activities defines
Sponsorship as "The payment of a fee or payment in land by a company in return for the
rights to a public association with an activity, item, person or property for mutual
commercial benefit" (July 2000).
Social sponsorship is a mixture between sponsorship and charitable donations. The
sponsor expects to benefit directly from the association with a 'good cause'. This is not
necessarily the case with charitable donations.
A strategic partner can be a business and/or charity that the FRS can develop a
collaborative relationship with over time. This is an important consideration as the
benefits of a social sponsorship can take a few years to become clear.
Business in the Community is a leading UK authority on corporate social responsibility and
business involvement in economic and social regeneration. See their website for more
details on corporate social responsibility and marketing.
4.2 Sponsorship market for Community Fire Safety
4.2.1 Identifying key issues and potential solutions
Whether trying to establish a strategic partnership or looking for sponsors to support a
cause, the process for identifying possible partners and putting the agreement into action
is similar.
For sponsorship to be effective, it must be part of the overall FRS programme and needs
to link effectively with other activities and messages. A successful plan will link national
and local issues wherever possible to reinforce the message and provide greater
coverage and consistency for the general public.
Make a comprehensive list of the key Community Fire Safety issues that need to be
addressed over two or three years - normally be covered in the Community Fire Safety
plan.) Some issues will be of national concern - the Fire Kills Media Campaign will advise
you on these and help with tackling them. Then highlight particular concerns in your
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community and develop plans for addressing them. The important point to remember is
that issues have to be prioritised and that plans should show how each will be tackled over
a period of time. Strategic partnerships/social sponsorship can be one of the tools you use
to achieve your overall objectives.
Plans should be reviewed and updated from time to time. Some form of measurement or
evaluation should be used for each activity so that success (or otherwise) can be fed back
into the rolling plan - you can repeat the things that worked and drop the ones that didn't.
Click here to go straight to the evaluation section below.
4.2.2 The FRS brand
Developing the FRS brand and positioning the FRS as a trusted, respected and
recognised organisation has taken years of hard work and it is the responsibility of
everyone working with the FRS to sustain that brand. The FRS brand needs to be used
carefully and it needs to be protected. The FRS brand is very sought after and
organisations will want to use it and benefit from this brand association. It is the
responsibility of all in the FRS to ensure we do not share it too readily.
4.2.3 Finding partners/sponsors
When you have identified the programme/activities that sponsorship could support, make a
list of companies whose business interests will match your objectives. Sponsorship should
be sought in a transparent way.
Potential partners can be classified into four categories:
companies closely associated with fire safety, e.g. smoke alarm manufacturers, fire
extinguisher companies, battery manufacturers (because they are the power source for
smoke alarms), DIY retailers distributing fire safety products;
companies which could benefit by association:
► companies wanting to promote proper usage of their products that are often
implicated in fires, e.g. manufacturers and retailers of electrical goods and kitchen
equipment
► companies wishing to be associated with home/family safety campaigns, e.g. toy and
childcare companies, fast food chains, utilities, insurance companies, battery
manufacturers, holiday companies;
local companies which are not obviously related to fire safety but wish to raise their
profile in the community; and,
companies with a strong local link or reputation that will support the Fire and Rescue
Service in community engagement.
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Useful resources for compiling a list of potential partners/sponsors include:
Companies House
Local Chamber of Commerce
Local newspaper editor/advertising department
Internet – web directories of local companies, yellow pages
4.2.4 Targeting and selecting partners and sponsors
Narrow down your list to companies you think might have the most interest in your project,
are suitable and appropriate, and which are financially and commercially sound. Find out
more about these companies to help you develop your approach to possible partners/
sponsors. You get information on:
business activities;
names of board members, managing director, head of marketing, key players in
corporate affairs and public relations;
strategic direction;
level of turnover;
the company's sponsorship policy (if available);
history of sponsorship programmes; and
start of financial year (an important consideration when preparing an approach is to
identify the company's fiscal planning schedule, as they will be in the best position to
contribute when creating their budget and annual expenditure plan).
The above information will be readily available for large companies via annual reports,
press cuttings, etc. The more understanding you gain of your potential sponsor's needs,
the greater the chance of successfully convincing them to enter into a relationship. In
smaller companies, much of this information may need to be found through personal
contact.
4.2.5 Developing the sponsorship brief
Develop an effective brief to clarify what you and the sponsor can do for each other.
Businesses can offer support in a variety of ways, such as funds, products/services
in kind, distribution, promotion or expertise. You can offer them positive coverage
and association with a good cause.
The brief should be comprehensive, self-explanatory and written down. Both you and your
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sponsor will use it to gain approval and commitment for the project.
Key elements of the brief are:
the issues that need addressing in the community;
objectives - what are the expected results of the sponsorship arrangement?;
benefits for the sponsor and the community - explanation of the value of the
programme/activity to everyone involved;
outline of the proposed programme/activity - purpose, aims and objectives;
specific definition of what is wanted from the sponsor (i.e. funds, expertise, product
donations);
timing;
costs; and,
how you will evaluate and measure success.
4.3 Securing a sponsorship agreement
4.3.1 Getting your proposal to the sponsor
Once the research is done and the brief is ready, find out who the sponsor's key decision-
maker is. The brief should go to that person (for example, the managing director, head of
marketing or corporate affairs/public relations department). Try to set up a meeting to
present your brief, but if you cannot, phone to put forward your proposals. You should
agree a date by when they will let you know if they want to work with you.
4.3.2 Securing the agreement and developing the contract
You should seek legal advice before drafting any legal document.
A formal agreement should set out clearly:
each partner's objectives, obligations and responsibilities;
duration and timing including a formal end date for activity and use of logos;
funding and resources; and,
indemnity and confidentiality.
The document should set out how the project will be managed and evaluated and include
a project plan showing the key activities that need to happen with deadlines to achieve the
right results. A key purpose of this document is to ensure that both partners allocate the
correct resources in good time.
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Before agreeing the contract, both parties need to know that the social sponsorship
will:
reach the right audience(s);
be consistent with FRS, as well as corporate, objectives and the culture of both
organisations. The programme should not risk embarrassment to either party;
meet the marketing objectives of the company and the Community Fire Safety
objectives of the FRS; and,
have a set length.
Your contract must:
confirm that the costs have been correctly identified and estimated;
name the project managers from both the company and the FRS;
identify people who are capable of obtaining publicity within their chosen media (e.g.
through contact with specialised journalists);
specify how you will handle the media. This includes approval of documents, press
releases, etc, and who the spokespersons are for both organisations;
be clear about how competitors to the company will be handled - this could be an area
where sensitivity and care is needed;
clarify how branding will be handled (see national fire safety branding guidelines in the
Toolbox module on Media resources);
identify the means by which both parties will measure the effectiveness of the
collaboration; and
establish the timetable for the whole collaboration and when both organisations will
review the project.
The document should also clarify the aspects of the working relationship that need to
remain confidential. At a minimum this should explain how both partners will handle the
exchange of information.
Remember, these notes are intended as guidance only. You should consult your
local press officer or station manager before commencing work.
For further information in this Toolbox go to:
Working with Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Target Audiences, in particular
p8, Community Engagement.
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4.3.3 Project management
As the sponsorship project progresses, it is important to:
Identify and involve project leaders/co-ordinators within the two organisations.
Draw up a timetable identifying who does what and when for each part of the process.
Set up a schedule of meetings to review progress at key milestones in the project.
Create a way of keeping people informed about the project, and regularly update and
distribute it.
4.3.4 Planning cycle
To make the most of working with partners, especially from the private sector, organise the
project around your sponsor's financial planning cycle wherever possible.
4.3.5 Promotions
It is very important to know how potential partners plan for promotions. The greater
geographical spread of the campaign, the more time required to plan. For example:
DIY retailers accept ideas for national promotions six months in advance. They plan
their merchandising and marketing activities two months later. The last three months
are spent co-ordinating details and getting the products and literature into place.
Manufacturers can need four months to change or add something within a packed
product; they may require up to nine months if planning an in-store promotion,
particularly if it is to be supported by advertising.
Please Note the Fire and Rescue Service does not have permission to give the
'Firekills' logo to any third party without first gaining permission from the
Communities and Local Government. This is to ensure that all parties are agreed
before government endorsement is given on anything. Please contact Mike Larking
if you wish to use the logo. He can be reached at:
ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
It is possible to secure co-operation on a much smaller scale in fewer months. But
generally, the more warning, the better!
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4.4 Evaluation of sponsorship
Sponsorship has to justify itself. The sponsor has to justify their investment and will
want to see evidence that its brand has been positively affected either by an increase
in awareness or by reinforcing positive ideas about the brand. The FRS must also
demonstrate evidence that the activity has achieved the targets identified at the outset.
The two organisations will probably have different criteria for success. These should be
identified when drawing up the contract. It will help with the focus of the project team to
have a clear measurement of success to aim for.
Success needs to be in terms of identifiable results - you can only let people know it
has been a success in terms of change: how much or how many?
To measure results, the situation before and after a particular activity needs to be
analysed. For example, if the activity focuses on educating the community to replace
smoke alarm batteries and the sponsor is a battery manufacturer, some of the ways to
establish success criteria could be:
Sponsor: identify brand awareness and level of sales in the community before the activity.
These two criteria can be measured before and after the event with some straightforward
market surveys - the chances are that the manufacturer already has some process in
place for collecting this data. A press clipping service can highlight the number of times the
sponsor was mentioned in the press.
FRS: a poll can identify the percentage of people who have changed their battery in the
year leading up to the activity, and after.
It is essential for both parties to clarify whether or not there is a need to keep certain
aspects of the effectiveness data confidential. For example, the sponsor may not wish the
impact on sales to be published for competitive reasons. It is best to agree what needs to
be kept confidential in the contract before any collaborative project.
For national campaigns, there are a variety of research and evaluation approaches, from
'point of sale' retail audits, to quantifying the value of benefits such as extra literature
distribution and media promotion. These results can help to promote longer-term
relationships which add greater value and understanding
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4.5 Good Practice
As sponsorship may be relatively new for some FRS, there should be a way of sharing
information and good practice. It is a good idea to review a completed activity to highlight
its successes and pitfalls - this need not be a lengthy or difficult process. It is also a good
idea to involve the sponsor to make sure that you agree on what went well and what you
can improve next time. Share your learning with neighbouring FRS.
4.5.1 Sponsorship of a conference: West Midlands
This example, although from summer 1995 (and therefore out-of-date) outlines the
different roles the FRS and sponsor can take on.
First Alert wanted to re-establish co-operation with UK FRSs. They approached West
Midlands (who were responsible that year for the launch of Fire Safety Week) with a
proposal for a Community Fire Safety conference on launch day. The sponsor would:
fund a company to organise the event professionally;
sponsor a speaker on community fire safety from the USA;
provide lunch; and
provide a folder for all hand-outs.
The FRS would:
provide the venue;
help organise the speakers; and,
handle sending out the brochure.
First Alert achieved the objective of signalling that they wanted to work towards a unified
approach to Community Fire Safety and the conference added seriousness to the launch
of Fire Safety Week and helped West Midlands show leadership in Community Fire Safety.
4.5.2 Chip pan fires
In 2006, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service urged local residents to ‘ditch chip pans’
in an effort to reduce kitchen fires. This was the message of a hard hitting advertising
campaign which highlighted the consequences of chip pan fires.
The advertising campaign included adverts in local TV and shelters across Tyne and
Wear. Following this campaign, a ‘Chip Pan Amnesty’ was rolled out targeting ‘high risk’
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areas and householders can swap their chip pans for thermostatically controlled deep fat
fryers provided for free.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service are marketing National Chip Week by holding a
Chip Pan Amnesty. Staffordshire are urging members of the public to take drained chip
pans into one of the 12 local fire stations across the county, and will be entered into a prize
draw to win one of 50 brand new deep fryers.
For more details in this Toolbox go to:
Cooking with hot oil in the Hot Topics section
4.5.3 Juvenile Football Team sponsorship by the FRS
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has sponsored a juvenile football team, which will
train and play with the national ‘Fire Kills’ logo printed on their training and match day kits.
The sponsorship has come about via the Arson Control Forum and the Youth Intervention
post within Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service. The idea behind the sponsorship is to
spread the very important fire safety message to the very vulnerable age groups of 12-16
year olds.
The Children’s Fire and Burn Trust – Hampshire Committee holds annual charity Fire Ball
events in partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to raise money through
corporate sponsorship to support children who have suffered burns, and also run fire
safety programmes for school children and child carers..
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5.0 PR Events
In the context of Community Fire Safety, the aim of public relations is to promote fire safety
awareness which will lead to safer individuals, homes and communities Public events are
another way of helping to develop and sustain the high level of respect and public esteem
for the fire service. Public events are a good way of directly engaging the public in fire
safety messages.
"Public relations practice is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain
goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its public."
Institute of Public Relations
Please note: this Toolbox module is for guidance. Individual FRS may have established
their own detailed policies and procedures for planning and participating in public events,
and for dealing with the media. You should check locally with your own press officer before
commencing work.
PR events large or small can be planned using the information in table 1.1 above.
5.1 What are public relations events?
'Public relations events' include a wide range of organised events and opportunities
through which Fire and Rescue Services can meet and interact with members of the
public.
They range from large open-air county shows and fairs, civic events of various kinds, to
smaller, often more focussed, presence at a local shopping centre or community location,
or open day.
A larger event may span more than one FRS area, or create opportunities for joint
'emergency services' involvement - which may help to reduce pressure on individual
resources. At the other end of the scale, an invitation to visit a local community group can
be the start of a longer-term relationship which can develop word-of-mouth awareness of
risks and prevention.
The main exhibition venues around the country stage a variety of events aimed at specific
interest groups. Among the best known are the 'ideal home' and 'lifestyle' shows which can
attract a large attendance. The organisers of events of this kind are usually able to provide
past attendance figures which have been independently verified by the Audit Bureau of
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Circulation (ABC). While participation in these events is generally more expensive, the
same venues often feature more community-focused activities, and it is always worth
keeping in touch for future programmes.
5.2 Opening doors on the FRS
In some communities, it may be possible to encourage people to come to the FRS. This
can be achieved through station open days or the use of community fire stations where
there is regular, direct public access. For example the West Midlands' Handsworth
Community Fire Station is a, purpose-built centre for operational response, education and
community partnerships. For more information go to:
Before you Start in Getting Started, in particular, p3, 1.3 Community Partnerships.
Such opportunities can be used as a FRS showcase, which can have real benefits for
recruitment, internal communications and community relations, as well as presenting a
powerful message about fire prevention. Schools events, 'Crucial Crews' and other jointly
run events targeted specifically at children and young people, see the Toolbox module on
‘children and young people’.
Case study: In Northumberland, a more rural area, the local fire and rescue service
established a community fire station in conjunction with the local Sure Start which the
public can visit and receive free fire safety advice and resources. There is also a meeting
room and a place for children to play.
Case study: Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service established two Outreach Fire Stations
which are custom made mobile units that can travel around the Country. The units have
facilities on board which allows the vehicle and fire and rescue service personnel to go into
local communities, attending areas which represent arson hot spots or pro-active, to raise
fire safety awareness. A high level of youth engagement has been developed through the
mobile units; this has helped in getting in to the heart of anti-social behaviour areas in the
communities where it is needed most.
5.3 Face-to-face contact
A fire engine is a guaranteed 'magnet' for public interest and attention. Firefighters can
also use their strong public image, credibility and professionalism to establish a dialogue
with their local community.
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Organised events of all kinds provide the opportunity to use direct, face-to-face contact
with a cross-section of the public, and to get across the fire prevention messages which
the FRS has identified as a priority. You should therefore see these events as part of your
planned strategy for communicating fire safety.
Face-to-face contact can be especially valuable in reaching those who do not normally
read newspapers, or who have lower levels of literacy. This can become a real barrier to
many people, leading to isolation and exclusion. Helpful, friendly advice, offered in an
unthreatening 'neutral' setting, can assist in bridging some of the most challenging
community communication gaps.
Case study: Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service adopt a varied approach in their area.
Merseyside has a large number of non English speaking households in their area and
therefore opted to employ a number of Bilingual Fire Safety Advocates to forge links with
the local community to undertake home fire safety checks and install smoke alarms. A
number of disability deaf and hard of hearing and drugs and alcohol Community Fire
Safety Advocates have also been employed, including Arson Reduction Advocates
providing a link between Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the Community Safety
Partnerships and the wider community.
5.4 Working with other FRS
There are clear benefits from working in partnership with neighbouring FRS'. You should
contact other local FRS as you plan any activity to get help and advice. Local budgets can
be tight, so there are benefits to be gained from pooling resources and maximising on your
spend by working together and taking a regional approach.
pooling resources for marketing material to be designed and printed in bulk can save
costs;
splitting the cost of advertising or working with a radio station that crosses into several
FRS catchment areas can save costs.
By talking to others about their approach and planned activity you can share experiences,
knowledge and good practice. This will ensure you do not spend valuable time reinventing
the wheel.
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5.5 Checklist for practical planning and organisation
The following checklist can be used when planning and organising more resource-
intensive public events. The points may not all be relevant to every occasion, but there are
some important ground rules for making the most of commitments in time and resources.
Aims and Remember that whatever the event, clear objectives are
objectives essential to help focus the purpose and delivery of your
involvement, and to evaluate its effectiveness. Measure impact
and effectiveness against them.
Timing Looking ahead 12-18 months, which local events can be
identified as opportunities for a FRS presence? Remember that
other events may also come along at shorter notice, so using the
same assessment criteria, you will want to build in some
flexibility, where possible, to cater for those opportunities.
Fire prevention The Community Fire Safety plan identifies your main prevention
priorities priorities and the fire trends which indicate the areas and groups
at greatest risk. Decide how you can use a public events
programme - in conjunction with other educational and
communication initiatives - to reinforce key messages. You
should try to link to national campaigns and seasonal fire safety
messages such as those highlighted in the Fire Kills Media
Campaign Year Planner package. For a copy contact Mike
Larking at ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Targeting Which events are most likely to reach your key target audiences?
Through one event you may be able to reach a large number of
key groups, for example, children, older people, families or
members of ethnic communities. If there are no existing
organised opportunities, is there scope/funds to develop your
own event, perhaps in partnership with a community group or
with other organisations?
Media influence Will the event be newsworthy itself? Use the event to create
wider fire safety awareness. Make sure that the FRS and the
event organiser manage and co-ordinate press relations.
Advance promotion and features, news coverage on the day and
follow-up stories with pictures soon after, all help to maximise the
opportunity and spread the key messages to the widest possible
audience.
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Community Find out from the organiser if there are other community
outreach / organisations involved in the event, such as local health and care
networking groups, schools, national charities, or local voluntary networks.
Use the event to establish or promote a dialogue, and to
strengthen personal contacts and links for future involvement and
partnership.
Site costs Attending larger shows and events may involve site fees,
particularly if you want to be seen in a central position and not
left out on the edge of the attractions. This is obviously a matter
for budgets and individual negotiation. However, your presence
should be seen as a positive asset, a 'crowd-puller' and a
worthwhile benefit to the show organiser. Of course, the bigger
and more prestigious the event, the higher the potential cost.
Remember that for outdoor public events, attendance cannot be
guaranteed. Competing local events and sporting attractions,
high admission charges and bad weather may lead to lower-
than-expected, disappointing visitor numbers.
Allocating This is often a difficult question of balance. Your staff, fire
resources engines and equipment are display assets and attractions in
themselves. Together, they say much about firefighters' skill and
professionalism, which gives reassurance and confidence to the
community. This is an important message in its own right. But to
make the most of educational and fire prevention opportunities,
more focused messages will also be needed.
Practical Chip pan displays, smoke simulators, etc are good ways of
demonstrations highlighting specific issues. At larger events you may be able to
stage arena displays. Based on your assessment of the event,
the organisers' information and any previous attendance data,
the amount of resources committed is a matter of judgement,
affordability and availability. Given the long days involved, the
goodwill of staff will also be an important factor! If in doubt,
consult other potential exhibitors and discuss plans with the Fire
Kills Media Campaign (contact Mike Larking at
ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk).
Information Public events can be a 'bottomless pit' when it comes to giving
material and out literature and other promotional material, so it is worth
'giveaways' deciding in advance how to make the most of this opportunity to
inform and advise. Much will depend on the expected profile of
those attending and the key messages which you are trying to
get across. For general opportunities, a wide selection of fire
prevention publicity material will be helpful.
Customised If you anticipate a large number of visitors, you may even want to
event 'handout' consider producing a simple handout containing basic fire
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prevention advice, facts about the fire and rescue service
attending, and a reply-free response slip for follow-up advice
such as home fire safety checks. This helps to reinforce the
public 'ownership' of your own activity, while targeting relevant
fire safety needs. The responses will contribute to your
evaluation of the event.
'See, and be If you attend public events, make sure people know you're there!
seen (and This is partly for the organisers to ensure through advance
heard)!' publicity and organisation, but don't take it for granted. Make
regular announcements to draw attention to your presence. If you
are staging displays, the timing should be well publicised.
Develop a practised, clear, informative commentary, which can
be delivered with confidence and professionalism, but also
balancing humour with the serious underlying message.
Briefing staff For more static displays at a large and busy event, you probably
have 30 seconds at most to attract the attention of passing
visitors. So it's important to brief staff thoroughly on presentation
and simple but effective ways of engaging contact, without being
pushy. Much of this is common sense, where a smile and a
friendly word can lead to some practical (and perhaps much
needed) fire safety advice.
Evaluation This can be done in a number of ways, from attendance figures
provided by the organisers, to the number of enquiries and
responses received. While sophisticated systems are available
for exhibition professionals, a standard 'in-house' enquiry log can
be used at public events, with a simple 'tick box' to provide basic
visitor analysis. Simple interactive techniques, such as
competitions, or collecting business cards, will give you a further
measure of public interest, as well as providing a focal point for a
particular message (for example, using smoke alarms as prizes).
Follow-up If information or action is required as a result of the enquiry - for
information example, the need for a home fire safety check - this should be
actioned as quickly as possible.
Media coverage Will give a measure of the value of the event in terms of wider
and press community awareness, as will new contacts with other
cuttings community agencies and organisations. A debriefing session with
staff will help to record different viewpoints, observations and
practical experiences.
Legal If you are carrying out demonstrations outdoor make sure you
Indemnity and have Legal Indemnity and Liability Insurance to ensure both you
Liability and those around you are protected.
Insurance
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5.6 Mobile displays
Many FRS' use mobile displays, exhibition and education units for attending organised
events. Some vehicles are adapted 'in house' from other uses, while modern custom-built
units can be designed around a number of different uses and layout configurations. These
can be varied to suit particular purposes, from open exhibition to interactive displays.
Professionally designed and fitted out mobile display units are not cheap, and staff
resources are required to programme and staff the vehicle.
As with any procurement exercise, you should follow your FRS purchasing
procedures if this approach is being considered.
Keep in close touch with your local authority consumer safety and trading standards
departments to keep yourself aware of safety related initiatives operating in your area,
such as shopping centre advice points and displays. Many FRS' are also involved in joint
initiatives, such as electric blanket testing.
Local organisations can hire the Department of Trade and Industry's mobile exhibition
units for consumer and home safety advice. The Health and Safety Executive can provide
information on Carbon Monoxide Safety.
5.7 Drive home the message - keep it simple!
Whatever the event or opportunity, it's vital to get the message right. Following these steps
will help maintain clarity and focus:
Avoid complicated, cluttered and over-technical information.
Simple bullet point facts and advice will be helpful for most audiences.
Designs can reflect campaign themes and imagery, and key messages.
Use the FIRE KILLS logo, with FRS as appropriate, if the main target is an adult
audience. The Fire Kills Media Campaign logo guide includes the national branding in
PC and CD format, and information on other campaign imagery can be obtained from
the Fire Kills Media Campaign or from the Communities and Local Government
Communications Directorate. Contact Mike Larking at ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Sound planning and project management is the key to a successful public event.
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5.8 Good practice examples
5.8.1 'National Conference of Excellence’
In March 2005, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service led a high profile, two - day
Community Fire Safety Conference to provide delegates with an insight into their
pioneering initiatives, such as work with young offenders and the reduction of school fires
in the local area. Students from Leeds University gave a performance based on their
education programme to educate children and young people on safety scenarios including
crime.
The event also focused on community fire safety and partnerships West Yorkshire Fire
and Rescue Services have built up over the years, such as the ‘Regan 2000 Team’ which
operate in Bradford to convey the fire safety messages to ‘vulnerable or hard to reach’
families
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6.0 Mass media
The aim of this section is to provide information, advice and guidance on mass media
involvement in supporting fire prevention campaigns and initiatives.
Work with your local press and PR teams to develop strategies and campaigns.
Dealing with the media is part of every FRS' day-to-day work. News coverage means free
publicity. There is natural interest in many of the different incidents that the fire and rescue
service is called to, and that interest is particularly strong in local and regional media.
However although the FRS gets great publicity when there is a fire, the media (and its
readers/listeners) are most likely to concentrate on the fire, not on fire prevention
messages. The challenge is to use every opportunity to get across a positive fire
prevention message and to 'project your voice' into the community. Also, you will not have
control over the final edit of the news story and the fire prevention message may not
always get through. Bear this in mind when giving sound bites to the media to ensure all
the key messages are included in a succinct way.
Media interest in the fire and rescue service can be a useful way to promote fire safety
awareness among a wide audience (or several distinct target audiences) in your area. By
tapping into the relationship that often exists between people and what they see as 'their'
local media, you connect with their immediate interests, home environment and
neighbourhood concerns.
The material in this module is for guidance only. To make the best use of media interest
and resources, you should always contact your local press officer and follow your own
FRS 's press and public relations policies and procedures.
Where the press and public relations role is separate from community fire safety, you may
find it useful to have regular joint planning meetings - based on the Fire Kills Media
Campaign Year Planner approach - to ensure that opportunities for proactive media
coverage are identified and planned in advance.
Remember: fires make good copy for the press, but what about fire prevention?
6.1 The effectiveness of mass media in promoting community fire safety
The 'mass media' - press and broadcasting - and the wide range of community information
channels can make a vital contribution to the effective promotion of community fire safety.
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This is particularly true when media coverage complements direct community action and
involvement.
The main benefits include:
provision of a direct channel of communication with individuals. You can use the media
to get across the central messages of fire safety in the home;
provision of information needed to change people's behaviour and can encourage them
to change. You can reach people who have an influence on those at greatest risk; for
example, family, professional carers or commercial organisations such as insurers or
home improvement retailers;
continuous and consistent media coverage of fire safety issues, which raises awareness
and helps to create a climate of support for action to prevent fire. Again, this can impact
on a variety of stakeholders within the community; and
specific community channels in local areas, which can target specific groups of the
community for example Indian language speakers through an Indian local community
TV station. These may also be relatively low cost as they may be on the lookout for
content with positive messages.
You should also think about your press strategy in conjunction with your use of 'paid
media' such as advertising. Your 'free publicity' and paid publicity must work together, and
include messages that support one another.
For more help go to:
Table 1.1 – which will help you plan a media and communications strategy.
Cost-effective publicity campaigns
6.2 Knowing your local media
To work successfully with local media you need to know which cover your area. The
choice of media today is wider than ever before:
news is available via daily and evening papers, weekly regional papers, 'freesheets' and
email newsletters;
BBC and commercial radio and TV stations, radio from round the world via the internet;
an increasing range of digital channels; and,
24-hour news, teletext and the Internet.
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Some communication channels are targeted principally at people from Black and Minority
Ethnic backgrounds. For more information in this Toolbox go to:
Working with Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in Target Audiences
6.3 Knowing your target audience
Competition for news is fierce. Editors and reporters are always on the lookout for the local
dimension that adds readership interest and value. Each FRS needs to be well-informed in
order to decide which media to choose to get your own fire and rescue service's
community fire safety messages across. Your local press officer will able to advise you on
what is available in your area, which are best to use, who to contact. Work with them to
plan your strategy.
Your local press office will have facts and figures about local media circulation, distribution
and which medium works best for different ages and target audience groups.
Media packs are available from any newspaper, radio or TV station, which provide
information on coverage and a breakdown of readership, listeners and viewers (it will also
tell you about their advertising rates, which you can use in your evaluation). Compare this
with your own geographical area, and the key target audiences you have identified in your
FRS community fire safety plan. Plan ahead to involve local media in events and initiatives
aimed at districts or groups or individuals who are at greatest risk from fire.
Make the most of any launches or events that you can use as a platform for more precise
targeting through direct community contact, or from follow-up publicity.
News coverage can be unpredictable and can seem like a 'scatter gun' approach to
publicity. But the impact and relevance of a timely news story with a strong local angle is
an important part of helping to get your message across.
For more information in this Toolbox go to:
Target Audiences
6.4 Getting - and staying - in touch
Good working contacts with local papers, TV and radio are important to all FRS'. Contact
will be maintained through your local, or headquarters public relations team, or directly, if
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that is what your FRS usually does. Good working relationships are built on trust and a
positive approach to communication.
If your FRS works without a press officers, make sure you know the key media people in
your area. Keep an up-to-date record of contacts. If you don't have a fire and rescue
service community fire safety database, use a contact sheet based on the one below to
compile your own.
Media Geographic Publication or Contacts:
organisation, title coverage and broadcast details
or programme target audience a) Editor
(Frequency, timing
deadlines, b) News desk
free/priced, etc)
c) Reporters
d) Picture
desk/photographer
e) Advertising
6.5 Getting attention - the press release and briefing
A Press release or a press briefing is the information that your FRS will prepare for the
media to talk them through the story or explain the messages the fire and rescue service
wants to get across.
Your press office will prepare press releases. But even if you are not responsible for
writing press releases, the basic guidelines for putting together a press release are a
useful checklist for all publicity work in general.
The Fire Kills Media Campaign produces a Year Planner and news package, which
provides pro-forma press releases for nearly 20 different seasonal and topical fire
prevention opportunities. This is a simple and low-cost way of achieving and sustaining
press interest throughout the year, needing only local information and a bit of originality in
offering some photographic support. To order a year planner, contact Mike Larking at
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ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Press releases have to work hard. They have to compete for attention with hundreds of
other stories, so the presentation of information is vital. A good press release is one of the
most efficient ways to get the right 'spin' on a story. The presentation rules are short and to
the point (rather like the finished product).
Head it 'News Release'.
The title says what the story's about. Don't make up a funny or clever headline - the
press will do that.
Don't save the best bit of the story till last - put the news in the first paragraph, or two at
most.
Cover the five 'W's - Who? What? Where? When? and Why? in those first two
paragraphs.
Steer clear of jargon - don't expect people to understand every word, even if you've sent
in a press release or talked to someone about the same subject before. The reader
might not be the same person.
Put any background information at the end as 'Notes for editors'.
Use quotes, such as the Chief Fire Officer, if you can, or include a contact name and
number they can contact for more information. Check protocols with your local press
officer.
Include positive community fire safety messages that are relevant to the story in a
simple and timely way.
If you can supply (or source) a photograph, say so and give details.
Time it for the morning or evening news (to be in the morning paper, news usually has
to be in by lunchtime the day before).
Avoid overkill or being seen to 'cry wolf' - only send a press release when you have
genuine news.
Whenever you think fire safety could be in the news, decide first whether a press release
is needed, or whether, for example, a briefing or interview would be more appropriate.
Always consult with your local press officer.
Whatever you send to the press, in addition to your FRS badge, you can use the national
fire prevention logo to accompany community fire safety announcements. This will strongly
reinforce the cumulative impact of different fire prevention messages. A logo guidance
document, with PC disk and CD-ROM, has been sent to all FRSs.
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Fire facts and figures
When the media are interested in a particular fire or incident, it is often helpful to provide
(under 'Notes for editors') some additional background material such as publicity material
to support the news story, or simple factsheets about fire statistics and fire prevention.
Use the information contained in the Hot Topics section of this Toolbox as the basis for
your own factsheets, including local information, figures and case studies. This extra
material will help give articles more accuracy, prominence and relevance, resulting in
greater impact and communication value.
If there are worrying trends from certain types of fire or areas of risk, you may be able to
take a more active and longer-term media role through local press editorial 'campaigns'. If
particular 'causes' are adopted in this way, the added value of more in-depth coverage can
help to drive a fire safety message home in a powerful way.
'One picture is worth 1,000 words'
Accurate information and facts are vital for any news story. Photos, graphics and other
visual material are also helpful to capture attention and interest. The involvement of fire
stations and firefighters can be particularly effective as, generally, local press likes to deal
with local people.
When planning your story and/or photographs:
Think creatively about a positive photo opportunity. People need to feel empowered and
motivated. A photograph of local people involved in a fire safety initiative will help
encourage others in the community to do something.
Be visually dramatic. Fire engines are an obvious backdrop, but there is no limit to the
possibilities for a more novel approach.
Think about the community setting for a news story. Local people's familiarity with
particular buildings, houses, streets, flats or estates helps them to identify more
personally with the fire safety concern in the story.
Ask local firefighters for their photo ideas - involvement encourages ownership.
Involve others in the community
If local people are involved then supply pictures of those individuals as it will add to the
local flavour and increase potential take up.
Reinforce your press release (or more in-depth interview/story) and photographs with
other awareness-raising activities, such as:
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leafleting households in the area;
distributing leaflets and posters through libraries, GPs' surgeries and other relevant
community outlets;
giving fire safety talks to targeted community groups.
6.6 The Fire and Rescue Service in the news
As well as fire prevention campaigns and fires themselves, the fire and rescue service's
own news can be of interest to the community that you serve. This could include
information and pictures about individual watches, stations and personnel changes, as well
as headquarters news.
Publishing a summary of the fire and rescue service's annual performance plan may need
extra funds, but it will help the community to know and understand the fire and rescue
service's community fire safety priorities.
You could also release your 'target figures' (and what they mean for local people) as a
news story.
A good relationship with the media can pay dividends in other ways. It's important for the
press to identify strongly with their communities, and if you can offer them a guaranteed
supply of good local stories and feature material, they may be interested in regular pieces
such as an 'opinion' column as well. Once again, more in-depth coverage can help you to
timetable which fire safety message is most important at different times.
6.7 Networks and partnerships in the news
Community networks, such as health alliances and Crime and Disorder Reduction
Partnerships are also a source of news. Getting your FRS involved in these partnerships
can ensure that fire prevention is included in other news stories about community safety
and welfare.
Working in partnership helps to get your message across in a fresh and memorable way.
Whatever your fire safety priorities, think about what other agencies and community
groups you can involve and invite them to events where appropriate. As well as working to
achieve media objectives, the involvement of community partners in press launches and
publicity events helps to demonstrate joined-up working and shared aims.
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For further information in this Toolbox go to:
Before You Start in Getting Started, in particular p3, 1.3 Community partnerships
You may also want to order a Fire Kills Media Campaign Year Planner which has some
useful connections by emailing:
ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
6.8 A community voice
Council newspapers, parish newsletters, residents' bulletins (for example, tenants'
associations) and other publications circulate regularly in the community. Find out what
other community information networks are available in your area. Church and other
faith community magazines may cover local playgroups, where you have a chance to
provide basic fire prevention information for parents of very young children. They may also
be linked with local care networks for the elderly. Community free sheets may not be the
most elaborate or glossy productions, but they often have a loyal readership within
particular groups and areas. As they deal with specific local issues and concerns, people
see them as a genuine and authoritative 'community voice'.
You could find out how often these are published and offer to contribute regular advice on
particular fire risks at the time they are most important (or for the audience that most
needs to know). For example:
for students (and landlords) at the beginning of term when they move into unfamiliar
accommodation;
for older people who may need advice on smoke alarms; or
during school holidays, when the risks for children can be greater and 'sleepovers' can
mean parents taking responsibility for the safety of other families' children.
Use the Year Planner as a framework for setting priority fire safety messages throughout
the year.
Once you have made contact with these networks, you may find that other opportunities
open up - community notice boards for posters and publicity material; invitations to give a
talk or a demonstration; or the chance to carry out home fire safety assessments.
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6.9 The 'hot strike' approach: Handling media coverage of a fire that makes the news
Your FRS will have standard procedures for who talks to the press and when, but talking
about a domestic fire in the community - whatever the scale of the incident - is often an
instant opportunity to get across a message about fire prevention.
Without pre-empting fire investigation, and while being sensitive to the feelings of the
people whose home caught fire, it is still possible to use the media to remind the public
why they need a working smoke alarm, or about having a fire escape action plan.
Remember, you will not have control over the final edit of the news story and the fire
prevention message may not always get through. Bear this in mind when giving sound
bites to the media to ensure all the key messages are included in a succinct way.
Many brigades produce specific material which local firefighters can use after a fire has
made news. Factsheets on the cause of the recent fire, risks and guidance on
safety/prevention action can help you to provide an appropriate 'rapid response'.
For further information on advice you might want to give out after a fire, go to:
Hot Topics
6.10 A continuous message
It is also important to find ways of being proactive about community fire safety throughout
the year, not just when fires occur. This means looking at the weeks, months and year
ahead and planning some newsworthy milestones which can work with national
campaigns to provide a continuous media awareness of, and interest in, fire issues.
The more we hear any message, the more likely we are to respond. Marketing and
publicity professions say 'looking for information' is one of the most important steps in
motivating someone to make a decision. The same is true of fire safety messages.
Repeating the message, in ways that are relevant to people's interests and concerns, is a
basic part of fire safety awareness.
Throughout the year, there are newsworthy topical and seasonal events; some of them -
such as barbecues on summer bank holidays - mean fire risks that provide an opportunity
to get fire safety messages across regularly. The more you can 'personalise' these stories
- with local case studies and people, photographs and other local interest material - the
more likely the media are to include the message.
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Many of the Year Planner events are linked to wider community campaigns and
opportunities, such as 'No Smoking Day' and 'Child Safety Week'. To order a copy email:
ncfsc@communities.gsi.gov.uk
There is media potential in a whole range of seasonal events, such as linking putting the
clocks back and forward with reminding people to check smoke alarm batteries every 6
months, religious festivals such as Diwali which involves community gatherings and
celebrations using candles and flames.
6.11 Evaluation of press and news media
Don't be put off if you don't achieve front-page headlines or the first item in the news.
Decisions on news value and editorial positioning can change very quickly, but keep
working at it!
Of course, news coverage cannot be guaranteed. You cannot really control if or how a
story will appear or whether it will be as accurate or detailed as you hope. Keeping a
record of 'column inches' (how long a story, on what page and with how big a headline) is
one form of evaluation 'by output' - but it doesn't tell you anything about how effective the
message has been with audiences.
The criteria in this module and the objectives set out in your community fire safety plan
should give you practical objectives for measuring media success. They will include:
did you use the right media for the right community and target audience?
was the story positive and accurate - has the right message been projected?
use of pictures or other-eye-catching material, which helps to create impact and
attention, and assists the communication process. Examples could include use of a
simple graphic showing how to fit a smoke alarm or deal with a chip pan fire.
opportunities for a follow-up story, or new community involvement?
relations with media and key contacts?
positive role of the fire and rescue service as a whole and particular stations or
commands. Has this press coverage enhanced your role and effectiveness in the
community?
Use this approach to check what the media have used and what they have said. Your
media pack will tell you how much the equivalent space or airtime would cost if you were
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paying advertising rates. Over time, therefore, your investment in a positive press and
public relations strategy can be assessed in terms of money saved.
There are other kinds of effectiveness that you can evaluate:
Has a story helped to involve new partners / new communities in fire prevention?
Are you getting fire safety on the 'agenda' of local news or community networks?
Can you use the headlines and news coverage to achieve greater influence and
awareness, within the community, and within the fire and rescue service itself?
Can you incorporate press coverage into displays, adding immediacy and urgency to
the message? (with the copyright permission of the media organisations).
If the fire and rescue service is carrying out local opinion research, or is in touch with
particular groups and networks, try to find out if people have noticed local media coverage
and how this has helped. A simple market research question can be helpful and
informative in assessing how other people see you. Media evaluation is a specialised
aspect of public relations work, and more sophisticated research techniques are likely to
be costly.
For further information in this toolbox on how to evaluate, go to:
Evaluation in Getting Started
6.12 Media training
In your FRS it may be appropriate for some key community fire safety personnel to have
media and public relations training (depending on who in the FRS is responsible for public
relations). Check with your local press officer before making any arrangements.
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