Challenge:

Home fires destroy lives and property, yet people don’t take their risk seriously. Simple behaviors (such as having working smoke detectors and an escape plan) can save lives. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) engaged Hager Sharp to help them communicate about fire safety in an effort to curb the number of home fire deaths. 

Approach:

We’ve worked for USFA for over a decade, and during that time we’ve researched the most vulnerable populations and created messages, materials, campaigns, and resources to help them either prevent or survive home fires. While the tactics to help older adults differed dramatically from those to reach smokers or parents of babies and toddlers, in each scenario, we worked to understand their barriers and tailor our outreach efforts to have the biggest impact. We’ve also developed a daily working relationship with the media and fire stations across the country to leverage teachable moments and amplify the use of USFA messages and materials. 

Results:

After a decade of generating media coverage (over one billion media impressions) and wide-reaching partnerships, we’ve seen a steady decline of civilian fire-related deaths (from 4,025 in 1998 to 3,650 in 2008).