Federal Emergency Management Agency's United States Fire Administration: Public Education/Awareness for Fire Prevention and Protection

Our Client's Challenge:

Hager Sharp has a long-lasting working relationship with the U. S. Fire Administration (USFA). In the early and mid 1990s, Hager Sharp was responsible for producing and implementing nationwide public education and media placement activities designed to increase fire safety and prevention. Elements of our program included designing and implementing three new national public education campaigns; augmenting/enhancing existing campaigns; developing media strategies and securing media coverage; reaching and educating at-risk audiences (children, multicultural populations, the elderly, rural and urban populations); developing partnerships; conceptualizing and coordinating satellite video teleconferences on the Emergency Education Network; providing general administrative and program support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's United States Fire Administration (FEMA/USFA); and providing technical assistance to local fire service and partner organizations.

The Difference:

The Home Fire Safety. Act On It! campaign targeted general fire safety and prevention messages to the wide variety of audiences at risk of fire. Messages, themes and concepts were pre-tested with fire service educators. Hager Sharp developed partnerships for information dissemination with fire departments, EMS providers and media. Hager Sharp persuaded the National Association of Broadcasters to adopt fire safety as a special initiative and we promoted the PSAs during their national conference. We recruited then HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, sports broadcaster Ahmad Rashad and talk show host Kathy Lee Gifford for our television PSAs. We developed a range of tools and materials, including radio and television PSAs; campaign kits, including sample press releases, editorials, fact sheets, print PSAs and talking points and guidelines; and a colorful doorknob hang-tag. Media evaluation indicated PSA placements in more than 1,000 media outlets, with an audience reach of more than 25 million.

Proteja a su familia de los incendios. Hagalo hoy! targeted general fire safety awareness messages to Spanish-speaking populations. Hager Sharp established partnerships for USFA with the American Red Cross and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign to enhance materials distribution through existing grassroots community networks. Messages, concepts and materials were pre-tested with fire departments, Red Cross chapters and community organizations. Research indicated that a special challenge for partners was "teaching" Spanish-speaking audiences when the "teacher" could not speak Spanish. The tools and materials Hager Sharp developed to meet this challenge included an educational video with accompanying materials in Spanish and English, media outreach materials and PSAs for Spanish and bilingual TV featuring U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros and Univision star Don Francisco. Partners for Fire Safe Homes was designed to create awareness and acceptance of residential fire sprinklers. Hager Sharp formed a coalition of organizations from all sides of the issue (fire service, fire sprinkler trade, homebuilders and related industries) to reach elected officials and other key decision-makers and the general public. We designed exhibits and coordinated displays, developed and distributed materials, coordinated events and conducted media relations.

For our work on Federal Emergency Management Agency/U.S. Fire Administration's campaigns Hager Sharp received the national Clarion Award for the "Best Campaign" from the American Women in Communications and The Golden Fireman Award for the "Best Video" from the International Contest of Videos on Fire. We also supported FEMA/USFA through special projects, such as annual media outreach for the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service (which earned coverage on NBC Today Show with Willard Scott, The Washington Post, and extensive regional coverage), speechwriting and preparation of FEMA/USFA's annual report.