Template showcase: Engaging the community about fire safety

Engaging the community about fire safety

The most effective firefighting technique is prevention. Educating local businesses and residents about fire safety at home and at work are important steps in serving the community. By promoting the tools and services available through community engagement and providing utilities, like reminders to check a smoke alarm, give a new channel to educate residents and ultimately save lives. 

Safety reminders can save lives
One of the most effective ways to build an audience which can be engaged and educated with fire safety information, is to offer a utility for them to subscribe to. In this example we have created a “check your fire alarm” reminder service that once a contact subscribes they will receive a monthly email to remind them to check their fire alarms. Upon subscription however, there is a valuable time to provide further key information about domestic fire safety through a ‘welcome series’ of 4 emails. Not only do these emails promote fire safety advice they also serve as a channel to promote ‘Home Fire Safety checks’.

Example emails:

• https://news.comms.e-shot.net/yco5/Design/8h4e-h47h0 - register for smoke alarm test reminders confirmation

• https://news.comms.e-shot.net/yco5/Design/8h4z-cnh5 - register for smoke alarm test reminders welcome 1

• https://news.comms.e-shot.net/yco5/Design/8h4o-4ee48 - register for smoke alarm test reminders welcome 2

• https://news.comms.e-shot.net/yco5/Design/8h48-7jh44 - register for smoke alarm test reminders welcome 3

The information you need to share is largely already detailed in your websites, the emails just present this content in smaller, more manageable instalments. The emails highlight specific areas and offer as “sign-posts” to bring people to your website where they can find more detailed information.

Through their email subscriptions contacts can self-manage to ensure that they get the information more relevant to them, for example domestic or business fire safety, special support for key groups like carers and support workers and even to support those considering a career in the fire service.

Seasonal updates and open days

With an email audience in place you can also promote seasonal safety around bonfire night or Christmas, as well as raising awareness of events and open days. The emails highlight specific areas and offer as “sign-posts” to bring people to your website where they can find more detailed information.
 
Equally, this channel also enables pre-emptive messaging to be sent out in the case of times of increased risk for example if there is risk of flooding in times of significantly high rainfall or grass and wildfires if it is unseasonably hot. We can use of experience of working with Resilience Forums to help support your comms.