The Fire Service PIO: Now Is the Time to Prepare for Fire Prevention Week
Fire Prevention Week is the one week each year in which the fire service emphasizes the importance of preventing fires and what to do in the event of a fire. The PIO can help share this information with the community through various media outlets. The secret is getting the information out in a timely manner, which takes planning and preparation.
History lesson
On Oct. 9, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned for 27 hours, ultimately killing more than 250 people, leaving more than 100,000 people homeless, and destroying nearly 18,000 buildings. Although the exact cause of the fire has never been determined, one popular legend blames Mrs. Catherine O’Leary’s cow for kicking over a lantern and started a barn on fire.
On the 40th anniversary of the blaze, fire officials from across the country sponsored the first National Fire Prevention Day, advocating an annual observance about fire safety and education. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period during which Oct. 9 falls.
2017 theme
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) spearheads national Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 8–14 this year. The 2017 theme is “Every Second Counts—Plan Two Ways Out.” First things first, research the subject. Know why it is important to have two ways out of every room and what to do in the event of a fire so you are prepared to answer questions on the topic during interviews.
Use various media
The media is like a computer. When you first get a computer, it has nothing in it. You must upload programs and information. The media is the same. They depend on you to provide the information. This can be done with outlines, pamphlets, links to fire prevention sites—anything you have that can help them get accurate and relevant information.
You’ll need to handle each form of media a little different based on audiences and deadlines. As a rule of thumb, you should contact your media outlets during the first week of September and ask what they can do for you during Fire Prevention Week.
TV and social media depend on visual stories. Taking members of the media to a house or other building to show examples of two ways out and how to escape during a fire would be a good visual. In most cases, it will be taped, which means it would need to be done well before Fire Prevention Week. However, they might ask to do it live during Fire Prevention Week. In either case, the PIO will need to make all preparations, such as finding a building, getting permission to use the building, and planning it out with the reporter on how the story will be handled.
For radio, the media is looking for sound. You can enhance your interview with sounds of a smoke alarm or fire alarms going off in a building. This adds to the interview and keeps people’s interest.
With the print media, photos will help round out the story. Photos must be clear and high resolution. They can be staged shots, showing a person going out a door with an exit sign above or through a window of a bedroom. Again, the media will depend on you to provide the right photo.
You can also use Twitter, Facebook and social media sites to spread the message. Create and save your messages early so you can post them numerous times leading up to and during Fire Prevention Week. You will be very busy that week, so having your messages ready to go will save you time.
The NFPA site has print-ready images for Fire Prevention Week that can be downloaded. Make sure you get the official Fire Prevention Week banner or poster and have it behind you during any of your interviews. You can share this information with the media as well in case they want to download anything themselves.
Get ready!
Fire Prevention Week is one of the busiest weeks of the year for a PIO. Planning well in advance will significantly ease the stress. Make the fire service shine in your community by promoting the important themes of Fire Prevention Week! More information about fire prevention week and materials are available at nfpa.org/fpw.
Timothy Szymanski
Timothy R. Szymanski is a Master Public Information Officer who is the fire public education & information officer for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue. He has been in the fire service for 51 years and has worked in every position from firefighter/paramedic to fire chief in his career. Szymanski also is a Master Fire Service Instructor. He was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2017 and received the association’s Community Service Award. Szymanski also received the National Firemark Award from Liberty Mutual Insurance. He is a PIO instructor for the Nevada Department of Public Safety and was the Fire & Emergency PIO for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
