An essential and typically ignored part of instructing and implementing contamination discount methods is the advertising and marketing of the message to our firefighters. Have you ever thought about the autos or strategies you utilize for the supply of your coaching messages?
Well-intentioned coaching initiatives typically fall quick as a result of their lack of ability to greatest join with the finish person – in our case, the firefighter. Additionally, we fail to optimize the supply of the message by not leveraging know-how and the many obtainable methods to ship the message.
Here we’ll deal with tips on how to improve efforts to “market the message” to our firefighters, particularly because it pertains to problems with health and safety, and use FDNY examples to point out the way it works.
Optics matter
To start, fireplace division pictures and movies should painting the picture we wish to convey, as optics are an integral a part of messaging. Imagery should at all times show what “proper” appears wish to the division. This is very essential on the subject of pictures exhibiting secure practices, clear gear and clear firefighters when delivering contamination-reduction messages. Further, this commonplace have to be uniformly upheld. For instance, a coaching video on truck firm operations that incorporates a firefighter sporting soiled gear will ship an unintended message that may subconsciously reinforce the message that soiled or unsafe gear is suitable.
Fireground pictures used for coaching should comply with these identical guidelines. Photos that depict firefighters with a soot-covered face should not be utilized in inside or exterior campaigns. Nothing can ship a combined message quicker than imagery that doesn’t align with the message. They say an image is price a thousand phrases. One unhealthy photograph can upend even the best-articulated messages.
Left: The cowl of the FDNY Reduce Your Risk Publication highlights the significance of glean gear. Access this free publication at www.fdnypro.org/reduceyourrisk. Right: Use pictures that show what “proper” appears like. This is simply as true for contamination reeducation as it’s for different coaching, reminiscent of demonstrating correct hose-loading on the again step of an engine.
Multiple advertising and marketing mediums
When planning the advertising and marketing of a coaching message, consider the advertising and marketing as you’d a shopper product. Consider the best-known merchandise and the advertising and marketing methods they make use of. It is not any coincidence that the best-known merchandise are additionally the greatest marketed.
When planning to market messages to your members, it’s helpful to make the most of a number of messaging strategies. Similar to the hottest or well-known shopper merchandise that use many various promoting mediums, we too should make use of as many various “promoting” mediums as doable.
These best-known produces are marketed utilizing radio adverts, print adverts, TV commercials, product placement, billboards, social media and different outstanding promoting, reminiscent of signage at a ballpark. The omnipresent stream of messaging makes these merchandise and the message they want to ship straightforward to recollect and straightforward to recall.
Additionally, you will need to think about using as lots of the 5 senses as doable (sound, scent, style, contact and sight). The 5 senses are the major means we use to achieve new data. Our senses work collectively and assist us higher perceive and bear in mind the message. Utilizing a couple of sense enhances to the probability {that a} message can be remembered.
Direct social media messages at your firefighters, like this FDNY social media submit from Jan. 1, 2018.
Leverage social media
The public isn’t your solely viewers on social media. Your members comply with your social media platforms, too. This offers an distinctive alternative to amplify your coaching message with well-crafted messages that articulate what your division is doing to greatest shield its membership. It additionally instills satisfaction and a powerful, constructive picture of a company that cares about its firefighters. This may act as a strong recruiting device, as followers of your group who could also be contemplating a profession in the fireplace service can recall and acknowledge the constructive picture of your division.
In the FDNY, following the issuance of our Reduce Your Risk publication, a number of social media posts have been created and directed towards our membership. One, posted on Jan. 1, 2018, proposed a New Year’s decision for firefighters to resolve to cut back their danger. The message learn, “Resolve to maintain your self, private protecting tools (PPE) instruments and equipment as clear as doable – on your health, future and household.”
Of course, there are different boundaries to implementation and compliance of greatest practices to cut back firefighter publicity to dangerous contaminants. Don’t let your advertising and marketing of the message be one in every of them.
Decorate with a goal
As a current customer to the Fire Academy advised me, “You adorn with a goal right here.” This is as correct an announcement any customer has ever spoken.
Decades of FDNY members earlier than us started the job of adorning with a goal. Today, we’re good stewards who proceed this coaching custom and proceed to develop high quality coaching messages. A coaching classroom with posters or props on the wall is a superb instance of adorning with a goal. Marketing the message will be so simple as a message board or a monitor constantly enjoying coaching movies. There is maybe no higher place than the Fire Academy or coaching heart to make sure your members are totally immersed in the coaching expertise. Think outdoors the field, and develop revolutionary and memorable experiences on your firefighters. This is how true studying and remembering happen.
Examples of adorning with a goal at the FDNY Fire Academy. Left: This plaque hangs at the Fire Academy, serving as a memorial to our members and a reminder of the significance of coaching. These two firefighters have been killed when the rope they have been on snapped. After this tragic incident, the FDNY developed insurance policies and procedures for the use and inspection of the lifesaving rope. Middle/proper: These stickers are positioned on each locker at the fireplace academy as effectively on lockers in firehouses. It is an instance of selling the message – not simply on contamination discount however different essential safety messages as effectively.
At the firehouse
It is inconceivable to go to an FDNY firehouse and not discover examples of firm satisfaction, firm historical past, and examples of selling and adorning with a goal – from the coaching materials posted on firehouse bulletin boards to the poster that reminds firefighters to brush the flooring with the nozzle to keep away from debilitating knee burns, or the plaques and memorials that hold on our partitions reminding us of those who have come earlier than us and to always remember. The significance of coaching is ubiquitous and unmistakable.
When creating a advertising and marketing technique, contemplate the partitions of the firehouse as essential actual property that firefighters see on a continuing foundation. Messages that obtain “wall standing” are sometimes the messages which are most essential to those who work there. This is a coveted area for coaching messages to occupy. Draft the massages accordingly. Recognize that the partitions of the firehouse as exceptionally essential extensions of the coaching canvas and develop messaging for these areas.
On July 29, the FDNY started a partnership with Mollie’s Fund. Learn extra at https://molliesfund.org.
Partnerships with shared objectives
FDNY just lately fashioned a partnership with Mollie’s Fund, a company with a major mission to teach the public on pores and skin most cancers and melanoma consciousness. This message aligns with the message we wish to ship to our firefighters. This leads to a mutually helpful partnership that leverages shared objectives and the advertising and marketing means of each organizations.
Skin most cancers is a standard most cancers in the common inhabitants and due to this fact requires a higher academic push to market the message and lower pores and skin most cancers charges. For firefighters, the danger is even higher. Our partnership with this impactful group will allow the FDNY to market our pores and skin most cancers consciousness message in any respect of our coaching places to the hazards of pores and skin most cancers.
The major advertising and marketing automobile for this endeavor is sunscreen lotion dispenser’s full with an hooked up message of pores and skin most cancers consciousness. These are the identical kind of sunscreen dispensers that you could be discover at your native seaside or park. What higher option to market the message of pores and skin most cancers than at a coaching facility the place coaching and schooling are the major objectives?
The fireplace academy
It is maybe a pure match to have schooling occurring at the Fire Academy – and some other coaching location. What higher option to make an announcement about pores and skin most cancers consciousness and greatest shield and educate your entire firefighters? Training and schooling start on Day 1 and put together the firefighter for a profession of health habits.
At the FDNY Fire Academy, our instructors sometimes spend a number of hours every day outdoors, typically in the solar. Additionally, though not required, our new probationary firefighters sometimes arrive at the academy on Day 1 with a crew minimize or very quick hair. Both our instructors and new firefighters are uncovered to the solar throughout coaching. However, you will need to state right here that there are different causes for firefighters’ elevated danger of pores and skin most cancers, reminiscent of dermal publicity to fireside floor contaminants. This have to be a part of advertising and marketing the message. The use of sunscreen dispensers offers a automobile that’s memorable and contains a number of senses and due to this fact the message will doubtless stick, actually and figuratively.
Left: A sunscreen dispenser at the FDNY Fire Academy is the automobile used to market the message. Right: New recruits and instructors alike are uncovered to the solar throughout coaching at the academy, however they’re supplied sunscreen to guard themselves.
Final ideas
A easy pores and skin most cancers consciousness marketing campaign, coupled with the partnership with Mollie’s Fund, demonstrates how a number of advertising and marketing methods can collectively present a memorable and highly effective message. These advertising and marketing methods are helpful instruments for quite a lot of essential coaching messages. When correctly marketed and delivered, well-crafted coaching messages usually tend to be obtained and remembered, in the end resulting in a safer, more healthy and better-educated firefighting crew.
https://www.firechief.com/leadership/articles/marketing-the-message-how-fdny-spreads-the-word-about-firefighter-health-and-safety-tJRPsuZuvKCu3Deq/
