City of Medford Fire & Rescue
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- Primary and Secondary Messages for Media Primary Message
- Primary and Secondary Messages for Utility Payers Primary Message
- Primary Message
- Objectives Objective 1
- Strategy 1
- Portland Fire and Rescue
City of Medford Fire & Rescue
Streamlined PR Plan Submitted by University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication PR Campaigns Team: Julia Vipiana: juliavipiana@gmail.com, Lindsey Contino: lcontino@uoregon.edu, Nicole Numrich: nicole.numrich@gmail.com, and Taylor Jernagan: jernagan@uregon.edu Table of Contents
Media Kit……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26 Social Media Audit………………………………………………………………………………….. 33
City of Medford Fire & Rescue Streamlined PR Plan Date: June 2, 2014 Submitted by University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication PR Campaigns Team: Julia Vipiana: juliavipiana@gmail.com, Lindsey Contino: lcontino@uoregon.edu, Nicole Numrich: nicole.numrich@gmail.com, and Taylor Jernagan: jernagan@uregon.edu Introduction This plan was created to provide a clear outline of projects our campaigns team hopes to put into motion. The ideas we are not able to complete in our ten-week time constraint, we hope that Medford Fire-Rescue will implement the rest of our ideas in the future as construction unfolds. On October 3, 2013, Medford City Council unanimously voted to fund the projects for Medford Police and Fire-Rescue by implementing a $2 fee on residents’ utility bill. Medford Fire-Rescue wants to inform the citizens how this utility fee will essentially make them safer. There has been minimal backlash from the citizens, but Medford Fire-Rescue wants to ensure these improvements will be accepted in case serious future backlash ensues. Medford Fire-Rescue also wants citizens to know how important their fire stations are to their immediate community surrounding communities, and how many roles firefighters serve in supporting their communities. The Medford Fire-Rescue needs new fire facilities and immediate reconstruction to ensure Medford’s public safety. The city’s four current fire stations were built back in the 1950s and no longer meet current health and safety department standards. Since these fire stations were constructed, the department has taken on additional civil duties, but didn’t have a process in place to improve its stations as their duties increased. Medford Fire-Rescue will moving fire station 2 to a new location in hopes of improving response times. This money is specifically aimed to create adequate housing and living quarters for firefighters and paramedics as well as, providing expanded space to store several fire engines in their garages. Situation Analysis We are currently in the process of creating our streamlined plan and honing in on what we need from the client and what they want from us.Deputy Chief Gordon Sletmoe and Deputy Chief Justin Bates stressed the importance of getting the public involved and letting them know that the newly remodeled fire stations are the communities buildings. The public needs to be informed about the benefits that the new facilities will have on the neighborhoods in Medford. However, rather than justifying an already-levied tax increase to the public, the community may be most responsive to learning about the many services Medford Fire-Rescue stations provide. Overall, our goal is to show the public how their new fire stations are going to benefit them. In our best practices research we found similarities in three different cities’ approaches to remodeling their fire stations. Early communication and consistent communication played a key role in gaining the public’s support for the reconstruction. Keeping the public informed throughout the entire reconstruction process by posting information online and inviting the public to get involved contributed to the overall success of the projects. Challenges
Opportunities
Target Audience Media We chose the media as a target audience because the local television news networks, newspapers and radio stations can get a message across to masses. The media are an intervening audience who need to be addressed in order to create a positive relationship with their own specific audiences. Utility payers This audience was specified because the utility payers didn’t get a vote to approve construction; creating a positive relationship with them will lessen the backlash in case they realize they weren’t consulted in the vote. Specifically, the utility payers are the one who pay the utility every month. We specifically singled out the business owners, homeowners and property owners. Primary and Secondary Messages for Media Primary Message: News coverage of the reconstruction of Medford Fire-Rescue’s new fire stations will fulfill your obligation to produce PSAs. Secondary Message:
Primary and Secondary Messages for Utility Payers Primary Message: Medford Fire-Rescue serves and educates the community in many ways. Secondary Message:
Primary Message: Medford Fire-Rescue’s newly remodeled stations will enhance the firefighters’ overall abilities to do their job in your community. Secondary Message:
Objectives Objective 1: Increase the number of communication channels to engage utility payers from today to the beginning of construction. Objective 2: Generate one news media placement in Medford print and broadcast media twice a month until the beginning of construction. Media Strategy 1 Use traditional media sources to inform the community about Medford Fire-Rescue by reaching out to contacts already utilized by Medford Fire-Rescue. Tactics for this term
Future Tactics
Utility Payers Strategy 1 Engage the public throughout the construction process through creating interactive tools so that the public will feel a part of the process. Future Tactics
Strategy 2 Educate the public on all aspects of Medford Fire-Rescue so that they are aware how their safety is ensured by the number of things Medford Fire-Rescue does for its community. Future Tactics
Evaluation
Timeline For the remaining weeks, we will work on pitching ‘Firehouse Friday’ to Mail Tribune and local news stations. We will also produce a social media audit for future use. Budget Medford Fire-Rescue doesn't have a specific budget. In our meeting, Deputy Chief Sletmoe and Deputy Chief Bates advised against setting a specific budget to allow our team the freedom to put our imaginations to work and create a plan that will work for them in the future. Specifically for this term, we don’t have any hard costs as our work will be media relations. Best Practices Research for Medford Fire Department Submitted by UO SOJC PR Campaigns Team: Julia Vipiana: juliavipiana@gmail.com, Lindsey Contino: lcontino@uoregon.edu, Nicole Numrich: nicole.numrich@gmail.com, and Taylor Jernagan: jernagan@uregon.edu April 11, 2014 Introduction Our best practices report analyzes three different organizations that have had similar issues and experiences to those of Medford Fire and Rescue. These organizations have successfully communicated with the public surrounding the implementation of additional fees and or the reconstruction process of building new facilities for public benefit. By looking at these organizations we can provide Medford Fire and Rescue with a detailed plan, that they can use in the future when dealing with similar issues. First, we looked at Amazon and how it approached raising membership fees for its subscribers. This company tailored its communication efforts to a specific audience and successfully achieved its goal of informing the public about upcoming changes being made to membership fees, by raising awareness of the charges well in advance of its implementation. This applies to Medford Fire Department, MFD, because it has also made an increase in Medford’s utility fee surcharge and is seeking suggestions for how to successfully communicate with the public and ease backlash. Second, we focused on Portland Fire and Rescue and the ways that it engages with the public on the Station 21 reconstruction, as well as, all of the other ways in which it provides education for the public. Portland Fire and Rescue mainly focuses on its website to provide information, but the information that is given is the same type of information that Medford Fire and Rescue needs to provide its community with through traditional media. PF&R gives great detail into the reconstruction, so that the public can follow the process step by step. PF&R also lists and gives detail on all the other tasks that they do on a daily basis. The takeaway from this organization for Medford Fire and Rescue is to openly and effectively communicate with the public to get their message across. Thirdly, we looked at Atlanta’s fire station #19 and how it communicated with the public about its upcoming renovations to its oldest fire station. Everything about the plans, donating and the history is available to the public via their website and through the multiple news stories. Fire station #19 has its own website specific to the renovation plans which the public can visit for updates on the plans and events they can attend to meet the firemen. The takeaway from Atlanta’s fire station #19 is to be completely transparent with the public about the happenings of the renovations. 
http://jimschuchart.com/raising-price-best-practices-amazon/ 2 http://www.amazon.com/ref=gno_logo 3 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303546204579436903309411092 Overview Amazon strives to be the world’s most customer-centric company where people can find virtually anything they want to buy. By giving customers more of what they want - low prices, vast selection, and convenience - Amazon.com continues to grow and evolve. Founded by Jeff Bezos, the Amazon.com website started in 1995 as a place to buy books because of the unique customer experience the Web could offer book lovers. During the first 30 days of business, Amazon.com fulfilled orders for customers in 50 states and 45 countries - all shipped from his Seattle-area garage. Today, more than two million small businesses, world-class retail brands and individual sellers increase their sales and reach new customers by leveraging the power of the Amazon.com e-commerce platform. This year Amazon was looking to increase its Prime membership fee from $79 to $99. The challenge the company faced was the need to provide a solid communication plan in order to inform its customer base of the new price change. We chose Amazon as a “good example” of how to communicate well with a target audience prior to a price change going into effect. Although this may not help Medford Fire Department now that its price change has already gone into effect, it may be able to utilize some of the tactics Amazon incorporated into its communication plan for similar future proceedings. Best Practices One of the most effective practices of Amazon is its consistent and effective communication practice with its customers. Recently, Amazon.com announced it would raise the annual price of the Prime membership service by $20 to $99, which is the first increase in its nine-year history. The price increase means Prime membership will cost 26 cents more per month than Netflix's streaming service, but add in free two-day shipping on any Amazon purchase. Amazon claims the 25% increase was needed to counteract growing delivery and content-acquisition costs. This $99 price swell took effect for new members on March 20, 2014. Existing Prime members will pay the higher rate upon renewal of their membership. In an effort to communicate openly with its members, Amazon did a number of things to keep their customers in its good graces, despite its rising prices. First, the company announced its price increase a full 247 days early to its existing costumers in the form of an email. One of Amazon’s current Prime members, Jim Schuchart, was very pleased with the way in which Amazon stayed in contact with him throughout the process of this transition. 
From this email, Amazon revealed several things to Schuchart, “First, Amazon communicated the news a full 247 days before any action was needed on my side (renew or churn). Next they offer a brief explanation of cost increases. Finally, Amazon gave me some reasons why their Prime service is so great. It’s a short reminder of all of the great value that I am getting from my membership.” Another thing that Amazon did well posting a countdown clock on its website showing the remaining time potential new members had to receive the $79 membership fee, following the company’s public announcement. The clock would continue to countdown on Amazon.com until March 20th when the new $99 price would go into effect. This was a wonderful communication strategy, because it allowed everyone who had access to the website to view how much time they had left to sign up to become a member. 
Currently, Amazon is getting ready to increase its fee for existing Prime members to $99 starting on April 17, 2014. The company continues to send out email reminders of this change to current Prime members alerting them of this change and giving them plenty of time to decide if they would like to continue their membership as an Amazon Prime member. This way, customers do not feel taken advantage of or blind sighted and are given an opportunity to make their own choices. Lessons Learned While Medford Fire Department has already put these fees into effect, it can still learn from Amazon’s communication plan. Medford Fire Department should create a communication plan for future changes like this, that will provide information to its publics (via emails, news releases, Facebook posts, etc.) well in advance about changes occurring in the community before such adjustments go into effect. This open interaction will allow Medford Fire Department to stay in the good graces of the community, as Amazon did with its customers, through a solid communication plan and offer the public a sense of relief in the form of information. Portland Fire and Rescue https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/25923 Overview Portland Fire and Rescue is made up of 756 employees with a bureau-operating budget of around $90 million. Portland Fire and Rescue provides more than 580,000 citizens in a 150 square mile range with emergency services. Currently, PF&R has 30 fire stations throughout the city of Portland, 30 engine companies, 9 truck companies, 1 heavy rescue company, and 2 fireboats. Along with all of those things, PF&R also has several specialty teams that are staffed 24/7 including water, dive, trench, confined space, high angle rope, HazMat, Marine, fire investigation, and SERT rescue teams. 
Portland Fire and Rescue’s mission is to aggressively and safely protect life, property, and the environment. Their vision is that the community we serve is safe from fires and other emergencies because of our leadership, preparedness, and responsiveness. Not only does Portland Fire and Rescue deal with emergency services, it also does many other things to help serve the public. When the firefighters are at the station, they can check your blood pressure, share safety information, explain the latest information on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and show you the fire and rescue resources that protect your neighborhood. There are many ways that PF&R help out in the community. They offer public education and information in many areas. Some of the areas include bike and pedestrian safety, child safety seats, chimney and wood stove safety, fire and burn prevention, high rise safety, ice and cold water safety and so much more. Best Practices Portland Fire and Rescue is dealing with reconstruction on one of their stations. Station 21 is being remodeled to update many of the features including the community meeting room, boathouse sheltering for two PF&R water craft, ADA accessibility, LEED Gold Status, photo voltaic solar panels, and public art coordinated by the Regional Arts and Culture Council. The citizens of Portland, to provide funding for the reconstruction, passed this reconstruction in 2010. The public can receive knowledge at any time of the reconstruction by going to the website. There are multiple pages dedicated to the reconstruction of station 21. 
Some of the pages that you can view are the reconstruction schedule, photos and Station 21 rendering. All of these pages are important to look at because they provide information to the public on each step of the process. Along with the information that PF&R provides the public on the reconstruction of Station 21, they also make sure that the public knows all of the different areas of safety that they educate the public on. Like mentioned above in a short list of some of the information provided by PF&R, it is all clearly listed on their website to view. Lessons Learned While Medford Fire and Rescue has a webpage, it can learn from Portland Fire and Rescue on how they are presenting certain topics. Especially looking at the reconstruction of Station 21 and how they are giving public information. The budget and timeline, the virtual rendering and the photos of the process are all important aspects that the public is interested in seeing. For Medford Fire and Rescue, it may not be as logical to just focus on their website but those are things that all can be put into the Medford traditional media so that those things are being seen by the entire community. Lastly, Medford Fire and Rescue needs to focus on getting across all of the actions that they do for the community. Not only focusing on putting out fires but letting the public know what else they do. That can be done on the website but also through the media as well. One way that PF&R gets the message out about what else they can do to help, is by having signs in front of all the stations that let the public know what the firefighters can do for them on a daily basis. Medford Fire can do this and engage each community. 
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