IMPLEMENTING YOUR ADVOCACY PROGRAM

Develop Relationships with Policymakers

Policymakers: Here are some tactics you might consider for reaching key policymakers and recruiting them as fire safety advocates:

Presentations: Use the localized data you developed to create presentations tailored to the specific concerns of your various policymaking audiences. These can be used before groups or individuals. You might also consider making them available online.

One-On-One Meetings: Identify the key policymakers you want to work with and arrange to meet with them. This will give you an opportunity to not only present your case for supporting fire prevention programs but also to demonstrate how important that person is to the program.

Special Open House: Arrange a "behind-the-scenes" open house for small targeted groups of policymakers. This can help them understand what goes into keeping the community safe and to demonstrate the need to prevent fires.

Email Updates: Develop a mailing list for email updates about your department's activities. Use these updates to reinforce the real cost of fires while they are fresh in the minds of policymakers. Utilize the brief IFE Vision 20/20 educational impact movie, which has a low-resolution format designed to be emailed.

Recognition Program: Create special recognition for policymakers who become fire safety advocates. This can be anything from certificates of recognition to formal award ceremonies.