COOK & SCHMID IN THE NEWS
FOLLOW-UP SURVEY MARKS SUCCESS
FOR COOK & SCHMID'S FIRE-SAFETY CAMPAIGN
Survey shows more mountain property owners have taken action to protect their properties from wildfire following public outreach program
January 20, 2009
SAN DIEGO, CALIF.—More residents and property owners in the San Bernardino County Mountains have taken action to protect their homes and businesses from wildfire than two years ago. This has been confirmed by a follow-up survey conducted at the conclusion of the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce’s (MAST) two year public outreach campaign.
Cook & Schmid, a San Diego public relations firm, designed and implemented the program to educate mountain residents about the removal of dead and dying trees as well as thinning green fuel on the residents’ properties to prevent against additional catastrophic wildfires.
The results of the 2008 survey found that respondents reported greater awareness of wildfire prevention measures, were more prepared for a natural disaster, and had taken more steps to prevent the spread of wildfires and potential danger to their property. The survey also found that awareness and knowledge about fire safety measures increased significantly since San Bernardino County and the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce (MAST) launched the public outreach campaign.
“We were very pleased to see these results,” said Jon Schmid, Partner at Cook & Schmid. “Overturning the idea that more trees in a forest meant that it was a healthier forest was challenging though the outcome speaks to the residents’ understanding of the bigger picture.”
Due to years of fire suppression, the forest had become overstocked, with some 100 to 200 trees per acre, where a healthy forest has 40 to 60 trees per acre. Thinning live trees is a key component of MAST’s healthy forest initiative.
For the 2008 study, a total of 506 residents, 127 non-resident property owners, and 109 local area business property owners/managers were randomly surveyed during October. In terms of documented behavior change, the survey found that 96 percent of residents had taken steps to protect their homes from wildfire.
Moreover, the survey tabulated a 9.2 percent drop in residents who had not taken steps to reduce fire risk because they didn't know what to do. Compared with the 2007 study, the 2008 survey indicated that respondents from all three groups were more proactive in taking steps to protect their property:
• 10.9 percent increase in residents who had thinned and/or removed live trees from their property
• More than 80 percent of residents had taken most of the nine possible steps to reduce fire risk
• At least 75 percent of business property owners/managers took steps to protect their property
The overall majority of residents (78 percent) as well as non-residents (80 percent) surveyed in 2008 believe they are adequately prepared for a natural disaster. A key component of the campaign, that the Forest Care Program could reimburse property owners up to 75 percent of the cost of thinning trees, saw a 20 percent increase in awareness among residents and a 32.5 percent increase among non-resident property owners.
The survey also found that 18.2 percent more residents and 19.7 percent more non-residents than in 2007 were aware that trees should be spaced 20 to 30 feet apart. In addition, a 14.6 percent increase, was measured among residents familiar with the term “Healthy Forest,” a key term pushed by the campaign in communicating fire-safety messages. In contrast, the 2007 survey found that while public awareness about the importance of removing dead trees and measures to protect homes from fires was high, it also demonstrated low levels of action and awareness about thinning green fuel before the start of the campaign.
The survey’s executive summary noted that the outreach campaign was a shift in messaging from removing dead trees, which had been the focus for the previous five years, to removing live trees and green fuel.
Complete results of the 2007 and 2008 surveys can be found on the MAST Web site, http://calmast.org/sbc/html/public_outreach_program.asp.
ABOUT COOK & SCHMID
Cook & Schmid is afull-service public relations, advertising and marketingagency. Our strategic marketing communications and public participation programs enable clients to realize business goals, manage their reputations with key audiences, and achieve consensus on divisive issues. Cook & Schmid’s approach teams seasoned public relations practitioners and former journalists with subject matter experts in diverse fields, including economic development, biotechnology, public infrastructure and the environment. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Cook & Schmid serves clients across the country. The firm is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the California Public Utilities Commission. Cook & Schmid is also registered as a Small Disadvantaged Business by the Small Business Administration.
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