FireFree was launched in Bend in 1997 to promote 10 steps that homeowners can take to reduce their risk of wildfire. The number one FireFree tip, and the main focus to the behavior change campaign, is to create “defensible space”, a minimum 30-foot buffer zone around a house that can be created in one weekend, and easily maintained.
To encourage citizens in Bend to create defensible space around their homes, FireFree partnered with Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste and Deschutes Recycling to allow Free Recycling Days at Knott Landfill for yard waste. The community responded in 1998 and during the first Free Recycling Weekend, the landfill collected 9,102 cubic yards of woody debris.
Every Idea has provided marketing services for FireFree’s annual free yard waste and debris clean-up weekends for the past 5 years. When interest waned in the program and the impact seemed to decline, we re-branded the program and outlined a marketing approach that would breathe new life into FireFree. In a two-pronged strategy, we focused on “educating” the general public about their role and responsibility in preventing wildfires, while inviting their participation in the actual recycling event. Essentially, we positioned the program as the best resource for understanding wildland fires.
In addition, Wendie Every served on the Project Wildfire committee, the overarching steering committee for the FireFree program. Working with all community organizations and media partners, Every Idea has been able to help the program become a driving force in teaching residents to protect their properties. This included creating a brochure to help residents identify and buy fire resistant plants and a full-page advertorial on protecting homes from the dangers of fire. These items were supported by unique radio, print and TV advertising in which Every Idea negotiated pro bono matches – doubling the amount of advertising placements and air time the program could purchase with their limited budget.
Results
The program has blossomed with incredible success, growing from the 9,102 cubic feet collected in its inaugural year, to obtaining a record 34,000 cubic feet in 2007. That’s enough debris to fill a football field at least 27 feet deep. For the past ten years, the program has steadily increased in participation, and in some cases, collected a whopping 58% more cubic yards of debris than the prior year.
Its success won one of the highest level awards in the wildland fire industry, a Silver Smokey Bear Award, given to organizations or individuals that have provided outstanding regional (multi-state) service with significant program impact in wildland fire prevention. International recognition also resulted in a recent invitation to the 4th Annual International Wildland Fire Conference in Spain. There, Project Wildfire representatives were invited to help teach other countries that face the threat of wildfire how to implement a program that not only is effective in staving off the fires, but also garners as much community support and participation as FireFree has done.