## [SAMPLE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION STRATEGY]{.underline}

## Fire Information and Education Strategy

**Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks**

Updated January 2007

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are dedicated to providing
high-quality fire *information and education* for identified target
audiences (see list below). The Fire Information and Education (FI&E)
Program at the parks will emphasize the major goals of the *Fire & Fuels
Management Plan* to increase public awareness and support.

### Contents

Goals

Other Important References

Staffing

Key Messages

Target Audiences

Communication Methods

Annual Plan by Season

Evaluation

### 

### Goals

The FI&E Program has four goals:

**GOAL #1** -- Offer year-round education on fire ecology, fire history,
and fire effects in the southern Sierra. Communicate how fire and fuels
management practices meet natural resource management goals and thus the
mission of the National Park Service.

**GOAL #2 --** Provide accurate and timely incident information for
local, regional, and national fire operations as needed.

**GOAL #3** -- Work with local communities, park residents, and park
permitees to promote fire safety, fire prevention, defensible space,
firewise community planning, and fuels management.

**GOAL #4 --** Build and maintain interagency, educational, and
community partnerships to improve fire education activities.

In 2004, the Fire Communications and Education National Program Lead
(stationed at the National Interagency Fire Center) finalized the first
*NPS Fire Communications and Education Strategy*. This document
describes a national program that will promote NPS wildland fire
management and help people understand fire and its role in ecosystems.
The Sequoia and Kings Canyon FI&E Program outlined here, while tailored
for the local area, complements the national strategy in its vision,
goals, and objectives.

### Other Important References

While this document provides the philosophy and general direction for
the FI&E Program, there are two other important references for fire
information work. Specific operational procedures (checklists, fax
numbers, email lists, community contacts, etc.) are outlined in
*Standard Operating Procedures: Fire and Fuels Information.* The *Smoke
Communication Strategy* (Appendix I of the *Fire and Fuels Management
Plan*) provides direction for communicating issues related to smoke
management.

### Staffing

The Fire Information and Education Specialist (in this document referred
to as the FIO) is responsible for coordinating the FI&E Program. The
success of this program depends on the cooperation and participation of
many different partners: Interpretation, Natural Resources, Maintenance,
Administration, Fire and Visitor Management, United States Geological
Survey (USGS), Sequoia Natural History Association (SNHA), concession
employees, and volunteers.

The FIO will serve as the liaison between these different groups to
ensure the transfer of information and the consistency of content. When
large incidents occur in the parks, the FIO will recruit personnel for
specific duties or outside resources will be requested through dispatch
procedures. The parks' Public Information Officer (PIO) may perform
coordination duties when the FIO is unavailable.

### Key Messages

The FI&E Program will provide target audiences with accurate information
about fire management from both the national and local perspective. The
Wildland Fire Education Working Team of the National Wildfire
Coordinating Group (NWCG) released the first national, interagency key
messages in 2004. For the first time, all five federal land management
agencies are using the same key messages to provide clear and consistent
communication facilitating better public understanding. These key
messages are broad and leave room for individual agency missions and
identity:

-   Fire is an essential, natural process.

-   Society's influence has altered historic fire cycles, leading to a
    dangerous build-up of vegetation in our wildlands.

-   Land management agencies are committed to a balanced fire program
    that will reduce risks and realize benefits of fire.

-   Improving the health of the land and reducing risks to communities
    requires partnerships among federal and state agencies, tribal
    governments, fire departments, communities, and landowners.

-   Public education needs to be part of fire management programs.

Interpreters and other park employees will be able to "bring home" the
national key messages by providing examples specific to these parks.
Using SEKI's long history of fire operations, monitoring, research, and
interpretation, the parks will generate engaging stories for the public
while maintaining a level of sophistication appropriate to the topics of
fire management, ecology, and history.

### Target Audiences

The parks have identified six target audiences for fire information and
education messages:

-   **Park Visitors** (including in-park visitors, internet visitors,
    and special groups)

-   **Park Employees** (including NPS, SNHA, USGS, concessions, and
    volunteers)

-   **Local Communities** (including residents, businesses inside or
    near the parks, civic groups, and clubs -- Badger, Dunlap, Grant
    Grove, Hume Lake, Kaweah, Lodgepole, Mineral King, Miramonte, Oriole
    Lake, Pinehurst, Silver City, Squaw Valley, Three Rivers, and
    Wilsonia)

-   **Students/Teachers** (including K-12 students, college students,
    elder hostel groups, and teachers)

-   **Professional Peers** (including other federal, state, and county
    agencies, professional associations, and academics)

-   **Media\*** (including print, television, radio, and film) While
    media is a valuable communication method, it is listed as a target
    audience due to the amount of time and energy that goes into
    facilitating interviews, film projects, etc.

### Communication Methods

The following methods will be used to communicate with the six target
audiences listed above. There are both personal and non-personal methods
which will facilitate reaching the greatest number of people. The parks
will continue to improve and expand this list.

#### Personal 

-   **Interpretive Programs** -- Park staff will integrate fire messages
    into hikes, walks, campfire programs, and special off-site
    presentations. The FIO will audit these programs to ensure content
    quality.

-   **Education Programs** -- Park staff will incorporate fire ecology
    concepts into standards-based education programs, student field
    research experiences, and in-class programs.

-   **"The Fire Place: a mobile learning center" --** This small cargo
    trailer houses exhibits and activities about fire ecology, history,
    and management. It will be used both on- and off-park at special
    events and during fire incidents.

-   **Employee Training** -- The FIO will coordinate park-wide employee
    training sessions to improve staff understanding of the fire and
    fuels management program. These sessions will be open to NPS, USGS,
    SNHA, concessions, and volunteers.

-   **Roving** -- During fire operations, park employees will be
    stationed in high-use visitor areas, including trails, to answer
    questions about the current activity and/or explain the fire and
    fuels management program. Backcountry rangers will also provide
    information to backpackers about fire operations in their area.

-   **Conference Presentations** -- Park staff will give peer
    presentations at conferences about current fire research, planning,
    or operations. These presentations will share information, generate
    feedback, and ultimately improve the parks' fire and fuels
    management program.

-   **Special Events** -- The parks will, when possible, participate in
    local events to promote the fire and fuels program. For example,
    park employees can staff booths at local fairs or host community
    meetings.

-   **Public Meetings** -- As needed, the parks will conduct special
    public meetings related to a specific fire event, planning effort,
    or to share general program information.

-   **Media Interviews** -- The FIO, or park representative, will
    complete in-person or phone interviews for print, radio, and
    television outlets. When necessary, the FIO will facilitate special
    media projects (books, documentaries, etc.) by guiding research,
    scheduling interviews with park staff, and coordinating filming
    schedules.

#### Non-Personal

-   **Press Releases / Updates --** The FIO will use email, fax, and
    bulletin boards to distribute press releases / updates for all
    target audiences as needed.

-   **Publications** -- The parks will include fire and fuels
    information in regular park publications (like the park newspaper).
    The FIO will research, write, and design additional handouts
    specifically about fire and fuels management such as newspapers,
    student materials, and brochures.

-   **Visitor Center Exhibits, Waysides, and Bulletin Boards** -- The
    parks will maintain and update the interpretive information in
    visitor centers and wayside exhibits on fire and fuels management.
    The FIO will maintain permanent and non-permanent bulletin boards
    both inside and outside the parks.

-   **Community Newsletters** -- The FIO will write, design, print, and
    send community newsletters to neighboring residents. The pre-season
    newsletter will coincide with the beginning of fire season and will
    give residents information about upcoming projects and events. The
    post-season mailing in winter provides a \"wrap-up\" of all fire
    events and reports project accomplishments.

-   **Webpage** -- The parks will maintain a SEKI fire and fuels
    management webpage called "Fire in the Parks" at
    [www.nps.gov/seki/naturescience/fire.htm](http://www.nps.gov/seki/naturescience/fire.htm)
    . The FIO will enter information about park fires into *Fire News*,
    a national database that presents information on
    [www.nps.gov/fire](http://www.nps.gov/fire).

-   **Recorded Phone Message** -- The FIO will maintain the recorded
    "Fire Information" message on the main park answering system
    accessed by calling (559) 565-3341.

### Annual Plan by Season

For six to seven months of the year, the FI&E Program is largely in a
reactive mode disseminating information about actual fire events. While
this is the "nature of the business," the parks must stay focused on
larger goals and prevent individual incidents from defining the entire
education program.

Table 1 describes the Education Annual Plan which gives year-round
direction for the FI&E Program. Depending on the season, certain
educational elements are emphasized. Table 1 highlights these emphasis
areas and links them to communication methods and target audiences. It
is important to remember that this plan is very general and will not
prevent the program from engaging in new, innovative methods in the
future.

### Evaluation

To maintain a successful FI&E Program, the parks will seek evaluation
opportunities such as independent surveys of visitors /residents /
employees. The parks have completed three formal surveys in the past to
assess public support and awareness of fire operations. Two surveys
focused on park visitors (Quinn 1988 and Oregon State University 2003)
and one survey focused on local residents of Three Rivers, California
(Schissler Associates 1999).

The FIO will also evaluate the FI&E Program by preparing an annual
report each year that documents the accomplishments. The parks will
forward this annual report to the national communications program in
Boise.

Table 1 -- Education Annual Plan by Season

+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Educational  | Communication        | T |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | a |   |   |   |   |   |
|       | Emphasis     | Methods              | r |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | g |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | e |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | t |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | A |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | u |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | d |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | i |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | e |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | n |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | c |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | e |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | s |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       |              |                      | P | P | L | S | P | M |
|       |              |                      | a | a | o | t | r | e |
|       |              |                      | r | r | c | u | o | d |
|       |              |                      | k | k | a | d | f | i |
|       |              |                      | V | E | l | e | e | a |
|       |              |                      | i | m | C | n | s |   |
|       |              |                      | s | p | o | t | s |   |
|       |              |                      | i | l | m | s | i |   |
|       |              |                      | t | o | m | / | o |   |
|       |              |                      | o | y | u | T | n |   |
|       |              |                      | r | e | n | e | a |   |
|       |              |                      | s | e | i | a | l |   |
|       |              |                      |   | s | t | c | P |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | i | h | e |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | e | e | e |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | s | r | r |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   | s | s |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| S     | Pre-Season   | Community newsletter |   | \ | \ |   | \ | \ |
| pring | Information  |                      |   | * | * |   | * | * |
|       |              | Press releases       |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | /updates             |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Webpage              |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Special events /     |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | public meetings      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Student      | In-park programs for |   |   |   | \ |   |   |
|       | Education    | schools              |   |   |   | * |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Mobile Learning      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Center               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Career days          |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Interagency  | Interagency work     |   |   |   |   | \ |   |
|       | Planning     | groups               |   |   |   |   | * |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Conference           |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | presentations        |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Recruitment  | Job fairs            |   |   | \ | \ |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | * | * |   |   |
|       |              | Mobile Learning      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Center               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| S     | Incident     | Press releases /     | \ | \ | \ |   | \ | \ |
| ummer | Information  | updates              | * | * | * |   | * | * |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Bulletin boards      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Roving               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | interpretation       |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Mobile Learning      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Center               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Recorded phone       |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | messages             |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Media interviews /   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | field trips          |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Webpage              |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Special events /     |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | public meetings      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | In           | Park-wide interp     | \ |   | \ |   |   | \ |
|       | terpretation | programs             | * |   | * |   |   | * |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Roving               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | interpretation       |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Employee     | Written materials    |   | \ |   |   |   |   |
|       | Training     | (handbooks)          |   | * |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Training sessions    |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Interagency  | Press releases /     |   | \ |   |   | \ |   |
|       | Cooperation  | updates              |   | * |   |   | * |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Incident assistance  |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| Fall  | Incident     | Press releases /     | \ | \ | \ |   | \ | \ |
|       | Information  | updates              | * | * | * |   | * | * |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Bulletin boards      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Roving               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | interpretation       |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Mobile Learning      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Center               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Recorded phone       |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | messages             |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Media interviews /   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | field trips          |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Webpage              |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Special events /     |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | public meetings      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Interagency  | Press releases /     |   | \ |   |   | \ |   |
|       | Cooperation  | updates              |   | * |   |   | * |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Incident assistance  |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Student      | In-park programs for |   |   |   | \ |   |   |
|       | Education    | schools              |   |   |   | * |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Mobile Learning      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Center               |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+

+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Educational  | Communication        | T |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | a |   |   |   |   |   |
|       | Emphasis     | Methods              | r |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | g |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | e |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | t |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | A |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | u |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | d |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | i |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | e |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | n |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | c |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | e |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      | s |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       |              |                      | P | P | L | S | P | M |
|       |              |                      | a | a | o | t | r | e |
|       |              |                      | r | r | c | u | o | d |
|       |              |                      | k | k | a | d | f | i |
|       |              |                      | V | E | l | e | e | a |
|       |              |                      | i | m | C | n | s |   |
|       |              |                      | s | p | o | t | s |   |
|       |              |                      | i | l | m | s | i |   |
|       |              |                      | t | o | m | / | o |   |
|       |              |                      | o | y | u | T | n |   |
|       |              |                      | r | e | n | e | a |   |
|       |              |                      | s | e | i | a | l |   |
|       |              |                      |   | s | t | c | P |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | i | h | e |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | e | e | e |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   | s | r | r |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   | s | s |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| W     | Post-Season  | Community newsletter |   |   | \ |   | \ | \ |
| inter | Information  |                      |   |   | * |   | * | * |
|       |              | Press releases /     |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | updates              |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Webpage              |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Special events /     |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | public meetings      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Interagency  | Interagency work     |   |   |   |   | \ |   |
|       | Planning     | groups               |   |   |   |   | * |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Conference           |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | presentations        |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+
|       | Development  | Printed publications | \ | \ | \ | \ | \ | \ |
|       | of New       |                      | * | * | * | * | * | * |
|       |              | Bulletin boards      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       | Materials    |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Promotional items    |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              |                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|       |              | Exhibits / waysides  |   |   |   |   |   |   |
+-------+--------------+----------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+