Digital Infrastructure
A significant part of the Oak Park Fire Safe Council mission to help protect property and life in Oak Park from wildfire is to develop a robust, two-way exchange of information between our community members and state, local and federal agencies, as well as other Fire Safe Councils and corporations engaged in wildfire prevention and protection.
There are three components to our Communications Plan:
- Digital Infrastructure
- Communication with Partners
- Other Community Communications
Digital Infrastructure
More and more homeowners are communicating through the internet and Social Media. So for us it was critical to develop a comprehensive web page and Social Media outreach campaign where we could share our activities and educational materials with the Oak Park community, as well as solicit feedback from the community.
In late 2022 we applied for and received a grant from Cal Fire and Southern California Edison specifically focused on capacity building for our Communications Infrastructure.
Our grant was primarily focused on Digital Infrastructure, which provides the following capabilities:
- Comprehensive Web Site including
- Educational materials and videos
- Community access to our foundational documents
- Description of past and existing projects
- Preparedness programs
- List of volunteer opportunities
- Latest news from OPFSC
- Comprehensive communication regarding the Oak Park Firewise program
- Social media plan and approach
- Training of board members and volunteers
- CRM software to better communicate with Oak Park residents
- Consultant to help us build the infrastructure
Communications with Partners
Communication with Partners– The OPFSC board members are regularly engaged with our partners (see the Partner Resources under the Resources tab of this Website). This allows us to keep abreast of the latest news, regulations, initiatives and activities that might impact Oak Park. We will communicate this information to homeowners through the News feature of the website, as well as use it to develop new initiatives that make sense for Oak Park. Regular communications with these partners also assures that Oak Park’s needs are represented in county-wide and regional initiatives, and give us insight into upcoming grant opportunities.
Other Community Communications
We utilize other methods to reach our target audience in Oak Park, including:
- Townhalls– We hold an annual town hall meeting where we bring in our agency partners and share our progress to date with the Oak Park community. This is an opportunity for homeowners to hear the latest programs provided by both our partners and ourselves to protect our community from the impact of wildfire. It also allows our homeowners to express their views and opinions to these same partners.
- Acorn– The Acorn newspaper has very good readership in our area. We have found this is an excellent way to reach homeowners regarding various initiatives. The best mechanisms for communication with the Acorn include paid advertising, interviews and editorials. A portion of our 2022 grant from Cal Fire and Southern California Edison was dedicated to a one-year program with the Acorn.
- Brochures and Door-hangers– The OPFSC and our partners have developed various collateral to engage the community in specific events, recruit volunteers and provide free HIZ assessments. The board members typically walk the neighborhoods, attend block parties, etc., in order to engage our community. As we build up our group of volunteers, this is an area where we can use their help.