HomeMy WebLinkAboutFire Station Communication PlanPage 1 of 3
Town of Westlake
New Fire Station Communication Plan
(for August 2016 Budget Workshop)
Project description:
A fire station facility with approximately 15, 000 square
private donation of land, identified by two independen
facility will include 3 equipment/apparatus bays, slee
storage, administrative offices, kitchen/food prep
as a community room, staff training room, and
coordination with back-up generator for sust
able space, which includes a
s for station location; The
for five (5) staff members,
ulti-purpose space to serve
operations
Strategy: Develop and execute communication
and tactics for both external messa;', f; o all Wes
internal messaging to elected offic
o include goals
sses) and for
Goals: Deliver clear, concise, and tii
stakeholders (corporate/)
as many as possible
associated with the
the fire station projec
voicing concerns, etc.
s Gusto
co
0
g pub
e residents and
essaging strategies to ensure
station, educated on costs
zens' engagement regarding
ing input, asking questions,
facestrategy with a delivery timeline
projecacceptance of land through completion.
Key Tal
The below
1. Public Sa
2. Emergency
3. New station i
o dat "`eem to f
zen desires
ocation details
Identified talking points (summarized) to date are:
= Last citizen survey results indicate high value placed by our citizens on desire to have
high quality public safety services (will use/pull info from report for back-up)
• Residents surveyed indicated quality of public safety services as most important of town
services (71%0
0
= New station is proposed to cost estimated $8.8 million funded by cash and certificates of
obligation with debt paid for by sales tax; Property taxes will not increase for this
project.
■ Project estimated to take 18-24 months to design, build, and place into operation.
Page 2 of 3
■ New station location will be more centrally located to 90+% of Westlake residents and
businesses, offering improved emergency response times
■ New station location is more centrally located to all Westlake businesses and to the high
volume of accident calls we receive on the heavy traffic highways going through
Westlake where we make many EMS calls for vehicle accidents.
■ New site identified by 2 independent consultants. First, it was identified by the Town's
planning consultant during the recent update to the Town's Comprehensive Plan.
Secondly, it was also identified as a best site in a second site location analysis by a firm
that specializes in fire station location and construction.
• Increase in response times and great accessibility can effect ISO ratings
Current fire station doesn't meet modern personnel safe tandards regarding proximity
•
of fumes to where fire personnel reside in the statin t does not have
hazardous material cleanup capabilities for fire pe toip properly clean their thmodern
protective equipment after a call.
Current fire station has been temporary bld • + er 1 rt s. It does not meet. Town
standards (we never would allow a privat=loper to pu ething like this in
Westlake, much less allow them to us 10 plus years an' $ a build a permanent
structure that meets Town standards)
Current station is too small to properly h
Messaging tactics identified to date
Development of story for exte
elected official and .y.a
o Summ
o 2 minute
o Detailed
o Determine o
0
o inclu•
points ` s
hfor c•
r wt= key peg
son(s;
ssaging for internal use by
to have o V' and
e project for media and in-depth inquiries.
enderings throughout campaign
applicable
sultant via Comp Plan and by industryexpert
se of loc:
nsultant
'cation C
ire direct e
e article
aids
▪ Simply
* Direct Mail
(groundbre
* Media — Press Re
* Messaging on Town Website
* Social Media Updates
* Signage — at Construction Site
* Project boards at key locations — Town Offices, Fire Station, Westlake Academy, etc.
* Traveling presentation board displays for town events, neighborhood meetings, etc.
* Speaking opportunities for specific key groups and/or businesses
o Mayor's Coffees, Neighborhood meetings, New Resident Meetings, Chamber an
local leadership organizations' events/meetings such as Mayor's Roundtable,
Metroport Cities, Chamber Business Builder Coffee, etc.
* Groundbreaking ceremony — Internal coordination due to timeline constraints
s of 3) — Announcement of project, update during
progress points), and station dedication/thank you
Page 3 of 3
• Other considerations:
o Project specific Town Hall Meetings with Fire Chief & personnel, Town Manager
& key staff, Mayor, Council, project architects & general contractors, etc.
o Construction time-lapse camera/drone for building progress on website
o Video on Proposed Station with Firefighters, citizens and key government
officials if cost effective
o Planning of station dedication/grand opening could include citizens' committee
Timeline: (still under construction)
Messaging will begin with the Council's acceptance of land and that meeting date (Aug-?) will
start the timeline. First communication will be via Westlake W in days following and then to
follow timeline throughout project.
FAQ Draft: (to date)
<Why is a new fire station needed?
<Why not renovate or expand the curren
<Where will it be located?
<Why is the location a desirable locatio
<What is currently at the proposed site?
<How large will the fire statio
<What are the keys differenc
<What features will the fire s
<What are the costs of the fire fa
-low will it be fund
<CDescribe the ar**- h f the bu
structures?
(When is the s
<When is the
he fire station?
ent tire"
atwec
o new fire station.
do not have?
o break t
etion date
atue o n t
oise t 3. re s
ect a intersec
s neighborhood/area?
's Master Plan for
ce the fire station is built and up and