There is a recognised need for fire services to better understand the ‘hard to reach’ groups in our communities in order to determine the most effective strategies to reach them with fire safety messages.
Hard to reach groups include some of the following:
- Socially-isolated people, particularly the elderly
- Alcohol/drug impaired people
- New and emerging communities
- People engaging in risk-taking behaviours
- Socially/Fiscally disadvantaged people
The results of the research, when translated into practical strategies to reach these hard to reach groups, has the potential to reduce the number of fire-related deaths and injuries to those people most at risk of residential fires.
Work in this area will provide AFAC member agencies with greater insight into the attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of selected hard to reach groups. This will also clearly identify strategies (e.g. approach, communication channel, partnerships) that fire services can integrate into programs, initiatives and other communication projects to increase the effectiveness of fire safety messages to hard to reach groups.
Items in Hard to Reach Groups
- Bushfire Safety for People with Special Needs - January 2010
- Exploring the Bushfire Experience From a Domestic Perspective - October 2009
- Evaluation of the NZFSC Programmes, Promotions and Research for Maori - September 2008
- Smoke from Wildfires and Prescribed Burning in Australia: Effects on human health and ecosystems - October 2008
- Tamborine Mountain Case Study: Understanding communities - May 2008
- Bushfire Smoke and Public Health - June 2008
- Evaluation of Firewise Programme for Year One and Two Students - February 2008
- Communities Living with Hazards - 2008
- Assessing Community Perceptions of Fire Risk: For fire services at the local level - 2008
- Bushfire Risk Perception: Perspectives of children - 2008
- The Risks, Perceptions and Experiences of Fire Among Older People - May 2007
- NZFS Research Among People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities - February 2007
- Thuringowa Bushfire Case Study: Technical report - October 2006
- Fire Knowledge Research Qualitative Research Report - August 2006
- Effective Fire Safety Strategies for Pacific People - August 2006
- The Sudanese Refugees and Fire Hazard Study - 2006
- Understanding Communities Living with Bushfire: The Thuringowa case study - 2006
- Accidental Fire Fatalities in Residential Structures: Who is at risk? - October 2005
- Understanding Communities: Locality remains important - July 2005
- Human Behaviour Contributing to Unintentional Residential Fire Deaths 1997-2003 - February 2005
- Understanding Communities: Overview - August 2005
- Social Resilience to Bushfire Hazard - October 2004
- Living with Threat: Bushfire communities - 2004
- Community Engagement: Weather matters in indigenous communities - 2003
- Vulnerability and the Translation of Safety Knowledge - February 2002
- Hospitalisation for Non-fatal Injury as a Result of Unintentional Domestic Fire Incidents - December 2002
- Fire Incidents Resulting in Deaths of New Zealand Children Aged Under 15 Years 1991-1997 - September 2001
- Fire Incidents Resulting in Deaths of New Zealanders Aged 15-64 Years 1991-1997 - September 2001
- Fire Incidents Resulting in Deaths of New Zealanders Aged 65 and Older 1991-1997 - March 2001
- Fire Incidents Resulting in Deaths of New Zealanders Aged 65 and Older 1991-1997 - March 2001
- Unintentional Fire-related Childhood Injuries in Auckland Resulting in Hospitalisation or Death - June 2001
- Improving the Fire Safety Knowledge and Practices of Vulnerable Groups - June 2000
- Determining Effective Fire Safety Strategies for Maori - August 2000
- Social and Economic Deprivation and Fatal Unintentional Domestic Fire Incidents in New Zealand 1988 - 1998 - August 2000
