Marin Wildfire Protection Authority Season Opener Campaign: A Success

The Marin Wildfire Protection Authority (MWPA) is a joint powers authority formed by 17 Marin County fire agencies and communities to provide a coordinated and comprehensive approach to wildfire prevention and preparedness. Because Marin County offers such a diverse range of neighborhoods from densely populated urban downtowns to rural communities with agriculture in the WUI, MWPA must take different approaches to prevention. Overall, their mission is to protect lives, homes, and natural resources from the threat of wildfire.

Preparing for Upcoming Defensible Space Inspections

Central and Southern Marin Fire wanted to alert residents to prepare for wildfire season ahead of the upcoming Defensible Space Inspections. A key objective was to understand the motivations that drive residents to take preventative action.

Season Opener Campaign: Engaging Residents with A/B/C Messaging

Fire Aside developed a "Season Opener" campaign which highlighted various preparedness methods and readily available resources for residents. The campaign implemented an A/B/C testing approach, evaluating the effectiveness of three unique messages:

• Message #1: A straightforward preparation checklist.
• Message #2: Risk messaging, incorporating lessons learned from recent wildfires (LA/Lahaina) alongside a personalized preparation checklist.
• Message #3: Compliance messaging, emphasizing adherence to defensible space laws and the impending enforcement of AB3074, coupled with a preparation checklist.

Each message included a link to residents' personalized reports from previous inspections, information about ChipperDay, and a seasonal checklist of preparedness items.

Compelling Campaign Results

The "Season Opener" campaign delivered a variety of interesting results. Residents who received the Season Opener campaign were three times more likely to take action to prepare for wildfire season prior to an inspection compared to those who did not receive any communications.

The compliance-focused messaging proved significantly more effective, resulting in 40% more actions taken by residents compared to the checklist-only messaging.

The Impact

These results highlight the effectiveness of targeted communications in driving community-wide preparedness efforts. The campaign successfully alerted residents to the importance of preparing for wildfire season and provided valuable insights into the efficacy of different motivational approaches, particularly the impact of compliance messaging. This success allows MWPA and other agencies to continue refining their outreach strategies for increased community engagement to wildfire safety.