NetReach Provides Expertise at the CDC

NetReach Provides Expertise at the CDC.

Fire safety and prevention education is important to the health of all communities. Unfortunately, many fire station staff have limited resources (time, money, materials) to implement highly effective educational campaigns, and much of the educational material lacks evidence-based effectiveness data.

On June 2, 2009, at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) convened a group of experts on fire education, education, communications, and research. The goal of the panel is to assist the CDC and NCIPC to plan the development of an educational toolkit for fire fighters to support fire safety and prevention education efforts in their communities. The panel consisted of firefighters, public health professionals, researchers, technology and assessment consultants, and government agency representatives.

Stephen Bouikidis, Executive VP and public health communications specialist at NetReach, was at the table to provide expertise on Internet communications best practice, educational information development, and technology adoption.

Although participating in this meeting was the first step in creating a successful Fire Safety Education and Prevention Program, the panel’s work is not done. Bouikidis will continue to collaborate with the CDC and panel members in future meetings, and offer his expertise and recommendations on the project as it develops. This will include creating successful methods for delivering the toolkit and making it easily accessible for fire safety educators.