Introduction and Organization of Guide

"Lighting Strikes Ignite Twenty New Fires in Florida Today" reads the newspaper headlines. A temporary sign posted on the roadside in a national park reads "Prescribed Burn In Progress"; in the background smoke is twisting skyward. What images do the viewers retain? Fire? Danger? Loss of life and property? Do the images reflect reality?

Most days, somewhere in the United States, a wildland fire is burning. In the absence of a full understanding of wildland fire, people may naturally create their own perceptions and opinions about the topic, as might be expected.

At issue though is that these perceptions, often misperceptions, can become inculcated into society to form "public opinion." That public opinion influences laws and policies related to wildland fire management.

Land managers, whether federal, state, local, tribal, nongovernment, or private, must face the dilemma of "to burn or not to burn" in the context of public opinion, laws, and policies. If regularly prescribed fires or other fuel load reduction methods are not utilized in some fire dependent communities we run the risk of extreme fire and/or natural biotic processes being hindered. When managers do burn there are numerous issues, not the least of which is that publics may be uninformed or misinformed about the ecological issues and risks associated with prescribed fire.

In the face of these countervailing forces of the need to burn versus a tendency in society to see "fire as a menacing force," agencies and organizations must be proactive. Just as fire ecology and fire management sciences are making great strides in research and practice so must the human dimension sciences associated with wildland fire be bolstered. One aspect of the human dimensions side of the equation is associated with risk communications of wildland fire.

Historically, fire messages were packaged as only prevention messages with various icons. More recently prescribed fire messages have focused only on fuel load reduction often ignoring that in some situations it is the stimulation of biotic processes that is the most important rationale for fire. Beginning with the Yellowstone fires of 1988, wildland fire messages began to be framed in a more proactive science and management context. People began seeing the critical resource issues associated with wildland fire on television, in their parks and forest interpretive programs, and in newspapers.

Land management practitioners and society as a whole must continue to make a concerted effort to inform and engage people, especially in human communities embedded in fire dependent natural communities. Without this engagement and public participation, land managers will be continually forced to deal with not only wildland fire but complications that arise out of society's lack of understanding and support for wildland fire management practices and policies.

Who says what to whom, when, where, and why are key points in affecting communications. This Communicator's Guide is designed to aid in that communication effort. Found within are background information, ideas, sample materials, and sources for further information. Not found within are prescriptions to success, the most successful how-to techniques, or definitive research studies on wildland fire communications. It should be noted that each section was written as to stand on its own, ready to be extracted and used as a handout.

Each communicator, both the formally designated, professionally trained communicator, and weary firefighters with microphones in their faces, has a story to tell. Teachers, science reporters for the media, community leaders, and the opinion leader of informal community networks are all communicators who can affect attitudes, perceptions, and a willingness among communities to listen, participate, and work with wildland fire in their community and greater ecosystem to foster sustainability.

Following is an overview of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). The central messages of NWCG are presented. The messages, combined with your own experience and further research, should help you to better frame the story you wish to share, the themes/storylines to be used, and what you wish to accomplish (objectives).

A section on the scientific aspects is added as background information in a very concise format. The science of wildland fire and a brief overview of wildland fire in seven select ecosystems is shared. Using this information, your existing knowledge, and the science of wildland fire in your particular area, meaningful messages can be crafted.

Crafting messages must include human dimensions issues. Thus, a Social Aspects of Wildland Fire Section is shared.

Since many of the users of this Guide are part of organizations/agencies who have policies guiding their roles in wildland fire, a policy section is included. Here you will find a discussion of U.S. federal wildland fire policy, ecosystem approach to management, and institutional factors. Federal, state, local, tribal, nonprofit, and private organizations are all part of the evolution of wildland fire policies.

Fostering communication with various audiences, found in the next two sections, is the crux of this Guide. The thesis here is that communications are planned and are much more than random sharing of messages.

Since this document is only a beginning, resources to aid you in your wildland fire communication efforts are included in the form of abstracted case studies, internet information, and a resource bibliography. The case studies are used for illustrative purposes with the idea that you will build a case study for your area/project. Internet information is offered not as a definitive source but as a starting point. Over time web pages grow, shrink, become dated, and may occasionally carry inaccurate data. Thus, as any communicator/reporter should do, verify sources and data with other authoritative sources before dissemination.

The ringed binder notebook format provides you, the manager, ranger, teacher, firefighter, elected official, public affairs officer, interpreter–whatever your role as a communicator–an option to add your own materials and notes to this document.

Just as each fire takes on characteristics of its own, a well-planned communications program will be unique in that your messages are specifically linked to your ecosystem, local communities, agency/organization's mission, methods and media used, and your credibility as the message originator.