Fire Proofing At-Risk Communities (FPRC)
The Fire Proofing at Risk Communities (FPRC) project, a collaboration between Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), has successfully concluded. This project was jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments, and aimed to enhance fire safety for people with disabilities through co-created resources and targeted training.
Achievements:
Building Skills:
- Engaged with 75 individuals with disabilities and their carers across NSW through focus groups and surveys.
- Trained FRNSW staff in disability awareness and digital accessibility to better serve the community.
Creating Resources:
- Developed 8 easy-to-understand fire safety resources based on participant feedback.
- Produced Auslan videos conveying key fire safety messages to ensure accessibility.
Spreading the Word:
- Facebook posts reached 6,397 people, raising awareness and engagement.
- Established 72 new relationships with disability organizations to broaden the project’s impact.
Your Feedback:
- Participants provided critical feedback, which led to the following improvements:
- Use of short sentences and clear instructions to ensure comprehensibility.
- Adherence to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 for digital content.
- Inclusion of images showing both correct and incorrect actions to enhance understanding.
- Representation of people with disabilities in fire safety information to make it relatable.
- Provision of information in multiple formats, including Auslan and Easy Read.
- Highlighting the need for additional firefighter training to assist people with disabilities effectively.
- Calls for more sessions to discuss home fire safety.
Working Together:
- FRNSW and AFDO partnered with people with disabilities and related organizations to ensure the project met community needs.
- Established ongoing partnerships to continually improve fire safety messages and resources.
What’s Next:
- FRNSW will continue to develop and update accessible fire safety resources.
- Stay informed by following FRNSW on Facebook for the latest updates.
- AFDO will leverage these insights to collaborate with other safety organizations, ensuring continued focus on the safety of people with disabilities.
Thank you once again to all participants for your invaluable contributions. Your insights have been crucial in making fire safety information more accessible and actionable for people with disabilities, ultimately helping to keep our communities safer.