NFIC CD/on-site Orientation (Training)

Marketing Module Storyboards

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	Marketing NFIRS 5.0 Tutorial Menu
Task List	This section of the resource center presents information about Marketing NFIRS 5.0. To learn more about Marketing NFIRS 5.0, click on a topic below or click on the Next arrow to view all topics in sequential order. What Is Marketing? Why Is Marketing Important? How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0?
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Design this as a menu screen with links to the following pages:

What Is Marketing? - Screen 1.1

Why Is Marketing Important? – Screen 1.3

How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? – Screen 1.4

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.1

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	What Is Marketing? (Screen 1 of 2)
Task List	The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary definition of marketing is “sell.” The dictionary definition of sell that best fits your role in “selling” NFIRS 5.0 is “to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something.” As an NFIRS 5.0 program manager you will need to “sell” implementation of the system.				Graphic showing person making a presentation to a group of people.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.2

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	What Is Marketing? (Screen 2 of 2)
Task List	As an NFIRS 5.0 program manager you will need to persuade or influence: The decisionmakers in your organization. They are the ones who must accept NFIRS 5.0 and take action to fund the implementation of NFIRS 5.0 in your organization. Your subordinates or subordinate organizations. They are the ones who must accept NFIRS 5.0 and then take action to implement it.				Graphic showing person working on computer with NFIRS screen on the computer.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.3

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	Why Is Marketing Important?
Task List	In order for NFIRS 5.0 to be implemented in your organization, it must be accepted by the people responsible for funding and implementing it. Marketing NFIRS 5.0 is the only way you can overcome the objections people and organizations will have to NFIRS 5.0. To learn more about typical objections to NFIRS 5.0, roll your mouse on the topics below. Cost Time Difficulty Training Need
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Each of the text boxes on this screen is a rollover object. Display the information shown below when the mouse is rolled over the rollover object.

Cost

No matter which NFIRS 5.0 implementation and configuration option you choose (e.g., Federal Client Tool or third-party software), there is a cost involved in implementing the system.

Time

It takes time to plan for and implement NFIRS 5.0. It takes time to train people to use the system. It takes time to enter data into the system. It takes time to transmit transaction files up the chain of command to the national database.

Difficulty

NFIRS 5.0 is a complex piece of software and the NFIRS program manager will need assistance from computer professionals to install, administer, and maintain the system. NFIRS 5.0 is a new piece of software and many people find it hard to learn to use new software.

Training

Everyone in the chain of command will need to be trained in the use of the tool (e.g., system administrators, administrative staff members, management staff members, data entry operators). Training takes time and costs money.

Need

Some organizations already record data using paper forms or other software tools and they will resist changing to NFIRS 5.0. Other organizations just don’t see a need for collecting the type of data collected by NFIRS 5.0.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.4

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 1 of 8)
Task List	In order to effectively market NFIRS 5.0 you will need to have a plan. That plan should include the six elements shown below. These elements are discussed in detail on the following screens. Roll your mouse over the boxes below to learn more about the six Marketing Plan elements, then read how the Marketing Plan relates to other plans.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Deliver Your Message Marketing Plan Elements Tools
Use a 3-Phase Approach Prepare Your Materials Links
Analyze Overcome Resistance Develop Marketing Strategies Coordinate With Other Plans
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Graphic Notes:

Develop graphic to represent the six Marketing Plan elements with boxes labeled Analyze, Overcome Resistance, Develop Marketing Strategies, Use a 3-Phase Approach, Prepare Your Materials, and Deliver Your Message with arrows between the boxes. Add box labeled Coordinate With Other Plans below other boxes extending across the entire flow of the 6 boxes above.

Programming Notes:

Analyze

Analyze your organization’s current status.

Overcome Resistance

Determine how you will overcome resistance or objections to NFIRS 5.0.

Develop Marketing Strategies

Identify the different target audiences in your organization and develop a marketing approach for each one.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.4a

Use a 3-Phase Approach

Use a three-phase approach with each target audience: Create Awareness, Gain Acceptance, and Take Action.

Prepare Your Materials

Prepare a variety of marketing materials.

Deliver Your Message

Deliver your marketing message to groups or individuals.

Coordinate With Other Plans

It is critical that your Marketing Plan be developed in conjunction with the other plans you are developing for NFIRS 5.0 implementation:

• Management Plan

• Training Plan

• Support Plan

• Data Use Plan

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.5

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 2 of 8)
Task List	Analyze Before you begin to market NFIRS 5.0, you should find out as much as you can about the current status of your organization. Your research will help you plan effectively, answer questions, and overcome objections. You may want to conduct research in the following areas: Contact information Computer resources Internet access Software already being used Potential objections Roll your mouse over the boxes above to learn more about these research areas.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Each text box on this screen is a rollover object. Display the information shown below when the mouse is rolled over the rollover object:

Contact information

Obtain and input contact data into a county or department contact database so you have contact information for all current or potential NFIRS participants.

Computer resources

Before you begin to market NFIRS 5.0, you need to know what computer resources your organization has or is planning to acquire in the near future. NFIRS 5.0 will be easier to market if the computer resources are already in place. If computer resources are not available, you will need to develop a plan to acquire and install the necessary computers and software.

Internet access

Internet access makes it easy to send transaction files up the chain of command. It also makes communication up and down the chain of command easier. If Internet access is not widely available in your organization and there is no plan to expand Internet access, you must plan accordingly. You must also be prepared to explain how NFIRS 5.0 can be implemented in your organization without access to the Internet at all levels.

Software already being used

Before you make any decisions about how you will implement NFIRS 5.0 in your organization, you need to know what other software (e.g., fire administration, EMS, fire incident reporting) is already in use. If an NFIRS 5.0 certified third-party tool is being used by some parts of your organization, your marketing job will be more successful if you adopt the same tool for the entire organization if possible.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.5a

Potential objections

You should contact individuals throughout your organization to discuss hardware, software, and fire incident reporting. You are likely to uncover potential objections to the system. You may uncover objections to software in general or specifically to NFIRS 5.0. Cost may be a major issue. It’s better to know in advance what objections people may have to NFIRS 5.0. If you prepare in advance, you can respond to those objections when you deliver your NFIRS 5.0 marketing presentation.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.6

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 3 of 8)
Task List	Overcome Resistance Once you have identified potential areas of resistance or objections, determine how you can overcome them. Your plans might include the following actions: Presenting compelling information Providing “freebies” Obtaining grant money Roll your mouse over the boxes above to learn more about these-research areas.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Each text box on this screen is a rollover object. Display the information shown below when the mouse is rolled over the rollover object:

Presenting compelling information

When marketing NFIRS 5.0 you will want to include quotes from case studies describing the benefits of NFIRS 5.0. You should select case studies that relate to your organization as closely as possible and have them readily available whenever you present information about NFIRS 5.0.

Providing “freebies”

Some organizations have marketed NFIRS 5.0 by providing free computers or other equipment to organizations in exchange for a 2- or 3-year commitment to NFIRS 5.0. Others take advantage of bulk purchasing arrangements to cut the cost of equipment and software for subordinate organizations. You should look for any incentive you can find to encourage acceptance and implementation of NFIRS 5.0.

Obtaining grant money

A number of potential grant sources exist and these should be investigated early in the planning stage. You may be able to get your NFIRS 5.0 budget accepted if you have access to grant money to help defray part of the cost of the system.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.7

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 4 of 8)
Task List	Develop Marketing Strategies NFIRS 5.0 must be marketed in a different way to each of the separate and distinct groups or audiences in your organization. Each group has different needs, will raise different objections, and should be approached with a different marketing message. The groups you need to plan to market NFIRS 5.0 to are: Decisionmakers Large counties and large fire departments Small counties and fire departments Roll your mouse over the boxes above to learn more about these groups.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Each text box on this screen is a rollover object. Display the information shown below when the mouse is rolled over the rollover object:

Decisionmakers

The decisionmakers are the individuals in your organization who hold the purse strings. They are the ones who must see enough benefit from NFIRS 5.0 to fund it. You might approach them with a sample annual report from a State using NFIRS 5.0 so they can clearly see the quality and quantity of the data collected. You might also describe how NFIRS 5.0 has been used to respond to the media and for community education programs.

Large counties and large fire departments

Large counties and large fire departments may already have computer systems and may already be collecting data. They may need to be sold on the benefits of NFIRS over an existing system. You might approach them with a discussion of NFIRS data collection and data consistency and explain how these features will help them deal with budget justification, media inquiries, and community education programs.

Small counties and small fire departments

Small counties and small fire departments may feel that NFIRS 5.0 is too technical, too complicated, or too difficult for them to accept. You may need to stress that NFIRS 5.0 runs in a Windows environment and is easier to learn and use than previous versions. In addition, small organizations frequently need to collect data about the participation of personnel and the use of equipment at every fire incident. You might approach them with a demonstration of the Personnel module so they can see the value of the information it collects for them.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.8

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 5 of 8)
Task List	Use a Three-Phase Process Marketing NFIRS 5.0 is a three-phase process. The three-phase process should be employed with each group described previously: decisionmakers, large counties and large fire departments, and small counties and fire departments. The three phases should be completed in sequential order to achieve the best results. Roll your mouse over the boxes below to learn more about the three-phase marketing process.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
The Three-Phase Marketing Process Tools
Create Awareness Take Action Links
Gain Acceptance
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Graphic Notes:

Develop graphic to represent the three-phase marketing process with boxes labeled Create Awareness, Gain Acceptance, and Take Action with arrows between the boxes.

Programming Notes:

Each box in this graphic is a rollover object. Display the information shown below when the mouse is rolled over the rollover object:

Create Awareness

The first step in the marketing of NFIRS 5.0 is the education of the people in your organization about NFIRS 5.0. They need to know what it is and what it does. They may have had experience with previous versions of NFIRS or they may have heard negative things about it. Your awareness program should stress the positive aspects and benefits of the current system.

Gain Acceptance

As you build awareness of NFIRS 5.0 you will encounter objections to implementing it. In selling the system you must overcome those objections and gain acceptance of the system. The people in your organization will need to be persuaded that the time, money, and effort involved will be worthwhile. You will need make sure that system users at all levels know how they will benefit from NFIRS 5.0.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.8a

Take Action

After you have created awareness and gained acceptance of the system, the only way the system can be implemented is through direct action. That action may be:

• The entry of incident data into the system.

• The passage of a budget to fund implementation of the system.

• The installation and configuration of the hardware and software necessary to run the system.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.9

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 6 of 8)
Task List	Prepare Your Materials You need well-designed marketing materials to convey your message clearly and concisely. You may need different materials for each target audience in your organization. You should prepare a variety of marketing materials including: Audiovisual presentations. Paper-based materials including brochures and newsletters. Electronic materials including Internet Web pages, email messages, and newsletters.				Graphic collage showing variety of marketing materials and methods including brochures, newsletters, Web page, speaker talking to group.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.10

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 7 of 8)
Task List	Deliver Your Message You may find yourself presenting NFIRS 5.0 marketing information: In front of a large group at a conference. To one person at a time in face-to-face meetings. To one person or to a group over the phone. Through your computer keyboard. You may need to polish your communication and presentation skills to effectively present your message in each of these situations.				Graphic collage showing person presenting to group, talking face to face, talking on the phone, working on computer.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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1.11

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	How Do I Market NFIRS 5.0? (Screen 8 of 8)
Task List	Coordinate With Your Other Plans Develop your Management, Training, Support, and Data Use Plans as you develop your Marketing Plan. You must know how you will manage, train, use, and support the system in order to effectively market it to the organization. Click on the Next arrow to go directly to the Marketing NFIRS 5.0 Task List, which will help you get started, or click on the buttons on the left side of this screen to access the other portions of the Marketing section of the Toolkit.				Graphic showing binders or books labeled Management Plan, Training Plan, Support Plan, Data Use Plan, and Marketing Plan.
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	Task List
Print Task List	Use the Marketing NFIRS 5.0 Task List as a guide as you develop your NFIRS 5.0 Marketing Plan and coordinate them with your other NFIRS implementation plans. You may scroll through the entire Task List or click on a topic below to go to the tasks related to that topic. Click on the hypertext links in the Task List to go directly to the online viewable version of the documents referenced in the Task List. Analyze Your Organization’s Current Status Determine How You Will Overcome Resistance or Objections Develop a Management Plan Develop a Training Plan Develop a Support Plan Develop a Data Use Plan Develop Your Marketing Strategies Market NFIRS 5.0 to Decisionmakers Create Awareness of NFIRS Gain Acceptance of NFIRS Get Organization To Take Action Market NFIRS 5.0 to Large Counties and/or Fire Departments Create Awareness of NFIRS Gain Acceptance of NFIRS Get Organization To Take Action Market NFIRS 5.0 to Small Counties and/or Fire Departments Create Awareness of NFIRS Gain Acceptance of NFIRS Get Organization To Take Action Budget To Support the Plans
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0a

Analyze Your Organization’s Current Status Do an upfront analysis of your organization (e.g., State, county, or department) to help you market NFIRS 5.0 effectively. Does your organization currently have a computer system? Does that system meet the NFIRS 5.0 minimum requirements? (Refer to the NFIRS 5.0 Design Documentation, January 2001 in the Manuals section of the Toolkit.) Does your organization’s computer system have Internet access at the present time? If you don’t currently have Internet access, is Internet access planned for the future? When? What will it take to implement NFIRS 5.0 in your organization? What computer resources are needed? What financial resources are needed? What personnel resources are needed? Do an upfront analysis of the subordinate organizations to which you will need to “sell” the concept of NFIRS. (NOTE: If you are a State coordinator, you need to analyze the counties and departments. If you are a county or department coordinator, you need to analyze the fire stations within your county or department.) Develop a county or department contact database so that you have contact information for all potential NFIRS participating units. (Refer to the Sample Contact Database in the Samples section of the Toolkit.) The database should give you the capability to: Track current and potential participating units (e.g., counties, departments, firehouses). Track points of contact at participating units (e.g., names, street addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, FAX numbers). Track information about participating units (e.g., square mile area protected, population served, number of calls, software used).

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0b

Find out if your subordinate organizations currently use hardware and software in fire, police, and EMS departments. How many currently use hardware and software? What computer resources do they have? How many plan to acquire or upgrade their computer resources in the next year? What computer resources do they currently have? What computer resources do they plan to acquire in the next year? What is the computer literacy level of the people in the organization? What is the attitude of the people toward computers and computer use? Find out if your subordinate organizations currently use fire administration software. How many use fire administration software? What software do they use? Does the software they use have an NFIRS 5.0 certified module for fire incident reporting? Find out if your subordinate organizations currently use EMS reporting software. Is EMS software mandated at the State, county, or department level? How many organizations use EMS reporting software? What software do they use? How has the software use been accepted by the EMS community? Can they provide any stories relating to the benefits of EMS incident reporting since the inception of the system?

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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Look for areas of resistance or objections that are likely to occur as you “sell” NFIRS 5.0 to your subordinate organizations. Identify meetings and conferences attended by your subordinates and arrange to attend them and to present your NFIRS 5.0 marketing message. Back to Top Determine How You Will Overcome Resistance or Objections Look for NFIRS data use examples, stories, and statistics to use when responding to resistance or overcoming objections to the system. (Refer to the Case Studies in the Samples section of the Toolkit for examples.) Consider providing “freebies” to encourage NFIRS participation. Free or reduced price computer hardware. Free or reduced price computer software. Free or reduced price items fire departments would like to have but cannot afford (e.g., infrared cameras or other devices that will enhance capability and performance). Determine if you want to apply for grant money to help fund NFIRS implementation. (Refer to the Links to Possible Funding Sources section of the Links section of the Toolkit for details.) Gather information about grant sources. Obtain grant applications. Apply for grants. Develop a Management Plan Determine how you will manage NFIRS 5.0 and write a detailed management plan. This includes selecting the hardware and software you will use and how it will be supported. (Refer to the Managing section of the Toolkit for details.) Back to Top

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0d

Develop a Training Plan Determine how you will train NFIRS 5.0 users and write a detailed training plan. (Refer to the Training section of the Toolkit for details.) Back to Top Develop a Support Plan Determine how you will support NFIRS 5.0 and write a detailed support plan. (Refer to the Support section of the Toolkit for details.) Back to Top Develop a Data Use Plan Determine how you will use NFIRS 5.0 data to benefit your organization and write a detailed data use plan. (Refer to the Using NFIRS Data section of the Toolkit for details.) Back to Top Develop Your Marketing Strategies 1. Market NFIRS to Decisionmakers Determine how you will market NFIRS 5.0 to the decision makers in your organization in order to get the system approved and funded. Back to Top Create Awareness of NFIRS Identify the decisionmakers who need to know about NFIRS in order to approve the system and the budget expenditures necessary to implement the system. Create and deliver a general NFIRS 5.0 features and benefits presentation(s). (Refer to Tips for Creating Effective Visuals and Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations in the Tools section and the Links to Pages With Information About Designing and Delivering Presentations section of the Links section of the Toolkit.)

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0e

Attend/present NFIRS information at conferences and seminars attended by county and department representatives. (Refer to Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations in the Tools section of the Toolkit, the National Fire Incident Reporting System Program Management Course, Student Manual in the Manuals section of the Toolkit, and the Links to Pages With Information About Designing and Delivering Presentations section of the Links section of the Toolkit.) Highlight features that impact the decisionmaker’s organization. Highlight benefits that affect the decisionmaker’s organization. Make sure to tell them how they will benefit from NFIRS 5.0. (Refer to Uses of NFIRS: The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident Reporting System in the Manuals section of the Toolkit and the Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clips 1, 2, and 3 in the Samples section of the Toolkit. Provide examples of data collected by NFIRS and how such data have helped other organizations to justify budgets, quantify department activities, track trends, and solve problems. (Refer to Fire in Minnesota in the Links section of the Toolkit.) Illustrate your presentation with stories from other organizations detailing how NFIRS 5.0 data have helped them. (Refer to the Case Studies in the Samples section of the Toolkit.) Describe your organization’s current use of hardware and software and plans for upgrade and/or acquisition in the future. Include information on your subordinate organizations’ use of hardware and software. Describe your organization’s current use of the Internet and how that relates to NFIRS implementation. Include information on your subordinate organizations’ use of the Internet and plans for the future relating to the Internet. Back to Top Gain Acceptance of NFIRS Have one-on-one meetings with decisionmakers following the initial presentation. Find out if they have objections to NFIRS 5.0 and uncover their specific objections.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0f

Create and deliver a second presentation specifically aimed at gaining acceptance by overcoming objections to the system. (Refer to Overcoming Objections to NFIRS 5.0 in the Tools section of the Toolkit.) Specifically target the objections raised during the one-on-one meetings in your presentation. Ask for questions about NFIRS at the end of your presentation. Create and deliver a third presentation addressing remaining objections to NFIRS, if necessary. Back to Top Get Organization To Take Action Present an NFIRS 5.0 budget for approval. (Refer to the Budget Items Table in the Tools section of the Toolkit.) Include technical and nontechnical staff salaries in the budget. Include computer purchase and maintenance costs, at the organizational level, in the budget. Include training expenses in the budget. Include ongoing support costs in the budget. Include marketing expenses to “sell” the system to subordinate organizations, including: Include costs related to attendance at conferences and seminars that will be attended by county and department representatives. Include travel expenses to conferences and seminars and for one-on-one meetings. Include cost of “freebies” to encourage participation, including computers, software, and other incentives. Include other costs. Follow the normal budget approval process for review and approval of the NFIRS budget. Back to Top

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0g

2. Market NFIRS to Large Counties and/or Fire Departments Determine how you will market NFIRS 5.0 to the large counties and/or departments in your organization. Back to Top Create Awareness of NFIRS Prepare materials that highlight NFIRS 5.0 features and benefits to large organizations. (Refer to Tips for Creating Effective Presentations in the Tools section of the Toolkit and the Links to Pages With Information About Developing Marketing Materials section in the Links section of the Toolkit.) Audiovisual presentations Brochures Newsletters Web site Attend/present NFIRS information at conferences and seminars attended by county and department representatives. (Refer to Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations in the Tools section of the Toolkit, the National Fire Incident Reporting System Program Management Course, Student Manual in the Manuals section of the Toolkit, and the Links to Pages With Information About Designing and Delivering Presentations section of the Links section of the Toolkit.) Deliver group presentations. Arrange one-on-one meetings. Distribute printed materials. Identify areas of resistance or objections to NFIRS 5.0. Back to Top Gain Acceptance of NFIRS Meet individually with large county and/or department representatives to address resistance or objections to NFIRS 5.0.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0h

Tell them “What’s in it for them.” Be as specific as you can be. Use examples of how NFIRS data have benefited large organizations whenever possible. (Refer to Uses of NFIRS: The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident Reporting System in the Manuals section of the Toolkit, the Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clips 1, 2, and 3 in the Samples section, and the Case Studies in the Samples section of the Toolkit.) Data can be used to justify budgets. Data can be used to respond to media inquiries. Data can be used to plan the location of new facilities. Data can be used to assemble public education programs. Data can be used to identify trends, both positive and negative. Data can be used to justify purchase of new equipment. Data can be used to track personnel and apparatus use. NFIRS 5.0 is another way to do what they already do in some other way (e.g., they may use paper forms or a different computer application). Large metropolitan departments can send representative to biannual NFIRS conference at no cost to the department. Great opportunity to network with other NFIRS coordinators and to get updated NFIRS information and training. Address specific areas of resistance or objections uncovered while you were building awareness of the system. Answer all questions. Respond to individual, specific objections with a positive detailed solution. Describe your management plan for NFIRS. Describe your training program for NFIRS users. Describe your support plan for NFIRS users.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0i

Offer “freebies” to counties or departments in exchange for participation in the program. Provide information about available grant programs to help fund the system. Provide samples of the policies and procedures you are using to implement the system so they can see how well you have planned the implementation. Back to Top Get Organization To Take Action Determine how you will get the large counties or fire departments in your organization to take action to implement NFIRS 5.0. Help to write an implementation plan for the county or department. Provide a sample NFIRS budget for the county or department. Assist the county or department representative with the completion of grant applications. Provide assistance and support to get the county or department budget approved. Back to Top 3. Market NFIRS to Small Counties and/or Fire Departments Determine how you will market NFIRS 5.0 to the small counties and/or departments in your organization. Back to Top Create Awareness of NFIRS Prepare materials that highlight NFIRS 5.0 features and benefits to small organizations including: Audiovisual presentations Brochures Newsletters Web site

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0j

Attend/present NFIRS information at conferences and seminars attended by county and department representatives. (Refer to Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations in the Tools section of the Toolkit, the National Fire Incident Reporting System Program Management Course, Student Manual in the Manuals section of the Toolkit, and the Links to Pages With Information About Designing and Delivering Presentations section of the Links section of the Toolkit.) Deliver group presentations. Arrange one-on-one meetings. Distribute printed materials. Back to Top Gain Acceptance of NFIRS Meet individually with small county and/or department representatives to address resistance or objections to NFIRS 5.0. Tell them “What’s in it for them.” Be as specific as you can be. Use examples of how small organizations have benefited from NFIRS data whenever possible. (Refer to Uses of NFIRS: The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident Reporting System in the Manuals section of the Toolkit, the Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clips 1, 2, and 3 in the Samples section, and the Case Studies in the Samples section of the Toolkit.) Data can be used to track personnel and apparatus use. This may be of particular importance to organizations composed entirely or mostly of volunteers. NFIRS 5.0 is another way to do what they already do in some other way (e.g., they may use paper forms or a different computer application). Data can be used to justify existing facilities, equipment, and personnel. Data can show how often personnel respond and what they do when they respond. Data can be used to justify budgets. Data can be used to respond to media inquiries.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0k

Data can be used to plan the location of new facilities. Data can be used to assemble public education programs. Data can be used to identify trends, both positive and negative. Data can be used to justify purchase of new equipment. Address specific areas of resistance or objections uncovered while you were building awareness of the system. Answer all questions. Respond to individual, specific objections with a positive detailed solution. Describe your management plan for NFIRS. Describe your training program for NFIRS users. Describe your support plan for NFIRS users. Offer “freebies” to counties or departments in exchange for participation in the program. Provide information about available grant programs to help fund the system. Provide samples of the policies and procedures you are using to implement the system so they can see how well you have planned the implementation. Back to Top Get Organization To Take Action Help to write an implementation plan for the county or department. Provide a sample NFIRS budget for the county or department. Assist the county or department representative with grant applications. Provide assistance and support to get the county or department budget approved. Back to Top

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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2.0l

	Budget To Support the Plans Develop a budget to support the above plans and systems and consolidate it with the budgets developed for all other aspects of NFIRS. (Refer to the Planning, Managing, Using NFIRS Data, Training, and Support modules of the Toolkit for additional budget items.) Back to Top
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Locate the Print button on this screen. When the Print button is clicked, print the document MarketingTaskList.doc. (NOTE: This document will be developed following review of the storyboards.)

Create hypertext link to the documents or Toolkit sections shown in blue and underlined in the Task List.

Make this a single scrollable page.

The bulleted section titles on the top of this page will function as buttons. When the buttons are clicked, take the user directly to the section of the page where the section begins.

Add Back to Top links at the end of each section to return the user to the top of the page.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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3.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	FAQs
Print Task List	The following frequently asked questions and answers relating to Marketing NFIRS may help you market NFIRS 5.0 in your organization. You may scroll through the entire list of questions or click on a question below to display the answer. Click the Print button to print the FAQs. Why do I need a different strategy for large and small organizations? Why should a small organization collect data using NFIRS? How can I overcome cost objections? Some of my subordinate organizations used previous versions of NFIRS and didn’t like it. What can I tell them?
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
	Why do I need a different strategy for large and small organizations?			Large organizations often have different areas of resistance and objections to NFIRS from those voiced by small organizations. Large organizations may have computers already and may be concerned about training a large number of people in the use of a new system. Small organizations may not have anyone in the organization with experience using a computer and may be concerned with the impact of computer use on the organization.
	Back to Top
	Why should a small organization collect data using NFIRS?			A small department not collecting data may face annexation by a larger department because it has nothing to document its value to the community. NFIRS 5.0 enables the small department to collect the data necessary to prove its value.
	Back to Top
	How can I overcome cost objections?			There are several responses you can use to overcome cost objections. As part of your analysis of your organization you can decide to provide “freebies” or discounted computer hardware and software as an incentive and to lower the cost. (Refer to Overcoming Objections in the Tools section of the Toolkit for additional suggestions.)
	Back to Top

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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3.0a

	Some of my subordinate organizations used previous versions of NFIRS and didn’t like it. What can I tell them?		NFIRS 5.0 runs in a Windows environment and it is significantly easier to use. Drop-down lists of codes are available so the data entry person doesn’t have to look up the code numbers. An email messaging system is now in place to notify users of system downtime. (Refer to Overcoming Objections in the Tools section of the Toolkit for additional examples.)
	Back to Top
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Locate the Print button on this screen. When clicked, print the document MarketingFAQs.doc. (NOTE: This document will be developed following review of the storyboards.)

Make this a single scrollable page.

The bulleted section titles on the top of this page will function as buttons. When the buttons are clicked, take the user directly to the section of the page where the section begins.

Add Back to Top links at the end of each section to return the user to the top of the page.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

Screen

4.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

USFA Logo

Main Menu

Help

Glossary

Tutorial Menu

Manuals

Task List

The following manuals contain information referenced in this section. Click on the Marketing buttons to view or download specific pages in the manual containing management information. Click on the Entire Document buttons to view or download the entire document.

FAQs

Manuals

Samples

Tools

Uses of NFIRS: The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident Reporting System This document details ways various agencies and organizations access and use NFIRS at the local, State, and national levels. Read this document to better understand the benefits of NFIRS 5.0.

Entire Doc

Links

View

Download

Introduction to NFIRS, Student Manual The Introduction and Overview section of this manual contains a discussion the features of NFIRS 5.0. Many of these features are new and you may want to highlight them in your marketing materials.

Marketing

Entire Doc

View

Down-load

View

Down-load

NFIRS 5.0 Design Documentation, January 2001 The System Overview section of this manual contains an indepth discussion of the benefits of NFIRS 5.0. You may want to use this information in your marketing presentations.

Marketing

Entire Doc

View

Down-load

View

Down-load

National Fire Incident Reporting System Program Management Course, Student Manual This manual is used by students taking the Program Management Course. Review Unit 5 for valuable information on building a presentation using PowerPoint.

Marketing

Entire Doc

View

Down-load

View

Down-load

Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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4.0a

Programming Notes:

When clicked, the View and Download buttons display the following documents or set up download of the documents shown.

Uses of NFIRS: The Many Uses of the National Fire Incident Reporting System

This document is located on the Resources CD: /Reports/nfirsuse.pdf

Use only Entire Document button for this document.

Introduction to NFIRS, Student Manual

This document is located on the Resources CD, /Introduction/Student Manual/Intro_new.doc

Marketing button: Introduction (pages 1-3 – 1-10)

Entire document button: Entire document in PDF format.

NFIRS 5.0 Design Documentation, January 2001

Document is located on the Resources CD, /NFIRS 5 System Specifications/nfirspec.zip

Marketing button: Section 2: System Overview (pages 7 – 21) in PDF format.

Entire Document button: Entire document in PDF format.

National Fire Incident Reporting System Program Management Course, Student Manual

Document location – TBD.

Marketing button: Unit 5. Presentation Techniques.

Entire Document button: Entire document in PDF format.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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5.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu		Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	Samples
Task List	Click on the buttons to the right of the samples shown below to display the samples on your screen or to download a copy.
FAQs
Manuals	Case Studies A collection of case studies from States, counties, and departments of all sizes showing how NFIRS 5.0 data have been beneficial to them. You may want to include quotations from these cases in your marketing materials.							View	Down-load
Samples
Tools	Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clip 1 Short video clip showing Dale Thomson, Los Angeles City, California, discussing loss of apparatus due to not having data to support need for equipment. You may want to use a quote from this video or include the video in your marketing presentation about NFIRS 5.0.							View and Download
Links
	Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clip 2 Short video clip showing Charles Scott, Nashville, Tennessee, discussing how data helped to catch an arsonist. You may want to use a quote from this video or include the video in your marketing presentation about NFIRS 5.0.							View and Download
	Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clip 3 Short video clip showing Sondra Vann Senn, Columbia, South Carolina, discussing the use of data for public education, smoke alarm programs, and identification of new fire death patterns. You may want to use a quote from this video or include the video in your marketing presentation about NFIRS 5.0.							View and Download
	Sample State NFIRS Electronic Newsletter Sample newsletter from the State of Nevada in Word format. Take a look at this newsletter to see how one State communicates information about NFIRS in newsletter format.							View	Down-load
	Sample State NFIRS Paper Newsletter Sample paper newsletter from the State of Wyoming. Take a look at this newsletter to see how a general newsletter can be used to transmit information about NFIRS 5.0.							View	Down-load
	Sample Contact Database Sample contact database for collecting information about subordinate organizations in the NFIRS system. Use this database as a starting point when creating your contact database.							View	Down-load
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

Screen

5.0a

Programming Notes:

When clicked, the View and Download buttons display the following documents or set up download of the documents shown.

Case Studies

BenefitsCaseStudies.doc

Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clip 1

An AVI file and an html presentation page are to be developed as part of the Overview section of the Toolkit. Display the same page here when the View and Download button is clicked.

Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clip 2

An AVI file and an html presentation page are to be developed as part of the Overview section of the Toolkit. Display the same page here when the View and Download button is clicked.

Benefits of NFIRS 5.0 Video Clip 3

An AVI file and an html presentation page are to be developed as part of the Overview section of the Toolkit. Display the same page here when the View and Download button is clicked.

Sample State NFIRS Electronic Newsletter

NevNewsletter.doc

Sample State NFIRS Paper Newsletter

PaperNewsltr.pdf

Sample Contact Database

POCDatabase.mdb

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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6.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu		Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	Tools
Task List	Click on the buttons to the right of the tools shown below to display the tools on your screen or to download a copy.
FAQs
Manuals	Tips for Creating Effective Visual Aids List of tips and guidelines for preparing effective visual aids. You may want to review these tips when preparing your marketing presentation materials.							View	Down- load
Samples
Tools	Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations List of Do’s and Don’ts for effective presentations. As you prepare to deliver your marketing presentations for large or small groups, these guidelines will come in handy.							View	Down- load
Links
	Overcoming Objections to NFIRS 5.0 Table containing typical objections to NFIRS 5.0 with suggested responses. You may find some ideas for responding to objections within your organization here.							View	Down-load
	NFIRS 5.0 Features Table containing a list of easily recognized features found in NFIRS 5.0 with a description of the feature and the value it provides to the NFIRS 5.0 user. Use this table to describe NFIRS 5.0 features in your marketing materials and presentations.							View	Down-load
	Budget Items Table Table that identifies and describes key items to be included in the budget. You may want to use this table when putting together your budget for NFIRS 5.0 implementation.							View	Down- load
	Suggested NFIRS 5.0 Policies and Procedures Detailed list and description of policies and procedures you may want to write and distribute when you implement NFIRS 5.0.							View	Down- load
	Dollar Loss Calculator Formula and instructions for quickly and easily calculating the dollar loss experienced as the result of a fire. You may want to print this document and distribute it when making an NFIRS 5.0 marketing presentation.							View	Down- load
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

Screen

6.0a

Programming Notes:

When clicked, the View and Download buttons display the following documents or set up download of the documents shown.

Tips for Creating Effective Visuals - EffectiveVisuals.doc

Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Presentations – EffectivePresentations.doc

Overcoming Objections to NFIRS 5.0 - Objections.doc

NFIRS 5.0 Features - HighlightFeatures.doc

Budget Items Table - Budget.doc

Suggested NFIRS 5.0 Implementation Policies and Procedures - Policies.doc

Dollar Loss Calculator – Dollar Loss Calculator.doc

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

Screen

7.0

Marketing NFIRS 5.0
USFA Logo	Main Menu	Help	Glossary
Tutorial Menu	Links
Task List	This page contains a number of links you may find useful in marketing your NFIRS 5.0 implementation. Click on a link to display the identified Web site. You may scroll through the entire list or click on a topic heading below to go to the links related to that topic. The Web site will be displayed in a new browser window. Links to Pages With Information About NFIRS Features and Benefits Links to Pages With Information About Designing and Delivering Presentations Links to Pages With Information About Developing Marketing Materials Links to State NFIRS Pages Links to Possible Funding Sources
FAQs
Manuals
Samples
Tools
Links
	Links to Pages With Information About NFIRS Features and Benefits
	System Features Link to a page from the USFA Web site that describes some of the new features and improvements found in NFIRS 5.0. Use the information on this page when putting together your marketing materials.				http://www.nfirs.fema.gov/feature.htm
	Back to Top
	Links to Pages With Information About Designing and Delivering Presentations
	Building a Presentation This link to the PowerPointers Web site provides information and articles on creating presentations. Check this site often for ideas and information about how to use presentation tools and how to design presentation materials.				http://www.powerpointers.com
	Designing and Building Presentations This link to the 3-M Web site provides many links to information and articles on creating and delivering effective presentations including downloadable PowerPoint templates. Check this site often for new ideas and suggestions on effective presentation of information.				http://www.mmm.com/meetingnetwork/presentations

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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7.0a

	Great Speaking GREAT SPEAKING is a free electronic magazine for Presentations Skills Tips, Speaking 4 Money, Speaking Business Referrals, Speaker Marketing, Speaker Humor, Training, and other public speaking-related features. Go to this site to subscribe to the electronic magazine.	http://www.antion.com/ezinesubscribe.htm
	Back to Top
	Links to Pages With Information About Developing Marketing Materials
	Graphic Design Resource This link to the Graphic Design Resource Web site contains links to articles and pages containing information about effective graphic design for paper or electronic distribution. Check out this site for ideas and tips before designing your marketing brochures.	http://www.deezin.com/broch.html
	The Ink Well This link to the design page of The Ink Well Web site contains links to graphic design tips. Check out this site for suggestions and guidelines before you develop printed marketing materials.	http://www.iwa.com/design.htm
	Ideabook This link to the Ideabook Web site contains information about the design of your message for inclusion in brochures and newsletters. Check this site out for suggestions as soon as you are ready to start designing marketing materials.	http://www.ideabook.com/freebook.htm
	Back to Top
	Links to State NFIRS Pages
	Fire in Minnesota This link is to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Annual Report for 1999. Take a look at this report to see how NFIRS data can be used effectively.	http://www.dps.state.mn.us/fmarshal/mfirs/1999FireinMinnesota(hyperlinkedversion).pdf
	New Jersey Department of Fire Safety Link to New Jersey Department of Fire Safety Web page. This site provides information about how the State of New Jersey has implemented NFIRS 5.0, including the thermal imaging camera program used to promote participation in the program.	http://www.state.nj.us/dca/dfs/

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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7.0b

	Texas Department of Fire Insurance, Fire Marshal Link to Texas Department of Insurance, Fire Marshal Web page. Take a look at this page to see how the State of Texas promotes the use of the Federal Client Tool in the system they call TEXFIRS.	http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmtexfir.html
	Oregon State Fire Marshal Link to Oregon State Fire Marshal Web page. This page is the formal policy statement relating to NFIRS for the State of Oregon. It is a sample of how one State is providing information about NFIRS, including history and background, on the Internet.	http://www.sfm.state.or.us/Data/NFIRSPOLICY.htm
	NOTE: Reviewers, please recommend additional pages to be added here.
	Back to Top
	Links to Possible Funding Sources
	Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Funding Programs A link to the BJA Web site that provides information on the different funding programs the Bureau offers. This link provides good information about funding sources.	http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/html/fund1.html
	Minnesota Department of Public Safety, State Fire Marshal, Funding Sources A link to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Web site that contains links to possible funding sources for fire and other emergency services.	http://www.dps.state.mn.us/fmarshal/FundingSources.html
	FEMA Grant Information A link to FEMA’s Web site that provides an overview of a grantee’s reporting responsibilities. It is important to understand these responsibilities before deciding to seek a FEMA grant.	http://www.fema.gov/ofm/grants.htm

Marketing NFIRS 5.0

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7.0c

	Fundraising and Grant Writing Resources A link to a Web site that provides general information on how to conduct fundraising and how to write grants and proposals.	http://www.fundsnetservices.com/grantwri.htm
	NOTE: Reviewers, please recommend additional pages to be added here.
	Back to Top
Click on the Next arrow to continue.

Programming Notes:

Make this a single scrollable page.

The bulleted section titles on the top of this page will function as buttons. When the buttons are clicked, take the user directly to the section of the page where the section begins.

Add Back to Top links at the end of each section to return the user to the top of the page.

When any Internet link on this page is clicked, open a new browser window to display the link.

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