Whether they REALIZE it or not, most fire departments throughout the country incorporate customer service and public education activities into their daily routine. The Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS, a 150-member combination department located near Cincinnati, Ohio, demonstrates that customer service and public education need not be costly or elaborate to be innovative and effective.
In 1995, the Northgate Shopping Mall in Colerain Township began an extensive renovation project, and many stores relocated to new wings, leaving vacant storefronts in the older section. During that time, Lieutenant Mark Walsh of the department’s Fire and Life Safety Bureau had the idea of using a vacant storefront to promote the department’s public safety education and customer service programs. Walsh realized that a public safety shop staffed with department personnel could be created for mall patrons. This endeavor would make the department more visible to the community and accentuate public safety and related programs.
In a time of shrinking budgets and limited resources, corporate involvement with the fire service is a tremendous asset. The Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS, like many departments nationwide, has a positive working relationship with the corporate community. Because of this, it was no surprise when La Salle Partners (currently Jones, Lang, LaSalle, Americas, Inc.), the mall’s management company, agreed to help the department develop the mall store idea. For one dollar per year, LaSalle Partners agreed to provide unlimited use of a vacant store for the department’s public safety shop. The only condition was that the store would have to relocate if another tenant desired that space.
Department members received this idea with enthusiasm. Through their effort, dedication, and innovation, a barren storefront began to take on a unique appearance. Some members aided in constructing attractive and readily movable displays. Others designed a fire/life safety motif and gathered department photos and related artifacts to add a “firehouse” flavor to the store. Additionally, an abundance of safety literature, balloons, and coloring books were secured for distribution there. Through these efforts, the department proved that such a visible program does not have to be costly to succeed. The initial $1,000 from the department’s public education budget has been a wise investment, and the dividends from this community outreach have been compounded many times over.
In 1996, a Victoria’s Secret store relocated, which provided a location for the department’s new Northgate Station. The store’s contrast to other mall tenants quickly drew curious patrons, who browsed throughout the store studying displays and literature and asking fire personnel safety-related questions. Blood pressure checks were also frequently requested. Other patrons merely came to pass the time and chat with the personnel working there.
Initially, operating hours were limited because department personnel worked at the store during off-duty time, so a consistent operating schedule was not possible. However, every well-prepared organization maintains a Plan B, and Colerain was no exception. Previously, the department had discussed using nontraditional volunteers to carry out various department functions not related to operations and realized it was an opportune time to employ such a contingency plan. The Colerain Township Senior Citizens Center cooperated; its members volunteered to assist with store operations. Help from the center members permitted consistent operating hours. If a customer had a question the volunteers could not answer, they would call the department for the appropriate information. This became a win/win situation for both groups.
As time passed, the Northgate Station became a prominent fixture at the mall. In addition to providing a venue for promoting fire and life safety information, other services suggested by patrons were added and quickly became a mainstay for the store. For example, many individuals who walk in the mall for exercise rely on the department’s presence to monitor their vital signs. Moreover, the department personnel working at the store are first responders for emergency calls at the Northgate Mall, thus reducing response time. These services give the Northgate Station and the department an unmistakable presence at the mall.
The Northgate Station’s initial success and patronage permitted program coordinators in Colerain’s Public Education/Customer Service Division to market their programs, and the response each new program generated was amazing. Citizen CPR training, the initial program offered, drew such a great response that department-sponsored citizen CPR classes were full for several months.
A display of highly reflective residential address signs, placed near a small-scale replica of a house façade, aided in marketing these items. Another program solicited premise information from the township’s disabled residents who might need special assistance in a fire or EMS emergency at their homes. This information is sent to the communication center, which, on dispatch, relays it, if applicable.
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A blood sugar testing program allows patrons to have their blood sugar checked. The “one-touch” test, used as a baseline indicator, allows patrons to determine if they should seek further assistance from a physician. For several individuals, this was the first indication that they had a possible blood sugar problem. Colerain’s EMS has been summoned in a few cases to render additional aid to hypoglycemic individuals.
The greater Cincinnati media played a tremendous part in enhancing the success of Northgate Station. The department extended an open invitation to the regional media to use the Northgate Station as a public safety background for newscasts. This close working relationship with the media benefited the township department in promoting new public safety programs and helped increase the station’s popularity. Inquiries, previously limited to Colerain Township residents, soon came in from the entire greater Cincinnati area after the extensive media exposure.
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In operation for only a year, the Northgate Station became so well-regarded that in 1997, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) presented the Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS with the coveted Award of Excellence, the highest recognition of excellence and innovation presented in the fire service for providing exceptional customer service. This award further spread news of the store’s success in the fire service. The department received calls from as far away as Tempe, Arizona, and Anchorage, Alaska, requesting assistance in developing similar programs. This recognition encouraged the department to improve and upgrade the existing store and staff it permanently.
In early 1998, the department developed an ongoing child safety seat inspection program, which was unprecedented in the Cincinnati area. The program, then exclusively out of the Northgate Station, has since become the department’s largest public safety program to date. Substantial grant money for this program allowed Colerain Township to hire an individual to oversee the program and operate the mall store on a regular schedule. Through this type of innovative funding, the store remains in continuous operation with minimal funding from the department budget.
While no significant physical changes have been made to the store since its inception, many displays are changed periodically to keep the appearance fresh. Mall patrons approaching the store see display signs in the mall corridor advertising the programs taking place that day. The latest community safety events are highlighted on an electronic message board just inside the store. As visitors scan the brightly lit store, a multitude of pictures relating to the operation of the Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS catch their eyes. Tables draped with bunting neatly display safety literature and various programs the department offers. Dimension is added to the surroundings using props such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and child safety seats. Young children are particularly fond of the store and savor the opportunity to don a youth-sized set of custom-made turnout gear, complete with a light plastic SCBA and fire helmet. As the children leave, they receive a fire safety coloring book, a helium balloon, or fire department trading cards. The Northgate Station offers something for the entire family.
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Reaching the public to gain its interest in public safety programs is generally no easy task. According to former Colerain Township Assistant Chief Robert Rielage, currently Ohio’s state fire marshal, “The mall is probably the only place where you’ll eventually see every member of your community. The Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS put that likelihood to good use by setting up a store that offers fire and life safety information.”
DAVE JENNINGS, a 19-year fire service veteran, is a firefighter/paramedic with the Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the department’s public information officer and oversees several programs in the customer service division.
 Firefighter/ Paramedic Dale Von Bargen, who oversees Northgate Station’s operations, provides a blood sugar test for a patron. |
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