Science Daily  reports that a study that was published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that firefighters and police officers have a significant impact on the success of a safety message shown on television.

If a story includes an interview with a police officer or fire department official, viewers are more than twice as likely to hear prevention information that could help them and their families.

“In the end, if police and firefighters appeared on camera, it meant more prevention messages for the public,” says James Pribble, M.D., the study’s lead author. “This suggests that we have a very powerful opportunity to train these public service professionals to be ready to give interviews on the spot, often on the scene, to give the public prevention tips and information about current public policy issues in injury prevention and safety.” (Science Daily)

The study included an analysis of 2,795 newscasts from 122 stations in the country’s top 50 markets. 

With that in mind, what are you doing to help your department increase their visibility in the media and therefore increase the safety of the public that you protect?

Original Post: Study Shows Power Of Police And Fire Officers As Injury-prevention Messengers