John Petropoulos Memorial Fund

Final Report

To the Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research

Alberta Traffic Safety Fund

For the

Picnic PSA Education & Print Project

April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008

May 29, 2008

1. Project Identification

Title: “SLOW DOWN: It’s No Picnic Out Here” PSA: Education and Print
ATSF Project Number: #ATSF 0702 / Location: Throughout Alberta
Sponsor: John Petropoulos Memorial Fund (JPMF) / Project Manager: Ian Wilson
Implementation Start Date: April 1, 2007 / Mailing Address: Suite 347, 440 - 10816 Macleod Tr. SE, Calgary, AB, T2J 5N8
Project End Date: March 31, 2008 / Phone Number: 403-271-5319
Email:
  1. Project Purpose

Identify the injury issue targeted, and briefly describe how the project tried to resolve it.

Injury issue targeted: Motorists are not always slowing down when passing emergency services personnel working on the road and giving them room to work.

Project goal: To continue to increase public awareness about the importance of slowing down when passing emergency services personnel working on the road and giving them room to work by communicating this message to high school students, driver education students and motorists throughout Alberta, thereby reducing the risk to ESP getting struck by passing motorists.

3.Target Group

Identify the target group for the project. How did you reach the target population?

Target group:Alberta motorists(High school students, driver education students, newspaper readers, general public)
How target was reached:
  • Internet: The JPMF’s educational materials and print PSA were shared online through as well as via Facebook pages. They were also made available through other websites, including the Alberta Motor Association (AMA), Alberta Association of School Resource Officers (AASRO) and the Alberta Office of Traffic Safety.
  • Print media: The JPMF’s SLOW DOWN print PSA was distributed among newspapers, magazines and newsletters across Alberta. News stories were also pitched to publications throughout the province.
  • The classroom: Traffic safety education kits were distributed to classrooms across Alberta, including high schools and driver education classes.
  • Through emergency services personnel: Traffic safety education kits were distributed to emergency services workers throughout the province for use in schools and at community events.
  • Community events: Those who attended events hosted by the JPMF were informed of the Fund’s educational materials and activities.
  • Television: The JPMF’s video PSA aired across Alberta through Shaw Cable Systems. Alberta TV stations also did news stories about the JPMF’s activities.
  • Radio:Alberta radio stations did news stories and interviews regarding JPMF activities.

Did the target group change or expand during the project? If so, explain why.

No

4. Project Activities/ Events

Highlight the key activities/ events of the project.
Planned Activities / Actual Activities (Include the number of participants at each activity.)
Send traffic safety education kits to school resource officers, high schools, driver education classes and emergency services personnel throughout Alberta. / Traffic safety kits were sent to the following:
*RCMP detachments: Athabasca, Banff, Bassano, Brooks, Bow Island, Claresholm, Cochrane, Coaldale, Didsbury, Fort Macleod, Fort McMurray, Fox Creek, Grande Prairie, High River, Mayerthorpe, Nanton, Okotoks, Peace River, Stony Plain, Strathmore
*Police departments: Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Taber
*Fire/EMS departments: Calgary EMS, Calgary Fire Department, Chinook Emergency Medical Services, Coaldale & District Emergency Services, Foothills Regional Emergency Services, Fort Macleod Ambulance Service, Fort Macleod Fire, Lethbridge Fire Department, Medicine Hat Fire, Palliser Health Region EMS, Taber Emergency Services, Wheatland EMS
*Driving schools: Alberta Motor Association, Randy’s Driving School, Prepared Driving School, Khalsa Driving School, Chinook Driving Academy
*School boards:Edmonton public, Edmonton Catholic
*Other:Alberta Association of School Resource Officers
Get print PSA published in newspapers, magazines, newsletters across Alberta / *Publications that have already run the PSA include: Airdrie Echo, Bassano Times, Canadian Emergency News, Avenue Magazine (Calgary and Edmonton), South Calgary Scanner, Wheel & Deal
*Publications which indicated they plan to run the PSA include: Bonnyville Nouvelle, Fort McMurray Today, Leduc Representative, Lloydminster Meridian Booster, Strathmore Standard, Swan Hills Grizzly Gazette, Accident Prevention Magazine, 10-4
*Publications which committed to keeping the PSA on file and using it in the event of an ad cancellation include: Macleans; Redpoint Media Group Inc. (publishers of Avenue Magazine, CalgaryInc, Wine Access, Apple, EOY, Up!, YMCA, West, Alberta Ballet, Calgary Opera, Prelude and Stage West); Newsletters & More (publishers of several Calgary newsletters); Alberta Venture; WHERE Calgary; Camrose Canadian; Cold Lake Sun; Edson Leader; Hinton Parklander; Innisfail Province; Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser
*Publications offering discounted ad rates include: National Post, Globe and Mail, SEE Magazine, Flexys Systems Publishing Ltd., IMPACT magazine, Calgary Sun, 24 hours (Calgary), Barrhead Leader, Claresholm Local Press, Fort Macleod Gazette, Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune, High River Times, Lac La Biche Post, Lacombe Globe, Lethbridge Herald, Mayerthorpe Freelancer, Nanton News, Okotoks Western Wheel, Rimbey Review, Red Deer Express, Rocky Mountain House Mountaineer, Saint City News, Spruce Grove Examiner, Stony Plain Reporter, Viking Weekly Review, Jive Weekly, Alberta Views magazine, Lethbridge Living, The Source, Zoom Media, The Gauntlet, Intercamp, The Reflector
*Publications which will run PSA at regular ad rates include: Calgary Herald, Crowsnest Pass Promoter, Drumheller Valley Times, Oyen Echo, Pincher Creek Echo, Provost News, Lakeside Leader, Sundre Round-Up, University of Alberta Gateway, FFWD, Sedgewick Community Press, Fire Fighting News
*The Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association has the PSA and an article about the JPMF posted on their internal site, which is accessed by their 114 members. This gives those weekly newspapers access to the PSA at any time.
*The PSA was also distributed to fire and EMS departments across the province through the Alberta Ambulance Association.
Get SLOW DOWN message out through news articles published in newspapers, magazines and newsletters / *The JPMF received press coverage from the following newspapers: Calgary Sun, Calgary Herald, 24 hours (Calgary), Metro (Calgary), Airdrie Echo, Brooks Weekender, Cochrane Times, Fox Creek Times, Lacombe Globe, Leduc Representative, Spruce Grove Examiner, Stony Plain Reporter, Valleyview Valley Views, Medicine Hat News, Lethbridge Herald, Strathmore Standard, Devon Dispatch, Fort Macleod Gazette and Nanton News. (Many of these papers – including the Calgary Sun, Calgary Herald, 24 hours, Metro and the Airdrie Echo – provided coverage on several occasions).
*Stories about the JPMF were published in the following newsletters: South Calgary Scanner, Alberta Motor Transportation Association, Alberta Fire News
*Stories about the JPMF were published in the following magazines: Creaturesall, Canadian Driver, Canadian Emergency News, 10-4 (Calgary Police Association magazine)
Get JPMF’s educational materials used in AMA driver education classes. / The AMA agreed to share JPMF materials online and show the SLOW DOWN video PSA in driver education classes.
Add an explanation that would help to better understand the differences between what was planned and what actually happened.
The activities the JPMF planned to carry out were carried out. The results of those actions, however, were not always as expected.
With regards to the traffic safety education kits, it was expected school resource officers (SROs) and the AMA would receive the bulk of the materials and make use of them in high schools and driver education classes. The JPMF then planned to follow-up with the SROs and the AMA to gather relevant data (number of classrooms receiving materials, number of students using materials, quiz results, etc.). The AMA has been very supportive of the JPMF, but the association was ultimately unable to commit to using the JPMF’s traffic safety quizzes in its driver education classes. That left SROs, who did receive a large number of traffic safety education quizzes. However, the follow-up work with the SROs was frustrating, as many did not return calls or emails; some misplaced the kits; job turnover left kits in limbo; and others just did not keep track of how the education kits were used (some SROs even threw out the quizzes after the students filled them out).
Regarding the print PSA, it was believed that many publications would run it free of charge for a non-profit organization. Very few newspapers, magazines or newsletters agreed to this, however. Some did, but the majority offered discounted ad rates. Many publications also agreed to keep the PSA on file and use it in cases of excess space or ad cancellations. The JPMF has retained all the information gathered from this process for future use.
The JPMF had greater success receiving press coverage from the print media. This was achieved through press releases and strategic story pitches. Future success receiving media coverage is expected to result from these previous achievements.

5. Project Objectives and Results

What did you set out to accomplish and what actually happened?
Project Objectives (from the proposal) / Actual Results
Reach half of Alberta students in grades 10 to 12 (approximately 78,000) and 13,500 new drivers through AMA driver education classes. / The Alberta Motor Association distributed JPMF materials to classroom instructors as support materials for use in educational sessions. The AMA also plans to make the No Picnic PSA part of its online curriculum. Currently, the reach of the materials is very difficult to estimate, because it is up to individual instructors to use. This year the AMA is working to get the material on the website and into the class presentations. Once everything is in place, the association estimates around 15,000 students a year will see the message. (Perhaps more once the web materials are fully in place.)
Due to communication breakdowns with school resource officers, it is very difficult to determine the number of high school students who were impacted by this project. However, JPMF materials were distributed to all public and separate high schools in Edmonton and Calgary. School Resource Officers in another 23 Alberta communities also received the education kits. The JPMF estimates approximately 40,000 students received our message through high school classrooms.
Reach approximately half of the estimated weekly newspaper readers (400,000) in Alberta. / The combined circulation of Alberta weekly newspapers that were confirmed to have published the SLOW DOWN print PSA or printed an article about the JPMF was *90,536. Readership is typically calculated by multiplying the circulation by three, because it is estimated that each printed edition will be read by an average of three people. That means that the print PSA and news coverage through weekly newspapers reached an estimated 271,608 readers. (This figure does not include the number of online readers who read about the JPMF through the websites of weekly newspapers, nor does it include weekly newspapers that planned to run the print PSA or articles on the JPMF. In some cases, the publication of the PSA and/or news stories could not be verified).
*Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association figures
Reach approximately 75,000 readers through daily newspapers in Alberta. / The combined readership of Alberta daily newspapers that were confirmed to have published the SLOW DOWN print PSA or printed an article about the JPMF was over *600,000. (This figure does not take into account online readership or the fact that news stories about the JPMF appeared in the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, 24 hours and Metro on several occasions. Also unaccounted for in the daily and weekly newspaper figures is that the print PSA was published in Avenue Magazine, Canadian Emergency News and the South Calgary Scanner newsletter. The combined readership of these publications is over 170,000).
*Based on 2005 NADbank stats for the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun and Medicine Hat News; and 2005 Combase stats for the Lethbridge Herald. Metro Calgary and 24 hours Calgary began publishing in 2007, making readership stats hard to come by. Numbers for these free daily newspapers were based on the initial press runs of 50,000 for 24 hours and 60,000 for Metro.
Please note: Newspaper figures found in this ATSF Final Report and the Evaluation Report differ because the ATSF report only counts the circulation base for each newspaper once, whereas the evaluation report includes the circulation base each time a JPMF story or PSA appears in the newspaper. The evaluation report also takes into account readership, which the ATSF report does not.
Reach 570,000 Alberta motorists with SLOW DOWN message. / Over 1 million Alberta motorists received the SLOW DOWN message through the Education and Print PSA project.
Describe how you measured the extent to which you achieved your objectives.
The achievement of objectives was measured through close contact with project stakeholders, including the Alberta Motor Association and individual driving schools; the Alberta Association of School Resource Officers; emergency services departments and personnel; Alberta school boards; government departments and agencies; and the media. As well, the achievement of objectives was measured through media monitoring and frequent online searches of websites belonging to weekly and daily newspapers.

5(a). Educational Workshop and Awareness-Raising Projects

What key lessons/ messages did you intend participants to come away with?
List Key Lessons/ Messages:
The key lesson we wanted participants to come away with is to slow down when passing emergency services personnel working on the road and give them room to work. This lesson is important because ESP have families to go home to after every shift. Workplace safety for these workers is a shared responsibility and when communities work together, the risks to ESP can be minimized. The JPMF encouraged the public to think of the safety of ESP from their perspective. Motorists are driving through their workplace, so it’s important to slow down.
A secondary lesson is to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles
Another secondary lesson is to not follow within 150 metres of any emergency vehicle that has its siren or lights operating
Another secondary lesson is to check your rearview mirror regularly
Describe how you measured whether these lessons/ messages were heard and understood by participants.
The JPMF attempted to measure whether the lessons were heard through close contact with school resource officers, however, close contact was difficult to maintain due to previously mentioned reasons (see explanation in question # 4). Meanwhile, the JPMF was successful in getting the word out through the print PSA and the print media. The readership of these publications indicates that the messages were heard by Alberta motorists and it even provides a potential number of participants who received the messages. However, whether or not these lessons were understood by the participants is difficult to determine because the JPMF cannot follow-up with every individual reader to confirm their response to/knowledge of the messages.
Statistics regarding roadside incidents (near misses, injuries, fatalities, etc.) involving emergency services personnel are also scarce, so the JPMF instead relies on anecdotal evidence from emergency services workers that we are in contact with. The findings of such anecdotal reports are mixed. Many first responders indicate that roadside incidents are on the decline, while others suggest these incidents are rising. All emergency services personnel in contact with the JPMF have said problems persist regarding speeding by emergency scenes and ignorance about how to react while driving around emergency vehicles.

5(b). Project Impact

Were there any immediate impacts of the project on the community?
(An impact refers to any change in the community due to the adoption of information or technology by individuals or groups as a result of the project. (The change may be positive or negative and could either be anticipated or unanticipated.) Explain how you know the project has had this impact.
The impacts of the project were both immediate and long term. The traffic safety education kits provided emergency services personnel, school resource officers, driver education teachers, high school teachers, the media and others with immediate resources to help keep emergency services workers safe on the job. These resources were employed in classrooms and downloaded from the JPMF website in an effort to get ESP home safely after every shift. They were also made available through the AASRO website. The response from ESP to these resources was incredibly positive. The JPMF knows the education kits have been positively received because of the feedback from recipients after the materials were mailed out, hand delivered or discovered through our website/Facebook pages.