Q&A
Public outreach and signage for fire prevention in NYC parks
0:52:40
ยท
98 sec
Council Member Ariola discusses the potential for improved public outreach and signage for fire prevention in parks, referencing past campaigns like Smokey the Bear. Matt Drury from the Parks Department responds, explaining current efforts and considerations for public education.
- Parks Department uses various methods for public education, including social media and urban park ranger programs
- During drought warnings, fire prevention education was incorporated into existing programs
- Standard rule signage includes prohibitions on smoking and other fire-related activities
- Department is cautious about over-signage to avoid 'sign blindness'
- Parks Department is open to partnering on creative ideas for memorable public education campaigns
Joann Ariola
0:52:40
that too.
0:52:41
You too.
0:52:41
See?
0:52:42
Only you can prevent a forest fire.
0:52:45
Is there any such type of outreach or some type of advertisement or something catchy that that or signage that we can put in our parks that like that that people, 30 years later, remember what Smokey the Bear said?
Matt Drury
0:53:04
Thanks, council member.
0:53:05
We appreciate the question.
0:53:06
And and, you know, I think we've engaged in a variety of different public education sort of efforts, whether it's through social media, you know, now now these days.
0:53:12
Nothing quite as iconic recently as as Smokey, for example.
0:53:15
But I know, for example, our our urban park rangers are are chiefly responsible for providing really fantastic nature themed education for for school kids and adults, throughout the city and and especially in, so for example, during the sort of the drought warning, period, we were incorporating fire prevention and and, you know, common sense practices sort of into that that education.
0:53:36
So we'd be we'd love to partner on more creative sort of colorful ideas on how to continue, this idea.
0:53:42
In terms of the prohibitions on smoking and and a lot of these other things, that's incorporated, generally speaking, into our sort of standard rule signage.
0:53:48
We found over the years, you can kind of over sign certain spaces and people sort of it turns into sign blindness a little bit, so we're a little cautious about that.
0:53:56
We wanna make sure it's, you know, succinct and and thoughtful and people can know what the rules are in any given space.
0:54:02
But but you you make a good point that there have been colorful reminders over the years that still, you know, people still remember to this day.
0:54:08
And we'd be, happy to kinda, you know, work with you to kinda think of some creative angles on that.
Joann Ariola
0:54:13
That's great.
0:54:13
I'm just going to yield to council member Paladino because she does have another hearing.
0:54:17
She has a question.