Chelsea Fire Department starts safety video campaign

The City of Chelsea Fire & Rescue Department recently kicked off its new safety video campaign.

Creating this video was the result of nearly a year’s worth of planning, said firefighter and media specialist Paul Williams. It took some time to wrap up the first video, Williams said, because they had to figure out the best equipment and juggle their roles as firefighters and paramedics.

“Once we crossed all of the hurdles of the right operating system, software and that stuff, and kind of got where we wanted it, then it comes down to a time issue because if this was my only task – to produce videos – then we’d probably have 10 of them right now,” Williams said.

While the department has previously provided health and safety information, Williams said the videos are a step up from former distribution methods.

“We were just using print format in the form of pamphlets,” Williams said. “In order for someone to get their hands on information they’d either have to come to the station to get that information or at some kind of event we might be at. That kind of limits your target audience and who has access to it.”

Topics for the videos will vary, Williams said, and he will sometimes take cues from the season for ideas.

“It may be one on swimming safety or drownings or something like that in the summer,” Williams said. “It could be on fireworks safety either in July or at New Years because those are the things that we have to deal with – it could be a number of things.”

Videos will also cover health topics, such as the importance of exercise and healthy eating. Williams said the department regularly goes on calls regarding heart disease, and they want to focus videos on topics that affect the Chelsea community.

The idea of their first video, bike safety, came from Chief Wayne Shirley.

“That’s one he [Shirley] wanted to see done because we see so many kids in Chelsea riding around without bike helmets,” Williams said.

He is working on the idea for a second video and hopes to eventually post one video a month. Time is always a factor, however, and he said video production always depends on the time he has away from fire and rescue calls.

“Realistically, it’s probably going to be one every two months, but if next year we could get up to 10 or 12 in the year, I’d be happy,” he said.

Williams posted the first video in late August. He said there is no way to track how many people have watched the video, but he hopes it piques a few people’s interest and encourages them to be safer.

“We may not be changing anyone’s lives, but you’re at least putting information out there that might spark some prevention or health,” Williams said.