Project Summary

The City of Ferndale's Fire Department required local businesses to provide the fire department with information about hazardous chemicals at their locations. This helps to ensure the fire safety of Ferndale residents in case of fire emergencies.

However, completion rates for the required form were low and the process was outdated. The goal of this research effort was to determine why completion rates were low and propose solutions to increase this rate.

After gorilla and in depth interviews with Ferndale residents, my team and I proposed two solutions for the fire department's problem. These included a digitized and simpler online form and a promotion plan to increase business awareness.

Project Details

Organization

City of Ferndale Fire Department

Product

Firefighter Right-to-Know Policy

Duration

Sept - Dec 2023 (4 months)

Methodologies

Stakeholder Interviews, Gorilla Interviews, Competitive Analysis, User Interviews, and Usability Tests

Tools

Zoom, Figma, Miro, and Google Workspace

Role

UX Researcher

Team

Myself, Megan Chan, Alyssa Downs, Xinyi Wang

Business Problem

The City of Ferndale’s Fire Department struggled with low compliance rates for its hazardous materials reporting form, essential for fire safety and chemical management. Additionally, requiring fire department staff to visit each location further complicated the process.

Research Approach

How do we help the Fire Department raise awareness of the importance of the form and make it easier for businesses to submit their hazardous chemical information? 
Be at the top of google page search by its powerful and incredible Search Engine Optimization technique.
Competitive analysis is a key aspect when in the beginning stages of an SEO campaign. Far too often, I see organizations skip this important step and get right into keyword mapping, optimizing content, or link building.
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Research Process

To better understand the Fire Department's pain points, the following research plan was conducted to uncover their concerns and provide a comprehensive solution tailored to the department's needs.

Solution

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  • ​​Simplify the form by retaining only essential tasks and providing educational components for clarity. Digitize the form for easier access.
  • Maximize the impact of the fire safety awareness campaign by identifying optimal times for the fire department to raise awareness, such as city festivals and other high-attending events.
  • Create an informative flier with a QR code linking to the online form.
  • Collaborate with the City of Ferndale Communications Department to leverage digital marketing opportunities to spread awareness.
  • See solution here.
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Business Impact

  • The City of Ferndale’s Fire Department implemented the fire safety flyers with a link to the detailed benefits of the compliance policy.
  • The improved digital form increased business completion rates by 35%.
Be at the top of google page search by its powerful and incredible Search Engine Optimization technique.
Competitive analysis is a key aspect when in the beginning stages of an SEO campaign. Far too often, I see organizations skip this important step and get right into keyword mapping, optimizing content, or link building.
Problem Tab Image