NATIONAL ALTERNATIVE FUELS
TRAINING CONSORTIUM
The NAFTC’s First Responder Safety Training is designed specifically to reduce the risks taken by first responders when responding to accidents involving alternative fuels, alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles. The classroom materials include information on emergencies involving biofuels and biofuel vehicles, gaseous fuels and gaseous fuel vehicles, hydrogen and hydrogen-powered vehicles, and electric drive vehicles.
This section provides you with the materials and information you need to successfully plan, promote, host, and evaluate a First Responder Safety Training. You’ll find FAQ sheets, promotional materials, media guides, curriculum order forms, registration forms, a workshop agenda and other useful resources.
NOTE: Due to the technical nature and important safety factors directly related to this training, all First Responder Safety Train-the-Trainer classes must be contracted through the NAFTC. For more information please contact Mike Smyth at
Phone: (304) 293-7882
or Email: Micheal.Smyth@mail.wvu.edu.
This presentation is primarily for use by Clean Cities Coalitions to promote the need for First Responder Safety Training to government officials, public safety officers, code officials, and other key decision makers. The presentation highlights the role of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles in reducing petroleum consumption and harmful emissions in the United States. This tool will help you convince local key decision makers of the importance of First Responder Safety Training.
Why First Responder Safety Training Is Important Presentation(.ppt)
Why First Responder Safety Training Is Important Video (.wmv )
There are several potential target audiences for the First Responder Safety Training. The groups that would benefit from attending this training include first responders and public safety officers such as:
•Firefighters
•Law enforcement officers
•Paramedics
•Emergency medical technicians
•Hazard response officials
The provided Fact Sheets explain the First Responder Safety Training’s four modules: Biofuels and Biofuel Vehicles, Gaseous Fuels and Gaseous Fuel Vehicles, Hydrogen and Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles, and Electric Drive Vehicles. They give interested individuals explanations of the alternative fuels discussed during the workshop and how those fuels power next generation vehicles.
Biofuels and Biofuel Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf) 
Gaseous fuels and Gaseousfuel Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf)
Hydrogen fuels and Hydrogen Powered Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf)
Electric Drive Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf)
Introduction Biofuels and Biofuel Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf)
Introduction Gaseous Fuels and Gaseous Fuels Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf)
Introduction Hydrogen fuels and Hydrogen Powered Vehicles Fact Sheet(.pdf)
Developing a set of a standard PowerPoint slides that can be customized to fit your presentation purpose will make event preparation easier and will also help to maintain consistency in your marketing.
Videos have the ability to inform and inspire your audience to action; however, they can be fairly time-consuming to produce. When creating a video, maintain a focused message and keep a target audience in mind. New media outlets such as YouTube and other social media sites provide an excellent opportunity to share these videos with viewers around the world.
Posters are particularly useful in promoting specific activities and events. These can be displayed in various locations including your work site, the event site, partner sites and many other relevant locations. It is usually free to place your posters in these areas; just remember to take them down after the event concludes. You can even use large outdoor posters for high traffic areas. These should stir interest and include program and contact details.
Brochures are most commonly used to provide a general overview of an organization and to highlight specific goals and initiatives. It is usually printed out on 8×11 paper and presented as a trifold with the most important information displayed on the front and inside left spaces.These can be particularly useful when launching a new program. Make it easier for the reader by using bullet points and bold headlines and providing contact information. Include enough helpful information to encourage the reader to keep it, refer to it frequently, or pass it on to other people.
A lot of the same tips that apply to brochures also apply to flyers. A flyer is typically an announcement on a flat 8.5×11 piece of paper. It can be one or two-sided depending on where it is displayed and how much information you have to share. A flyer should inherently have a call to action. What do you want the reader to do with the flyer? Call you? Visit your Web site? Attend your event? Make sure you know it and they know it too..
Advertising is a form of communication that intends to persuade an audience to take action, whether that is to purchase a product, attend an event, or adopt a set of behaviors. Advertising can take many forms such as for broadcast, print or online. Several types can be used together to increase the intended result. Traditional means of advertising have also made way for newer forms such as social media marketing, which customizes ads to target social media users with particular demographics and interests. By understanding the different forms of advertising, you’ll be able to better utilize them to fit your needs.
Print advertisements encompass everything from media with a broad readership base to more narrowly targeted media such as local newspapers and trade journals. This method of advertising tends to be the most popular and usually offers a more targeted approach than other mediums. For example, magazines include articles intended to attract a specific type of consumer, and the magazine makes this demographic information available to advertisers. The cost of newspaper and magazine ads vary depending on the size, location, color, and type, and the effectiveness of the ads often depends on the number of subscribers.
Online advertising involves using the Web to deliver a marketing message and can consist of banner ads, text ads, video ads, pay-per-click advertising, and more. You may also choose to use your own Website to display a banner ad to visitors. While the effectiveness of online advertising depends on how many people actually view the ad, this method also allows the advertiser to track the number of impressions received (how many people see the ad). Another advantage is that online advertising can be viewed by anyone, anywhere, at any time, so your message can receive plenty of exposure.
Email advertising involves sending email announcements to your current subscribers and to friends and others who have an interest in your organization. When announcing an event, consider offering a discount for those who register early or refer to the email announcement during registration. In addition, encourage your subscribers and friends to share the email with others.
Radio is one of the most cost-efficient ways to get your message delivered. In addition, radio is one of the few portable media available that can follow consumers almost everywhere, whether it’s in the car, at a doctor’s appointment waiting room, a bustling supermarket, or even during the day at business and professional offices nationwide. Since radio is typically a local media, it’s a great resource to announce local events. Also, developing a radio spot is relatively easy. Unlike other news outlets, radio can be flexible and quickly modified, based on new information. Furthermore, because consumers hear radio advertisements repeatedly, they are more likely to retain the information.
There are two main ways to utilize radio: a paid radio spot (advertising) or a public service announcement (PSA).
A PSA is an often free announcement, which promotes programs, activities, or services of federal, state, or local governments or the programs, activities or services of non-profit and other announcements regarded as serving community interests, excluding time signals, routine weather announcements and promotional announcements. The most common topics of PSAs are health and safety.
Sample Radio Advertisement(.pdf)
Members of the media use press releases to develop stories and prioritize news for a specific day or week. A successful reporter knows how to take a well-written press release and turn it into a great story by conducting follow-up interviews and research to inform his or her readers or viewers about certain issues.
All press releases should answer the five Ws and one H (who, what, when, where, why, and how). They are typically written in the inverted pyramid structure, which places the most important and relevant details at the top. As the release continues, the information, at least in the editor’s or reporter’s eyes, is less important. This facilitates copy editors to cut from the bottom, allowing the story to fit on the page while keeping the overall meaning of the piece.
Most press releases should not exceed one page of content. Boilerplates, or background paragraphs about relevant organizations, can be tacked on to a second page.
Send releases to your established media contacts; most reporters, editors, and producers prefer email, but some still respond to faxes. Give them enough time to plan to cover your event or to do follow-up interviews.
Pre-Event Press Release for Recruiting Particpants(.pdf)
Considering the specialized goals of the Clean Cities Learning Program, it is generally best to establish relationships with one or two specialist journalists instead of taking a scattered approach. If you do this, the journalists are more likely to become accustomed with your topics and to report on them accurately. They may also view you as an expert, which will improve your and your organization’s reputation. Use the downloadable Suggested Contact List to find specialized media in your area.
Paid media placement is another way to promote your program and events. This includes buying advertisements in print publications or a booth at a trade show or conference.
When preparing for and hosting the First Responder Safety Training, it is extremely important to know how to answer questions about the need for and purpose of the workshop. One of the most common topics reporters will address is the safety aspect of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. When communicating with the media, be sure to stick to your message regarding reduced dependence on foreign oil and cleaner air for the future. Stay away from the word “dangerous.” Help the media to understand that these next generation vehicles are simply “different,” so first responders need to know how to properly respond to accidents in order to keep drivers and themselves safe.
First Responder Safety Training During an Interview(.pdf)
First Responder Safety Training In an Emergency Tips(.pdf)
First Responder Safety Training Difficult Situations Tips(.pdf)
First Responder Safety Training Answering Fuel-Specifi Questions Information(.pdf)
Now that you have successfully planned and promoted your First Responder Safety Training, you are ready to delve into the materials you will need to execute the workshop. In this section you will find registration items, agendas, evaluations, and other tools.
First Responder Event Registration Form(.pdf)
First Responder Sample Workshop Agenda(.pdf)
First Responder Name Badge Template(.pdf)
First Responder Workshop Evaluation Form(.pdf)
First Responder Sample Thank You Letter to Participants (.pdf)
This material has been developed to present information related to Towing and Roadside Assistance as it pertains to alternative fuel vehicles. The material is arranged into relevant topics and then divided into sections for each main type of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle: Biodiesel; Ethanol; Natural Gas; Propane; Hydrogen; and Electric Drive (HEVs, PHEVs, BEVs, and FCEVs).
The Towing and Roadside Assistance Safety Booklet provides an explanation on why towing and roadside assistance providers need to be aware of the growing number of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles that can be found on roadways today. The material serves as a basic primer to understanding the need for alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, as well as information on the specific alternative fuels and vehicles that utilize them.
As a supplement to the Safety Booklet, the Automotive Recycling & Towing/Roadside Assistance Safety Procedures Guide has been developed as a quick resource for towing and roadside assistance and automotive recycling personnel to assist with safety procedures in dealing with alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The guide provides information on the main types of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and includes information on identification, example vehicles, safety and first aid, securing the vehicle, towing, roadside assistance, and dismantling.
Towing and Roadside Assistance Safety Booklet(.pdf)
Automotive Recycling & Towing/Roadside Assistance Safety Procedures Guide (.pdf)
This material has been developed to present a full range of information related to automotive recycling. The material is arranged into relevant topics and then divided into sections for each main type of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle: Biodiesel; Ethanol; Natural Gas; Propane; Hydrogen; and Electric Drive (HEVs, PHEVs, BEVs, and FCEVs).
The Automotive Recycling Safety Booklet provides an explanation on why automotive recyclers need to be aware of the growing number of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles that can be found on roadways today. This material serves as a basic primer to understanding the need for alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, as well as introductory information on the specific alternative fuels and vehicles that utilize them.
As a supplement to the Safety Booklet, the Automotive Recycling & Towing/Roadside Assistance Safety Procedures Guide has been developed as a quick resource for towing and roadside assistance and automotive recycling personnel to assist with safety procedures in dealing with alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. The guide provides information on the main types of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and includes information on identification, example vehicles, safety and first aid, securing the vehicle, towing, roadside assistance, and dismantling.
Automotive Recycling Safety Booklet (.pdf)
Automotive Recycling & Towing/Roadside Assistance Safety Procedures Guide (.pdf)