National Fire Plan Success Story

AM Radio System for Public Education
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
National Fire Plan - Accountability
2009

While it true that a picture is worth a thousand words, it certainly does not hurt to have words with the picture so that people really understand what they are looking at. A good example of that was recently put to the test at Bryce Canyon National Park by their fire management staff when they decided to use a Highway Advisory Radio Systems (HARS) to broadcast their message about the largest prescribed fire in the park’s history.

The Puma prescribed fire was a 4,000-acre interagency prescribed fire ignited in September 2008 in conjunction with adjoining Dixie National Forest. Since much of the fire was along a five-mile section of the main park highway, it was very visible to visitors, many of whom wanted to know more about it. The park tried putting up information boards at various pullouts but found that few people were stopping to read them. In an attempt to remedy this situation, Bryce Canyon officials focused on a unique and innovative solution using a portable and localized AM radio transmitter that would provide information about the Puma prescribed fire as visitors drove through the area.

The radio system was able to broadcast the repetitive message for the entire five miles of park roadway through the prescribed fire area. Information signs were set up at the beginning of the burn area to let people know the localized AM broadcast.

A traffic counter was put in place from August 26 to October 27. During that time, 41,818 vehicles were counted. This works out to be seven cents per person, a very cost effective way of contacting and educating visitors about the Puma prescribed fire and fire management within the NPS.

Contact: David Eaker, Fire Communication and Education Specialist, (435) 772-7811.