It boggles the mind that even after the devastation of the Black Saturday bushfires where 173 people died, the Victorian Government has struggled to get more than 1 in 4 Victorian families to complete a simple written fire plan. This lack of community preparation is a significant challenge.
A key part of the campaign focused on the essential need to create a dialogue between children (10+) and their parents about bushfire safety. The 'Keep Me Safe' AdobeAir awareness game is preloaded onto a USB wristband. Once the USB is inserted into a computer, the game loads prompting kids to think about items they would want to make sure were kept safe from a fire. They then are able to design their own character who takes their selected items to the safety of their parents via email, thus triggering meaningful discussion between parent and child about the issues of fire safety.
More than 10,000 Victorian primary students took part in this project, with an 84% success rate in delivering bushfire safety information to parents via their children. We had a 94% conversion rate from parents, with over 35,000 visits to the site from only 3,000 USB! Kids spent an average of 26mins on 'Keep it Safe' and more than half of students sent their parents safety information more than once. Saving lives is the ultimate result.
