For This Assignment, Create An Original Informational Eight ✓ Solved

For this assignment, create an original informational eight-

For this assignment, create an original informational eight-slide PowerPoint presentation for a community town hall meeting. Use the Washington Fire Department customer service background information (attachment #1) to develop a cooperative relationship with attendees. Emphasize the primary services a fire and emergency services (FES) organization should focus on when planning customer service efforts. Discuss the importance of criteria-based dispatching, and address community and public officials' concerns about responses to noncritical, nonemergency medical incidents, demonstrating the value of a strong working relationship. Review the media guidelines in attachment #2 before developing the presentation. Include images you would use in the town hall meeting. The presentation must have a title slide with your name, date, and presentation title, and a reference slide; the title and reference slides do not count toward the eight-slide minimum. Follow APA guidelines.

Paper For Above Instructions

Overview and Purpose

This paper outlines an evidence-based, audience-focused eight-slide PowerPoint presentation for a community town hall meeting representing the Washington Fire Department (WFD). The goal is to build cooperative relationships with residents and public officials, clarify FES priorities for customer service, explain criteria-based dispatching, and address concerns about responses to noncritical, nonemergency medical incidents. The proposed slides follow media guidelines and include suggested images and speaker notes suitable for a live town-hall delivery.

Slide Structure and Content (Slides 1–8)

Slide 1 — Community Safety Priorities (Slide 1 of 8)

Content: Bulleted list of primary FES services: fire suppression, fire prevention and inspection, emergency medical services (EMS), community risk reduction, public education, and special operations. Speaker notes emphasize that customer service begins with clear, prioritized service delivery that addresses risk and community needs (NFPA, 2019; IAFC, 2016).

Image: A single high-resolution photo of WFD personnel engaged in community outreach (alt text: “Firefighters talking with residents at a community event”). Source and attribution shown on slide per media guidelines.

Slide 2 — Customer Service Principles for FES (Slide 2 of 8)

Content: Principles such as responsiveness, transparency, equity, clear communication, and ongoing community engagement. Reference the department’s customer-service background and explain how these principles translate to operations (Patterson et al., 2015).

Image: Diagram illustrating the “Customer Service Cycle” adapted to public safety (alt text: “Customer service cycle for public safety”).

Slide 3 — Criteria-Based Dispatching Explained (Slide 3 of 8)

Content: Define criteria-based dispatching (e.g., Medical Priority Dispatch/MPDS), describe how structured protocols triage call types, prioritize resources, and improve response appropriateness and patient outcomes (IAED, 2020; Clawson, 2004). Explain dispatch role in balancing safety and community expectations.

Image: Schematic of dispatch flow from 911 call to resource allocation (alt text: “Dispatch flowchart”).

Slide 4 — Benefits of Criteria-Based Dispatching (Slide 4 of 8)

Content: Evidence-based benefits: consistent triage, quicker lifesaving instructions, improved resource utilization, and defensible decision-making when declining non-emergent transport (IAED, 2020; WHO, 2017). Address myths: dispatching is not “denying care” but ensuring the right response.

Slide 5 — Noncritical, Nonemergency Medical Incidents (Slide 5 of 8)

Content: Define “noncritical/nonemergency” and present data on frequency and impact on system capacity. Describe alternative responses (telephone advice, referral to primary care/community paramedicine programs, scheduled transport) and legal/ethical safeguards to maintain trust (NAEMT, 2019; Bigham et al., 2013).

Image: Side-by-side comparison graphic: “Emergency response vs. alternative community response” (alt text: “Comparison of response types”).

Slide 6 — Building Cooperative Relationships with Officials and Residents (Slide 6 of 8)

Content: Practical steps: regular stakeholder briefings, transparency about response metrics, joint policy development, and community education campaigns. Emphasize listening sessions and documented follow-up to demonstrate responsiveness (FEMA, 2018).

Image: Photo of a town hall in progress showing Q&A (alt text: “Town hall meeting with active Q&A”).

Slide 7 — Media, Messaging, and Visuals for the Town Hall (Slide 7 of 8)

Content: Summarize media guidelines (attachment #2): clear visual hierarchy, readable fonts, concise bullets, consistent branding, and citation of images. Explain the images chosen for the slides and planned alt text/descriptions. Provide a short script for likely questions about “why an ambulance didn’t come” and “how responses are determined,” using compassionate, factual language (Alpert et al., 2018).

Slide 8 — Call to Action and Next Steps (Slide 8 of 8)

Content: List actionable items for the community and officials: pilot community paramedicine programs, joint review committee for response policies, public education sessions on when to call 911, and a feedback mechanism. Offer contact information and a follow-up timeline. Close with invitation to join working groups.

Image: Simple call-to-action graphic with contact icons (alt text: “Contact and next steps graphic”).

Title Slide and Reference Slide

Title Slide: Include presentation title, presenter name, date, and department branding. Reference Slide: Full APA-formatted references for sources cited in the presentation; this slide does not count toward the eight content slides as required.

Addressing Community Concerns and Maintaining Trust

Strategy: Use data transparency, case examples, and plain-language explanations of dispatch logic to reduce perceived denial of service. Offer independent review and clear escalation paths for dissatisfied callers. Emphasize that criteria-based dispatching aims to maximize overall public safety and is paired with alternative options for those with nonurgent needs (IAED, 2020; NAEMT, 2019).

Images, Accessibility, and Media Guidelines

All images will include captions, attributions, and alt text; all text will meet accessibility contrast and font-size recommendations. Media guidelines ensure visuals support the message without distracting. Example image sources: department photo archives, licensed stock with municipal license, IAED infographics with permission.

APA Compliance and Speaker Preparation

The slide deck will cite sources in APA on-slide for key facts and include a full APA reference slide. Speaker notes will include brief citations for transparency and a prepared Q&A script referencing evidence-based sources to respond to concerns (Clawson, 2004; NFPA, 2019).

Conclusion

This presentation structure prioritizes transparency, evidence-based dispatching, and collaborative solutions for nonemergency medical incidents. By combining clear visuals, accessible language, and documented follow-up actions, the WFD can strengthen community trust while maintaining efficient, equitable emergency services (FEMA, 2018; WHO, 2017).

References

  • Clawson, J., & Dernocoeur, P. (2004). Emergency medical dispatch: The principles and practice of emergency medical dispatch. International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
  • International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. (2020). Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) Protocol. https://www.emergencydispatch.org/
  • National Fire Protection Association. (2019). NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations. https://www.nfpa.org/
  • International Association of Fire Chiefs. (2016). Community Risk Reduction and Customer Service Guidelines. https://www.iafc.org/
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2018). Community Engagement Toolkit. https://www.fema.gov/
  • World Health Organization. (2017). Emergency care systems for universal health coverage: Ensuring timely care for the acutely ill and injured. https://www.who.int/
  • Bigham, B. L., et al. (2013). Alternatives to ambulance transport: Evidence and program models for non-transport and alternative transport options. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 15(Suppl 2), S27–S35.
  • National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. (2019). Community Paramedicine Resource Toolkit. https://www.naemt.org/
  • Alpert, A., et al. (2018). Engaging communities to reduce non-urgent 911 use: Best practices and outcomes. Journal of Emergency Management, 16(5), 321–330.
  • Patterson, B., et al. (2015). Customer service strategies in public safety organizations: Building trust through transparency. Public Administration Review, 75(3), 345–356.