Interior Enlists Star Power for Fire Prevention Spots

What does it take to motivate homeowners to protect their property from fires?

Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton knew that the unfamiliar sound of her own voice probably wouldn’t do the trick. So she enlisted such stars as Jackie Mason, Dick Clark and Monty Hall (of “Let’s Make a Deal” fame) for new public service spots plugging fire prevention.

The hope is that the dozen brief radio spots featuring familiar personalities will succeed where government has failed in getting homeowners to take simple steps to protect their property from wildfires.

“The ability to attract that attention for a few seconds is very important,” said Norton, announcing the joint initiative with the Department of Agriculture in a conference call Friday from Salt Lake City. “Hopefully this will get people aware of the things they can do to help themselves.”

The radio spots, which are already taped and ready for airing, mark the second celebrity-backed appeal from Norton’s department. Earlier this year, the Oak Ridge Boys taped a spot that was instrumental in increasing the ranks of federal firefighters by 5,000 for this year’s fire season.

Norton, whose appointment was loudly criticized by well-known Hollywood liberals, has shown other signs of reaching out for star power to tout her department’s programs. Earlier this year, she was harshly rebuffed by actor Robert Redford when she asked him to join her in releasing some California condors into the wild--an offer made after she read some of his criticisms of her environmental record.

Although she professed herself a longtime fan of his work, Redford did not reply in kind.

“Sadly, since assuming the Interior secretary post, you have compiled an abysmal record of capitulating to big businesses at the expense of the nation’s public health, public lands and wildlife,” Redford wrote when he rejected her invitation.

Norton said the department’s previous success with the Oak Ridge Boys radio spot has her optimistic about the newest batch of public service announcements. The ads, which cost $14,500 to produce and are being sent to 6,000 radio stations nationwide, advise homeowners in and near forests to keep the areas around their homes clear of debris and refers them to a Web site, https://www.firewise.org, for tips.

When the Oak Ridge Boys ad aired, Norton said the department’s toll-free recruitment line for firefighters went from about five calls a day to as many as 55 each day.

In addition to Clark, Hall and Mason, celebrities drafted to tape the fire prevention spots include singers Wayne Newton, Lee Greenwood and Andy Williams, weatherman Willard Scott, comedian Elayne Boosler, actress Adrienne Barbeau of “The Drew Carey Show” and Andrea Evans of NBC’s “Passions.”

“Fire prevention cuts through ideological and partisan lines. It’s something that everyone can get behind,” said Mark Pfeifle, Norton’s spokesman.

In announcing the program, Norton tried to steer clear of more controversial policy matters regarding fire management, such as commercial logging in parklands and departmental policy on thinning forests for fire prevention.

Pfeifle said the list of stars came from sessions with Norton and aides, with Norton asking for entertainers with “universal appeal.”