NIST Study of Emergency Communications and Evacuation During the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Fire

NIST is performing a study of emergency communications and evacuation in the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Fire.  The objective is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of emergency communications and public response during the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Fire.  To meet this objective, NIST is asking those who lived (or currently live) in the area affected by the 2016 fire to fill out a survey.  The 'area affected by the 2016 fire' refers to areas where the fire spread and/or areas that were evacuated.   The survey will be distributed in one of the following ways:

• Online survey: First, heads of households can visit the online link, read thoroughly and agree to consent materials, and complete the survey (~20 mins).
  If you were affected by the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Fire, we hope you will participate in this survey. The online survey is hosted at  www.NISTfiresurvey.com, and is being administered by a trusted, third-party vendor, the Fors Marsh Group.
• Phone survey: Those who do not complete the online survey can participate in the survey over the phone (~20 mins).  Please call the Chimney Tops Survey Help Line at 877-891-2465 to inquire about taking the survey over the phone.

The survey will ask about previous wildfire experience, preparedness, alerts and warnings (communication) during the incident, thoughts and perspectives about the communication, and evacuation decisions and behaviors.

Please consider taking this survey!  The findings from this work will lead to “Lessons Learned” and guidance for communities planning and preparing for wildfire events.