Local Publicist Tackles Referendum at Fire Conference

Jenkintown, PA…Local public relations professional Leza Raffel will speak at the N.J. State Association of Fire Districts’ meeting on Friday, September 13, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. at the Wildwood Convention Center, 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260.

Raffel is the president and founder of the Communication Solutions Group in Jenkintown, Pa., a full-service marketing firm that provides recruitment and communication support for volunteer fire departments and EMS squads. She was a past speaker for the Eastern Division of the International Fire Chiefs Convention, the Firemen’s Association of Pennsylvania Conference and the New Jersey EMS Conference.

After a bill was passed that makes it more difficult for fire districts to gain voter approval on budgets, the N.J. State Association of Fire Districts asked Raffel for her expertise on how to run a successful referendum campaign.

“I’m honored to speak at the conference and help the fire districts create plans for winning referendum campaigns, said Raffel.

Communication Solutions’ most recent success story was for Millstone Township (NJ) Fire District. The public was made aware of Millstone Township’s needs for a new rescue pumper truck, an $878,000 purchase plus voter approval of a $2.2 million budget, and the majority of voters said yes. Locally, Communication Solutions also assisted Upper Dublin School District to win the state’s first stand-alone referendum for the creation of a new high school.

During Raffel’s presentation, she will discuss tips for fire districts to create an awareness campaign and utilize a mix of mediums including story placement in the local press, social media presence, targeted direct mail, advertisements and word of mouth.

Communication Solutions provides strategic communication support and volunteer recruitment for approximately 25 fire and EMS companies in the Mid-Atlantic Region.