The Opportunity
The Town of Westwood faced a critical need for a new police headquarters as well as a new fire station to keep pace with a high and growing volume of demands. Both departments were operating in outdated and overcrowded facilities with technology and resources not suitable for today’s standards. In order to develop the new facilities, the Town needed to ask Town Meeting Members to allocate necessary funds to the projects from the annual budget, which meant that other public initiatives may receive less funding. This need led to the Westwood police and fire station construction initiative to modernize public safety infrastructure.
The Strategy
BG launched a grassroots education campaign that informed Town Meeting Members and the public about the need for both facilities. It was critical to showcase the unseen work that both departments put forth each day and how their facilities prevented them from conducting operations in a manner that was safe and appropriate for the job. The education campaign emphasized the importance of Westwood police and fire station construction to ensure both departments could operate efficiently and safely. Our education campaign was designed to get out the vote and drive support.
The Result
BG raised mass awareness within the Town and inspired a groundswell of support, leading Town Meeting Members to approve a two-thirds vote for each facility. The Town now fully operates the newly constructed police and fire stations.