About Black Forest Fire Rescue
The Black Forest Fire Rescue Team of Colorado knew the importance of having a professional, up to date website available for the community. Be it fire danger, another kind of emergency, or more information on the fire department, having a centralized website helps users find what they need to know about their local fire department. It was also important they have an up-to-date and easy to use interface that works well across all types of devices.
The challenge
- The site lacked responsiveness across various devices, making the website not mobile friendly and harder to navigate on phones.
- Information was scattered around the website, making it difficult for users to find the information they wanted.
- The landing page was overwhelming, with key factors like the fire danger not immediately noticeable.
- The rest of the information was either almost completely out of view or nonexistent.
- There was a lack of social media feed on the landing page, in case there were emergencies.
What we did
- The website was moved off their old CMS and onto WordPress, improving the Black Forest Fire team’s ability to make changes to the website easily.
- The website was redesigned to look more professional and make it easier to navigate from the user’s perspective. A responsive layout was added at the same time to ensure that, no matter the device the user is on, it is easy to navigate and find the desired information.
- The navigation was moved from three separate sections of the landing page to one section along the top, allowing users to find the pages they’re looking for right away.
- The landing page was redesigned to have the fire danger, weather emergencies, and burn restrictions be one of the first things a user will see.
- Right next to the sections for fire danger, weather, and burn restrictions is an area for the department to post information and events.
- A Facebook feed was added for quick notifications of any emergencies or updates directly from their Facebook account, alleviating the need to update Facebook and the website separately.
The results
Now Black Forest Fire Rescue’s new website has a fresh professional look. New and returning users to the website will find it easier to find what they are looking for, including that day’s current fire danger level. The crew at Black Forest Fire Rescue can also easily update the website to reflect any time sensitive or emergency information. The website looks professional, is easier to use, and has a clear navigation system. With the added responsiveness, the website can be viewed across devices with ease. This will greatly assist the BFFR’s in its service to the community, while providing residents with a fast way to find the information they need.
