Project Grant 60NANB24D026

PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO EXAMINE THE ROLES OF SERIOUS GAMES IN ENHANCING THE ADOPTION OF WILDFIRE HAZARD MITIGATION MEASURES FOR RESIDENTS OF WILDFIRE-PRONE AREAS. A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING THESE MEASURES. THIS RESEARCH HAS A PEDAGOGICAL PURPOSE TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE MEASURES AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY?S PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE WILDFIRE EVENTS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES WILL BE PERFORMED. FIRST, CHARACTERIZE TARGET RESIDENTS BY DEVELOPING A TENTATIVE USER PROFILE INCLUDING DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS (WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE U.S. CENSUS DATA): AGE, LANGUAGE, EDUCATION, INCOME, HEALTH, AND HOUSING. SECOND, ESTABLISH LEARNING OBJECTIVES BY SELECTING POTENTIAL STRUCTURE AND PARCEL IGNITION VULNERABILITIES, ALONG WITH THEIR CORRESPONDING MITIGATION OPTIONS THROUGH CONSULTATION WITH EXPERT AUTHORITIES. THIRD, EMPLOY THE PROTECTION MOTIVATION THEORY (PMT) TO GUIDE THE DESIGN OF THE SERIOUS GAME THE PMT PROPOSES AN INITIAL APPROACH OF ?THREATENING? RESIDENTS BY HIGHLIGHTING THE SERIOUSNESS OF WILDFIRES AND EMPHASIZING THE VULNERABILITY OF RESIDENTS TO SUCH EVENTS AND IN LINE WITH THAT, A SERIOUS GAME WILL BE DEVELOPED TO INCLUDE TWO MAIN MODULES: THREAT VISUALIZATION AND THREAT MITIGATION. FINALLY, THE GAME WILL EVALUATED FOR EFFECTIVENESS, AND DATA WILL BE COLLECTED FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. THE GAME WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE PILOT AREAS FOR RESIDENTS TO TEST THE GAME. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE EXPECTED OUTCOME IS TO ENHANCE WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS IN WUI COMMUNITIES BY DEVELOPING AN ENGAGING AND EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL SOLUTION. THE RESEARCH OUTPUT WILL ALSO HELP IDENTIFY POTENTIAL INCENTIVE STRATEGIES FOR ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO IMPLEMENT WILDFIRE SAFETY MEASURES IN THEIR DWELLINGS. FURTHERMORE, THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE AS A PIONEERING WORK IN PROMOTING RECOMMENDATIONS AND GUIDELINES USING SERIOUS GAMES, WHICH COULD BE EMPLOYED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TACKLING THE INCREASING NUMBER OF DISASTERS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INSIGHTS AND NEW KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH A GAMIFICATION APPROACH FOR OTHER USE CASES.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: HOMEOWNERS AND OTHERS RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDINGS IN AREAS PRONE TO WILDLAND FIRES WOULD BENEFIT FROM EDUCATION ON RESEARCH FINDINGS RELATED TO ACTIONS THEY AND OTHERS CAN TAKE TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY. EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY PLANNING PERSONNEL WOULD BENEFIT IN MAKING MORE INFORMED DECISIONS REGARDING COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND THE COMMUNITIES UNDERSTANDING OF THE HAZARDS AND MITIGATION ACTIONS THAT COULD BE TAKEN. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IS A SUBAWARDEE. THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING IN DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS. THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA IS A SUBAWARDEE. THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING WITH GAME DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS. SCION (NEW ZEALAND FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE LTD.) IS A SUBAWARDEE. THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING WITH GAME DEVELOPMENT AN ANALYSIS.