the role of the public information officer fema

The training courses listed below include those delivered at the state, local, tribal, and territorial level as well as higher-level training managed by EMIs subject matter expert training teams. This course introduces PIOs with no, or limited, experience to the basic skills and tools needed to communicate effectively with the public. Picture of EMI Campus with Emergenct Mangement Institute sign in foreground and Buildings N and O in the background" title="The campus of FEMA's National Emergency Training Center, located in Emmitsburg, Md., offers a beautiful environment for first responders, emergency managers and educators to learn state-of-the-art disaster management and response. endstream endobj 495 0 obj <. The role of a PIO can be executed by one person or as a team, depending on the emergency and what resources are available. 524 0 obj <>stream Different types of Web sites can be used to get information to your community: Email is another way that you can get information to members of your community and organization. News releases should adhere to the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. It uses organizational charts that can be provided to the news media C. It was created for first responders and is helpful at the beginning of an incident D. It has been proven effective during massive wildfire incidents. Watching the background. Joanne H. Moreau: The media is embedded in our Emergency Operations Center. Later in the day, Deputy Mayor Mike Tracy and I stood in the same bedroom, getting a first-hand briefing from Fire Chief Kevin Rennie and Capt. Year in and year out, nearly 1,400 Arizonans get heat related illnesses so serious that they end up in an emergency department. They knew that they werent being led down another road, that they were hearing things unfiltered. Coordinate access to policymakers and others (e.g., first responders and disaster survivors). But all four occupants miraculously escaped and the 45-year-old dad told the Ventura County Star: We thank God that were alive, regardless of what we lost up there.. The successful PIO develops credibility and builds relationships with the media by consistently: More information on media relation skills and managing the media is presented in Lessons 3 and 5. Increase community preparedness is not specific. Terms of Use, IS-100.b, Introduction to the Incident Command System, IS-200.b, ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, IS-700, National Incident Management System, An Introduction, ICS-300: Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents, ICS-400, Advanced ICS for Command and General Staff, IS-702.a, National Incident Management System (NIMS) Public Information Systems, IS-800.c, National Response Framework, An Introduction. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. Speculation C. Summarizing D. Bridging, 12. As a PIO, your target audiences include . Additionally, it can provide those in executive level roles the necessary knowledge of PIO roles and responsibilities during an emergency. Office: (301) 447-1200 Fax: (301) 447-1201, (800) 621-FEMA / TTY (800) 462-7585 Lets start by reviewing the Incident Command System (ICS) and the PIOs role in ICS. Two PIOs talking to each other on the phone about a news story that involves both of their agencies. * The social media links provided are for reference only. Uses information from other members of the local unit to develop accurate, accessible, and complete information on an For different audiences, you may need to write different products. People have a right and a need to know about the risks they face. Gathering feedback and heading off problems, Explaining your mission, policies, and goals. This lesson presents information on tools you can use in support of your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). Consider your resources and your role in ICS. Creates a positive impression of your organization. News briefings or conferences and interviews are times when you will need to know how to (or prepare a speaker to) present information and respond to questions. Joanne H. Moreau: We focus a lot on making sure that we have a very accurate and timely information process of information dissemination. Narrator: Red Stick Ready demonstrates how you can develop a strategy that prepares your community for a disaster and effectively provides critical information when an incident happens. A theme that begins in this course and is carried throughout the Public Information Training Series, the 95/5 concept A. is a management concept unique to public information management. Many Web sites include a blog as part of the site. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Public Information Officer (PIO) training program is designed to provide PIOs with the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to support proper decision-making by delivering the right message, to the right people, at the right time. Check Web sites and social media sites, read newspapers, watch TV, and listen to radio to know how your message is getting out. Message mapping B. Dissemination C. Tracking and documentation D. Media analysis. Public information entails the processes and systems that enable effective communications with various target audiences. Work to keep them out of danger as you would any member of the public. Show emotion as appropriate, but dont use big gestures. that can be used to purchase operational resources as needed, Paper forms, in case there is no electronic access (i.e., no Internet access, power outage, etc. Describe how to manage the news media at the scene of an incident. The Governor is continuing to monitor the situation. Influence an audience to modify behavior C. Sell government or nonprofit products and programs D. Enhance social media, 11. (Unit 5). News releases are one of the most commonly used tools for PIOs. Describe the target audiences for the PIO. I would urge you to be careful whenever you travel, Smith said. Access to you and the newsmakers or persons in charge. Some examples include traditional media using: An important step when communicating is to continually evaluate and adjust your message by monitoring the media. Blogs are Web sites that allow you to engage in a conversation with readers. This process includes: Your goal statement expresses what you hope to achieve through your campaign. To be eligible for the course, the student must successfully complete the following courses: The completion of the following courses is recommended but not required: The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) is an Accredited Provider (AP) of Continuing Education Units (CEU) and is authorized to award the following CEUs for successful completion of this activity: IACET (International Association of Continuing Education and Training) 3.2 CEUs, 1-866-213-9553 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST, Contact Us Manages resources including supplies, personnel, and equipment. The process for ensuring that a public information message was accurately conveyed is typically called: A. The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. PIOs get their message out by communicating directly with the public, working through the traditional news media and through new media. A directory of your organizations Internet presence. As a PIO, you will likely communicate public information and emergency public information as well as conduct community education. C. is presented as a bad example of public information management. Many times the site of a crisis or disaster may be considered a crime scene and needs to be processed by forensic units. Because its money well spent in the end and if your PIOs can learn from other areas of the Nation that are doing things well, send them there, let them learn from the people who have done it before, so that when they come back they can build a system that works for you. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median, annual pay for public relations managers was $91,180 in May 2012, with the top 10 percent earning more than $166,000. This lesson reviews the four steps in creating a public awareness campaign. The Public Information Officer gathers, verifies, coordinates, and disseminates accurate, accessible, and timely information on the incidents cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; and other matters of general interest for both internal and external audiences. Who is likely to be affected by the hazard or threat? Describe evolving media tools, including social media, for communication. 20. Write out the full term on first usage, as appropriate. Questions to answer when evaluating a public awareness campaign include the following: You can collect data about your campaign in different ways. These people are your target audience. A strategy to effectively use all the tools (traditional media and evolving media) together and determine the best mix of tools for what you want to communicate. Effective public communication involves collecting, verifying, and disseminating information to your target audiences. This lesson covered the knowledge and skills you need to effectively manage emergency public information during an incident: The next lesson summarizes your role as a PIO and how to use all the tools available to you to help your community be prepared and to share critical information when an incident happens. 18. Do you follow through? Thats what happened to Jose Martinez yesterday morning as he woke early to get his 9-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son off to school on time. As demonstrated by the examples, micro-blogging has become an important source of information in preparation of, during, and after crisis situations. . Holding the session indoors, if possible. Managing Public Information for All-Hazards Incidents (MPI) is a four-day course that provides students with the practical knowledge of the role of the Public Information Officer, the National Incident Management System, emergency communications methods, risk communication, and interpersonal skills. Once you have identified your goal, write it down! Tell the media representatives: Follow-through goes a long way to establishing good relations with the news media. We wanted questions answered, we wanted stories to be able to do, and we had one place to go to and that was great. Managing public information is another fundamental element of emergency management. After taking this course you may want to take other courses to help you continue your professional development. Email is also an ideal tool for communicating within your organization because you generally have access to your colleagues email addresses. Members of the media do not want to interfere with these tasks, but if they can get close enough to observe and/or photograph they will be happy. Campaign topics can range from recruiting volunteers to fire safety. Tools to enhance the flow of public information are housed. Continue to monitor the weather., Example 3:4 Shelters remain open: MassMutual Ctr, 1277 Main St. Springfield; Quarry Hill Comm. A good overview of ICS is provided in the independent study . Responsibilities of the Components of the ICS Organization. Use the media area for all media releases and conferences. Knowing how to effectively speak to media representatives using both verbal and nonverbal communication. Avoid fillers (um, er, uh); dont be afraid to pause while formulating an answer. Include information on evolving media contacts, instructions, and resources. ., Example 2:There is more severe weather on the way as a large storm cell is moving across Livingston Parish into EBR. In order to keep a consistent two-way flow of information with the media representatives at the scene, it is important to make it relatively easy to communicate with them face to face. A goal that makes you stretch is good. Radio is a form of broadcast technology that has the following needs, advantages, and limitations. Evolving media (Web sites, email, blogs, social networking sites, etc.). News releases should provide accurate, factual information that is attributed to its source. Lieutenant Doug McCleve: So what we felt like it would be best to do is provide a one-stop calling center for the news media to be able to access whoever they needed to in this process. Goals should be stated in clear, concise terms that have meaning for those working on the campaign and other key stakeholders. This course is designed for new or less experienced state, local, tribal and territorial PIOs or those who have this role as a secondary function. Its community preparedness. Understand the National Incident Management System, Incident Command System and their correlation with the emergency response system. Promote government programs and activities B. Successful written communication conveys your key messages and: More information on writing clearly and effectively is presented in Lesson 3. Office: (301) 447-1200 Fax: (301) 447-1201, (800) 621-FEMA / TTY (800) 462-7585 Select the correct definition External Affairs A. Coordinates the release of accurate, coordinated, timely, and accessible public information to affected audiences, including the government, media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector B. (Incorrect), John enjoys boating, swimming, and fishing. 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Switchboard: (301) 447-1000 To help you in monitoring conversations on social media sites, you may want to use a social media monitoring tool or social media dashboard. What do you want people to know or do after hearing your message? NIMS Description of the PIOs Responsibilities. . Your organization may have other format preferences, such as single-spaced and one-page only. Emergency Management Institute In 2008, the average per-person hospital treatment cost for heat related illnesses in Arizona was about $7,500, leading to a whopping $11M in treatment costs. For more information on AP style, go tohttp://www.apstylebook.com. Evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign. This lesson presents information on how to use your tools and relationships to communicate information to the community when something happens. If you need to build an email list, consider including a place for people to sign up on your Web site. It provides a framework for people from multiple agencies to work well together B. Communication with internal agency personnel is A. not a role undertaken by a PIO. Avoid visuals C. Chunk content to make it more scannable D. Maximize search results by using acronyms, 6. Keep the subject and verb close together. When an emergency happens, ICS is implemented. With the advent of social media, another type of news release you may want to use is the Social Media Release (SMR). Media management skills including knowing what the media wants, managing amateur journalists, and using media pools and media areas. The best approach is to meet with school officials early to determine when your program best fits their schedule. Some important considerations to effectively use evolving media include developing: Now you have an understanding of the advantages and limitations of traditional and evolving media. At the completion of this lesson you should be able to: Key to being an effective PIO in an emergency is the ability to: Lets start by looking at what you need to know about emergency management. The median salary for a public information officer is near 60,000 a year in most states and between 80,000 and 90,000 a year in higher cost of living states. Contact commercial vendors to identify contacts and the process for news releases. The Student Self Service Portal allows you to print or download Independent Study (IS) Completion Certificates, Student IS Transcripts (for personal or employer use) and Official IS Transcripts (for educational institutions only). Themes weaved throughout the series include the 95/5 concept and an emphasis on whole community strategic communication planning. This feature can facilitate abuse of the system. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. In this lesson youll learn more about creating public awareness campaigns. Web sites can link to social media sites, help you collect email addresses, display videos, house blogs, or link to other Web sites. Always connect with the Incident Commander before making any statement to the media. While it is not the responsibility of the PIO to provide food or facilities for the media, a little kindness in this area can go far in building a positive relationship with the mediaespecially if the incident occurs in a remote area where few if any comfort facilities exist (e.g., if the incident is in a remote field, a porta-john will go a long way in making friends!). A secondary audience is elected or other officials such as Incident Commanders or emergency operations center managers who want an overview of emergency public information. B. endstream endobj 1929 0 obj <. To read this blog, go to:http://emergency.cdc.gov/. Tammy Kikuchi: Having the Joint Information Center for this event was critical. Many wikis are open to alteration by the general public without requiring them to register user accounts. This includes: More information on learning about the whole community is presented in Lesson 4. Resource Typing Definition for Response . ), Manuals and background information necessary to provide needed information to the public and media, Topic-specific fact sheets, backgrounders, talking points, and news release templates (hard copy and electronic), Business cards with 24/7 contact information, Funding mechanism (i.e., credit card, etc.) Include email addresses and Internet sites for the media contact. For more information on the Public Information Officer training program, contact FEMA-Master_PIO_Program@fema.dhs.gov. Where do they go and how do they get there (e.g., do they spend time on public transportation, do they visit the library, do they go to sporting events, etc.)? Announce events of interest to your community or share information about an incident. Develop and implement your campaign by setting a goal, creating a message, choosing your medium, and identifying timing. Guidance on COVID protections for EMI students, and the CDC Coronavirus page for the latest updates on the pandemic response. 4. Determine information to be communicated to the public. You have many resources available to ensure that the information reported about an event and your organization is true and accurate. Demonstrate that you are in the knowB. (Passive). D. should be knowledgeable, assertive, credible, flexible, able to perform under pressure, and accessible., 10. Determining hazard impact is a crucial component in emergency planning. +O,))8+l"O{i9"5QKh^R7YH'gI@P+,,#+pbH,ZJt-9#)*~{"Dxu If you determine the need for a media area: At the scene of an incident, the news medias most basic needs are access to information and images. Blogs are a good tool to use to communicate with your audience. B. cause the intended audience to act on requests in the message. You cantand dont expect them to stay there all of the time. At the completion of this lesson you should be able to: In the previous lesson, you learned about the audiences with whom you will need to communicatethe media, the public, and employees and leaders within your organization. May allow access to more than one person from each media type when necessary (e.g., television reporter and a camera operator, or newspaper reporter and photographer). The most popular social networking sites have groups, which offer chat boards for members. The PIOs primary responsibility to organizational leadership as an advisor is to: A. Lieutenant Doug McCleve: The feedback that Im getting, at least from my local news media, is that theyve been very pleased with the access theyve had. In a span of, I think, 2 months, we took in roughly about almost three thousand kids at various sites to talk to them about different safety things. *F ;/7Bw1p i~$^y' _r] The median, annual pay for public relations specialists, during the same period, was $52,090, with the top 10 . Distribute family emergency preparedness kits through community elementary schools is both clearer and more meaningful. C. Identify all the news media covering the area. Coming back after the fire to retrieve them, their ghostly shadows left indelible evidence of the inferno that swept through their home. Narrator: Red Stick Ready targets every segment of the community. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. Disclosing information to the public in ways that are easy to find and use. B. Sometimes logging in for a session is recommended, to create a wiki-signature cookie for signing edits automatically. Recognize various legal aspects associated with emergencies and public information. FEMA IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness Answers. Monitor to determine if the media coverage is: Whether or not your organization is using social media, you should still monitor it.