The role of a PIO can be executed by one person or as a team, depending on the emergency and what resources are available. Check Web sites and social media sites, read newspapers, watch TV, and listen to radio to know how your message is getting out. Expert Help. (What will motivate them?). A social networking site is a great tool for: Now you know about the many tools available to get your message out. Lets look at some general descriptions of social media available: Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. What will you change in future campaigns? Having clear goals is the foundation for your campaign. Contact local, tribal, territorial, and State press associations to obtain media lists. Conducting public awareness campaigns; Gathering key information/details of the event; Prioritizing and issuing notices, alerts, and warnings; Taking action to maintain control of rumors; Coordinating inquiries from the public, the media, and elected officials; Coordinating tours or other interviews with agency reps and the media They can be used for personal networking, professional networking, and sharing public information. The message should be: How will you get the message to your audience? Chris Mrela wrote a dynamite report on this a couple of years ago. In other words, express parallel ideas in parallel grammatical forms. 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. D. is only useful on television infomercials. C. request additional assistance through the National Public Information Support Network. The AP Stylebook is used by most of the news media. Lets start by reviewing the Incident Command System (ICS) and the PIOs role in ICS. Successful blogs are compelling and current, and encourage interaction with readers. For example: Active voice is clear, direct, and concise. Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-29.A: Public Information Officer Awareness. D. Identify opportunities for public awareness campaigns. Tammy Kikuchi: Having the Joint Information Center for this event was critical. hb```f``z B@16 @>cC?v,gY&9w=K{mg,XRV3Z'le Please review the IS FAQ's for more information. C. only required when dictated by the Incident Commander. For some incidents, implementing a media area may be an important way to manage the situation. Continue to monitor the weather., Example 3:4 Shelters remain open: MassMutual Ctr, 1277 Main St. Springfield; Quarry Hill Comm. News releases are one of the most commonly used tools for PIOs. The Public Information Officer is responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident-related information requirements. This demonstrates how social media are now an integral part of our lives and a valuable part of the PIOs toolkit. Last name. Overview: The FEMA IS-29.A course was published on 8/5/2019 to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. Were people prepared for previous incidents? Walter Monsour: So, the message was managed extremely well. This lesson reviews the four steps in creating a public awareness campaign. 3 Step Guide for Assistance, Federal Emergency Management Agency | Emergency Management Institute, Notice to Applicants for EMI or NFA Courses, How to apply for a FEMA Independent Study course (Online Course), How to apply for a course held in EMI (On-Campus Course), Non-Resident Courses (EMI Courses Conducted by States), National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC), Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP), Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP), National Incident Management System (NIMS), Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC), Disaster Field Training Operations (DFTO), Schools Multihazard and Mass Casualty Planning, Virtual Table Top Exercise (VTTX) (Sites participate from home via VTC), Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, Exercise Simulation System Document (ESSD), Guidance on COVID protections for EMI students, Please review the IS FAQ's for more information, IS-29 Public Information Officer Awareness, E/L0388 Advanced Public Information Officer, Master Public Information Officer Program, Special collection: Emergency Management Institute student papers, E/K0389 - Master Public Information Officer Implementing Communications Strategies for Whole Community Leadership, E/K0393 Master Public Information Officer Applying Advanced Concepts in Public Information and Communications, E0394 Master Public Information Officer Mastering Public Advocacy Plans to Create an Effective Community of Stakeholders. Describe how to develop and execute a public awareness campaign. The widespread use of social media means you and your organization need to include social media in your communication strategy. As part of conducting research, you have identified populations in the community who are vulnerable and need the information from your campaign. Cell phone(s) with email capability or satellite phone(s), Flash drives and CDs* containing the elements of the crisis communication plan (including news media contact lists, PIO team contact lists, information materials, etc. It is important to prepare each person to ensure your message is consistent. I would urge you to be careful whenever you travel, Smith said. Your goals should be: The following is an example of a SMART goal: The Hurricane Ready campaign will present information about local hurricane hazards and the steps to take to be prepared by securing by April 5 media placement on three television stations, two newspapers, one social network, and a micro-blog, each week in May.. endstream
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1. What do they already know about the topic? Email. 18. Hundreds are so ill that they end up being admitted to the hospital. Year in and year out, nearly 1,400 Arizonans get heat related illnesses so serious that they end up in an emergency department. Students also learn message development and delivery, legal considerations, press conferences, the operation of a Joint Information Center, stress management, and strategic communication and planning. In the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, the Public Information Officer (PIO): A. Sound bite B. In order to maintain the integrity of the scene and enhance the possibility for a successful investigation and subsequent prosecution, the scene must be kept clear of all nonessential personnel. Emergency Manager jobs 33,535 open jobs If you hope to work with schools, plan well in advance to coordinate with their schedules and curriculum. School, 43 Margaret St. . Governor James Smith today declared a state of emergency in the Great A&P fire that is rapidly spreading west. As a PIO, your target audiences include . Many times the site of a crisis or disaster may be considered a crime scene and needs to be processed by forensic units. A Federal structure designed for large-scale, multijurisdictional incidents B. View IS-29.a - Public Information Officer Awareness | FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI).pdf from CIS 20 at SUNY Empire State College. Avoid fillers (um, er, uh); dont be afraid to pause while formulating an answer. University of California, Merced hiring Public Information Officer The information you provide: In addition to the qualities necessary to be a good PIO, there are skills and knowledge you need to ensure your success. 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. Manages resources including supplies, personnel, and equipment. The Incident Command System is a fundamental element of emergency management. Mayor Holden: We have what they call Mayor Mouse, and Mayor Mouse basically is operated to go to various schools. Also, it may be necessary to explain to them the danger, and how if they fail to heed the warnings and become injured, they may endanger others who would have to then go in to rescue them (e.g., passing into the plume of a Hazmat area, traveling over an unsafe structure that may collapse, or moving into the line of fire of an armed suspect). ., Example 2:There is more severe weather on the way as a large storm cell is moving across Livingston Parish into EBR. . This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. As a PIO, you need to: In the next lesson you will learn about various tools available to you for communicating with the community. 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. Develop relationships with other organizations PIOs B. Demonstrate that you are in the knowB. Next you need to identifyhowyou will communicate. It was four, five, and six teams from every news, particularly the TV stations sending out that many cameras with that many reporters from each station and it just was incredible, not to mention the newspapers, the radio stations, the smaller papers in the area plus national media. News releases should adhere to the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. endstream
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<. Social Marketing A. theory is an important component of the strategic communications planning process. B. requires in-depth focus groups to focus the message. The media will want to get as close as possible to get pictures/audio/interviews. The public information officer (PIO) reports to the incident commander, who in turn reports to the agency or jurisdictions responsible. This awareness-level training is suitable for new PIOs. This course should take approximately 7 hours and 25 minutes to complete. Timely updates and corrections to information in evolving incidents. 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. For highly visible or controversial matters, it might be best to have a leader in the organization speak. Additionally, it can provide those in executive level roles the necessary knowledge of PIO roles and responsibilities during an emergency. Tammy Kikuchi: I would say it, whatever expense it takes for your Public Information Officers to get the training, spend it. Communicate information to enable people to prepare for an incident and to make decisions during an incident to protect lives and property. Select this link to access a printable . FEMA does not endorse any non-government Web sites, companies or applications. A Public Information Officer (PIO) for a public safety or emergency management agency might expect to spend what portion of his or her time on activities directly related to incident response or recovery? Tell the media representatives: Follow-through goes a long way to establishing good relations with the news media. Check off the things you would plan to include in your Go Kit and add other items as you see fit. Office: (301) 447-1200 Fax: (301) 447-1201, (800) 621-FEMA / TTY (800) 462-7585
This lesson presents information on how to effectively communicate with the whole community regarding the importance of being prepared for an incident. Information developed and disseminated in anticipation of, during, or after an emergency to provide specific life- and health-saving information C. Issuing a news release on a seatbelt law (public information); announcing a road closure due to a multiple-car accident (emergency public information) D. Information collected, assembled or maintained by an organization in connection with the transaction of official business and available for dissemination to the public, 2. Public Information Officer Jobs and Salary Using acronyms in news releases may:A. Demonstrating an understanding of media needs and operations. 3. The role of the pubic information officer - Weegy Operates with the understanding that any video, audio, or interviews acquired will be shared with the rest of the media. EMI is introducing a limited number of IS courses that have been translated to the Spanish language. FEMA IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness Course Summary This feature can facilitate abuse of the system. Tools to enhance the flow of public information are housed. NIMS Description of the PIOs Responsibilities. When preparing written products, it is important that your message is understood. Campaigns that combine a mix of media are more likely to be effective in influencing people. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. Admissions Fax: (301) 447-1658, Independent Study Program
Wear your uniform or neat, conservative attire if not in uniform. C. Monitors costs related to the incident, and provides . Spelling- and grammar-checking tools (printed and computer software). Note: Often micro-blogs will provide links to Web sites or social networking sites for more information. B. cause the intended audience to act on requests in the message. Do you know what to do to protect yourself and your family? Overview: The FEMA IS-29.A course was published on 8/5/2019 to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. Although firefighters were able to knock down the blaze before it reached the parents bedroom, the smoke-blackened walls dramatically underscored how lucky they were to escape with their lives. D. has become ever more complex as the challenge of delivering messages has evolved. As a PIO, you communicate with your target audiences to keep them informed about activities, events, and resources. One that is completely out of reach is de-motivating. This includes: More information on learning about the whole community is presented in Lesson 4. 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). Policies for evolving media (e.g., who can post, what can be posted, how to respond to negative comments, etc.). All goals should have a target date for completion. A PIOs proactive approach to public information enhances credibility in messaging. The 95/5 concept relates to non-emergency and emergency PIO activities 95% of most PIOs' work is in non-emergency times, with only 5% directly related to incident response or recovery. C. Identify all the news media covering the area. When considering whether a goal is attainable, ask yourself: Do I have the skills and resourcesor can I get themto achieve this goal? 3. Score .9906. Determines what the public needs to know. On the couples dresser were two heat-seared imprints where Martinez had left his wallet and cell phone as he frantically scrambled to ensure his familys leap to safety. Technology allows anyone to be a journalist. Images, sound, and information captured by the public can be used by traditional news organizations, or posted to social media sites, and broadcast globally. People have a right and a need to know about the risks they face. Blogs are Web sites that allow you to engage in a conversation with readers. Break your ideas into one subject per sentence. D. a required responsibility of the PIO as outlined by NIMS.. You cantand dont expect them to stay there all of the time. When will you implement your campaign? The ultimate goal of all public safety endeavors is to save lives, protect property, and preserve the environmentand almost all reporters would agree that their needs will come after these important tasks. The Governor is continuing to monitor the situation. This lesson focused on how to communicate effectively, which involves: In the next lesson you will learn how to use your tools and skills to communicate information about being prepared to your community. The Mayors Office developed an outreach campaign known as Red Stick Ready. Brian Hyer: We had all kinds of questions. When a newsworthy incident occurs, the media will be there, whether youve invited them or not! 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. Many wikis are open to alteration by the general public without requiring them to register user accounts. Switchboard: (301) 447-1000
Coordinate information being distributed to ensure consistency with other agencies messages. If you intend to become a Public Information Officer use these FEMA IS 29.A answers to turn a 7 hour course into one that takes 5 minutes. What actions and resources are being used to achieve the objectives? %PDF-1.6
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Create clear and easily understood messages. The following are excerpts from some successful blogs by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ventura City Manager in Ventura, CA, and the Arizona Department of Health Services. When something happens, the PIO needs the media to get information to the public but also needs to manage the scene and guide the story. Narrator: In addition to a preparedness television show and Mayor Mouse, Red Stick Ready also communicates preparedness information through a Web site, the use of social media, and events like Red Stick Ready Day. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. For different audiences, you may need to write different products. Social marketing is the use of commercial marketing principles to: A. Blogs to cover events as they are happening. PIOs get their message out by communicating directly with the public, working through the traditional news media and through new media. Below are some tips for writing in a clear, concise, and organized manner: Although active voice is preferred and is more interesting, passive voice may be appropriate when the doer is unknown or you want to focus on the receiver of the action. It was absolutely the very best thing we could have done. Communicates with internal and external stakeholders. It can be taken alone or before Basic Public Information Officer Training (G290). (A media pool refers to a group of news-gathering organizations pooling their resources in the collection of news.) Many organizations follow stylebooks that establish how they will communicate with the public in terms of titles, capitalization, punctuation, and so on. 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. Are there warnings or other critical messages to be communicated to the public? Information developed and disseminated in anticipation of, during, or after an emergency to provide specific life- and health-saving information C. Issuing a news release on a seatbelt law (public information); announcing a road closure due to a multiple-car accident (emergency public information) D. Information collected, assembled, or maintained by an organization in connection with the transaction of official business and available for dissemination to the public, 15. To help you in monitoring conversations on social media sites, you may want to use a social media monitoring tool or social media dashboard. This physical site is called the Joint Information Center (JIC), and is the location where: Narrator: When the State of Utah began to accept evacuees from the Gulf States as a result of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, they implemented a Joint Information Center. A well-executed interview will likely not A. advance leaderships goals. ), John enjoys boating, swimming, and to fish. At the completion of this lesson you should be able to: Public awareness campaigns are ongoing public education programs that PIOs use to inform, educate, and increase organizational visibility. Please note that the is program now requires a fema sid to be used instead of your ssn. Switchboard: (301) 447-1000
Serves in an ICS role 2. A defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Email can be used to get people: In order for email to work, you need to have a good email distribution list. Monitor to determine if the media coverage is: Whether or not your organization is using social media, you should still monitor it. What events nationally and globally are in the news? Smith activated the State Emergency Operations Center, which coordinates State firefighting efforts in these situations. Time is a crucial element in any public awareness campaign. Additionally, it can provide those in executive-level roles with the necessary knowledge of PIO roles and responsibilities during an emergency. He and his wife threw open their window and helped their kids drop to waiting neighbors gathered below. Technology has a great impact on your ability to manage the message. In this lesson youll learn more about creating public awareness campaigns. In the next lesson you will learn how to communicate effectively when an incident happens. 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. With an eye on public safety, the mayor began looking for a way to educate people about disaster preparation and response. Ability to hold feature stories and run them when space is available or on specific dates or times of year, Audio (sound clips or telephone interviews), Prerecorded segments lack the break-in option for providing emergency information, Exaggerated nature of local television news. 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. Evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign. Harvard psychiatrist Steven Scholzman wrote a (fictional) medical paper on the zombies presented inNight of the Living Deadand refers to the condition asAtaxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndromecaused by an infectious agent. Now lets take a look at how one mayor, Mayor Kip Holden, ensures his community, the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish, is prepared. Please review the IS FAQ's for more information. Illustrate the multiple roles of the Public Information Officer and the media in planning for and responding to an emergency. Tammy Kikuchi: The Joint Information Center and the Command Staff out there would hold daily briefings for the media, and quite honestly that took much of the heat, if you will, off the Governors office. Public Information Officers | Indian Affairs - Native Americans in the With the advent of social media, another type of news release you may want to use is the Social Media Release (SMR). The steps to organize and conduct a news conference or briefing are: Note: You may want to identify several knowledgeable people to assist and provide information at the news conference or briefing. PIOs need to have a complete understanding of the community's demographics in order to: A. C. Describe the role and functions of the Public Information Officer (PIO) Describe the types of written products used in public information activities. Emergency Management Institute
That you will get them information and be back to brief themand then do so. 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. The following table shows what you need to provide for a television story, the advantages of television, and its limitations.