EMI is introducing a limited number of IS courses that have been translated to the Spanish language. In their haste, each suffered minor injuries, including stitches for their son who cut his ankle on the glass of the first floor window. Public information is a vital function in disaster operations that contributes greatly to saving lives and protecting property. 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 Score .9906. * The social media links provided are for reference only. The press saw it. B. Describe the role and function of the PIO. The 8-Step Communication Model includes:A. Assess the current situation B. Contact local, tribal, territorial, and State press associations to obtain media lists. 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. Proactivity occurs during A. Social media sites help disaster survivors look for lost family members and pets, and provide information on where to get assistance, where to find shelter, and how to give aid. Identify how messages should be conveyed. Its community preparedness. D. should be knowledgeable, assertive, credible, flexible, able to perform under pressure, and accessible., 10. Final Exam for: IS-29.a: Public Information Officer. 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. Weve all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite isResident Evil), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? (Unit 3), List the steps of the 8-Step Model for Strategic Communications. The Public Information Officer may also perform a key public information-monitoring role. Gathering feedback and heading off problems, Explaining your mission, policies, and goals. In this lesson youll learn more about creating public awareness campaigns. 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. Smith activated the State Emergency Operations Center, which coordinates State firefighting efforts in these situations. Select this link to access a printable . Public information can help people make the right decision at the right time. The Public Information Officer Awareness Course (IS0029) is designed to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. Consider information about the whole community when identifying topics, including: There is no point in conducting a hurricane preparedness campaign if your area is not subject to hurricanes. Identify contacts and sources that are relevant to your organization. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. Your media list should be current, complete, and tailored to your organization. DECEMBER 2020 INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER 1 OF 5 FEMA-509-v20170717 . (Unit 1), Describe the role and functions of the PIO. Determine who your audience is, what they need to know, and what they already know. Using acronyms in news releases may:A. Show emotion as appropriate, but dont use big gestures. You should set a realistic deadline and interim benchmarks, as needed. Successful blogs are compelling and current, and encourage interaction with readers. As a PIO, your target audiences include . At the completion of this lesson you should be able to: Public Information Officersor PIOsare an important link between the organizations they work for and the communities they serve. The public information officer for an organization A. should clear all public documents with neighboring agencies before release. Access to you and the newsmakers or persons in charge. Check with them to see if the location selected for a media area will allow them to accomplish this connection. Communicating public information messages internally to the workforce is important because it allows the PIO 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. They have access to the officials. First name. Poor grammar and misspelled words can confuse the audience and hurt your credibility, but the most important goal is to communicate. Tools to enhance the flow of public information are housed. Serves in an ICS role 2. An important part of the PIOs relationship with the media is knowing what they want. The role of the public information officer A. is strictly dictated by the National Qualification System position task book. A good overview of ICS is provided in the independent study . The table below summarizes what you need to provide for a print story, and identifies the advantages and limitations of print. 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. Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-29.A: Public Information Officer Awareness. Their three-bedroom condo was almost immediately choked in smoke and he could hear screams from below as roaring flames billowed from the balcony outside his front door. Making sure community members understand the events that unfold during severe weather, pandemics, and non-emergency scenarios . 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. Contact commercial vendors to identify contacts and the process for news releases. Describe the role and functions of the Public Information Officer (PIO) Describe the types of written products used in public information activities. Questions to answer when evaluating a public awareness campaign include the following: You can collect data about your campaign in different ways. Test the message on a safe audience B. (Correct), The report was written by the officer. Next you need to identifyhowyou will communicate. Distribute family emergency preparedness kits through community elementary schools is both clearer and more meaningful. They knew that they werent being led down another road, that they were hearing things unfiltered. Tammy Kikuchi: Having the Joint Information Center for this event was critical. Include information on evolving media contacts, instructions, and resources. Set up interviews and write talking points C. Be an intermediary between leadership and the news media D. Assess situations for public information implications, 14. This course has presented you with tools that PIOs can use to communicate, the steps to develop a campaign to prepare your community, and ways to effectively provide critical information during an emergency. And thats not all. Chris Mrela wrote a dynamite report on this a couple of years ago. B. is not bound by public record laws. Below are some, but not all, of the critical skill sets learned during this training program: Personnel who are assigned or may be designated to perform public information duties during an incident, emergency, or disaster and anyone in a response discipline who may be assigned or designated to perform public information duties. EMI is introducing a limited number of IS courses that have been translated to the Spanish language. This lesson presents information on tools you can use in support of your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). Some tips for speaking publicly and improving your responses (or assisting and preparing a speaker) are: When distributing written products or speaking to the media, you will often need to work with a person to get your information out. Be accessible and return calls and emails promptly. When preparing written products, it is important that your message is understood. 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. These examples are micro-blogs from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (Example 1), the Mayors Office of Homeland Security in Baton Rouge (LA) (Example 2), and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (Example 3). This lesson presents information on how to effectively communicate with the whole community regarding the importance of being prepared for an incident. Doug Miser. 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). (For example: The suspicious package was the size of a laptop computer. Keep the subject and verb close together. 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.
Demonstrate that you are in the knowB. Participants will benefit from participating in entry-level incident command system training prior to taking this course. This lesson introduced you to different tools you can use to communicate your message as a PIO, including: In the next lesson you will learn how to prepare quality written products for these tools and how to speak effectively with the media and to the public. Timely updates and corrections to information in evolving incidents. (A media pool refers to a group of news-gathering organizations pooling their resources in the collection of news.) Avoid acronyms. 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. 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. Develops a strategy or plan for handling the incident, monitors it in process, and adjusts the plan as needed. 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. %PDF-1.6
%
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. The subject is the. 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. Develop a picture of who you want to reach with your message by asking: Now that you know what you want to communicate and to whom you will communicate, next you need to develop and implement your campaign. 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. 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. This lesson reviews the four steps in creating a public awareness campaign. Describe the target audiences for the PIO. With passive voice, the subject is thereceiverof the action. The test questions are scrambled to protect the integrity of the exam. 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). Write out the full term on first usage, as appropriate. Hundreds are so ill that they end up being admitted to the hospital. The Public Information Officer Awareness Course (IS0029) is designed to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. Lets review the different types of communication tools in more detail, starting with print media. for the incident. . To help you in monitoring conversations on social media sites, you may want to use a social media monitoring tool or social media dashboard. Having such knowledge enables them to make informed choices that affect their health and well-being. Emergency Manager jobs 33,535 open jobs D. a required responsibility of the PIO as outlined by NIMS.. 20. Preparing quality written products including news releases. Verdi White: And I believe that that has helped in our relationship with the media. Additionally, students conduct various public information activities and exercises, to include writing messages and conducting press conferences. Holding the session indoors, if possible. Sometimes logging in for a session is recommended, to create a wiki-signature cookie for signing edits automatically. 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727
This lesson presents information on how to effectively communicate with the media and the whole community. 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. Disclosing information to the public in ways that are easy to find and use. 1. It can be taken alone or before Basic Public Information Officer Training (G290). Coordinate information being distributed to ensure consistency with other agencies messages. A media pool: Note: Media pools can cause disagreements among the media. Examples of JIS configurations are: The previous examples of JIS configurations demonstrate that sometimes a location is needed to facilitate the operation of the JIS. PIOs shouldA. compile a go kit to allow for lengthy deployments to a long-term incident. 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. List the skills needed to be an effective PIO. The Incident Command System is a fundamental element of emergency management. Identify the purpose of what you are writing and start with the main message. You cant manage who shows up but you can and should manage contact with the site. They heighten awareness of community hazards and encourage the public to take steps to become more prepared. For each of these toolstelevision, newspaper, radio, news briefings, and evolving mediayou need written products. Describe the role and function of the Public Information Officer (PIO). 0
You have many resources available to ensure that the information reported about an event and your organization is true and accurate. They also tell people how they can prepare for a disaster, and protect themselves when disaster strikes. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?. 18. A goal that makes you stretch is good. 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. Responsibilities of the Components of the ICS Organization. Gather, verify, coordinate, and disseminate public information in an emergency from a Joint Information Center. Did the message reach the targeted audience? Other data requires that you reach out to the target audiencefor example, to conduct focus group sessions or implement random telephone, email, or print surveys. PIOs need to have a thorough understanding of the communities they serve. It may be a good idea to record how many news releases you sent out, but the amount of media coverage you receive (e.g., column inches, mentions on news programs, and number of radio interviews) is more indicative of success. . Simplify complex ideas by using short sentences. 4. Having clear goals is the foundation for your campaign. 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. Policies for evolving media (e.g., who can post, what can be posted, how to respond to negative comments, etc.). Year in and year out, nearly 1,400 Arizonans get heat related illnesses so serious that they end up in an emergency department. They can be used for personal networking, professional networking, and sharing public information. Another way to get information to the media or public is by directly sharing with multiple members of the media through a news conference or briefing. Consider your resources and your role in ICS. Time will also impact the shelf-life of your campaign. Even a few minutes of practice can make a big difference. The good news is that preventing heat related illness is easy to do if you just use common sense. The public information officer (PIO) reports to the incident commander, who in turn reports to the agency or jurisdictions responsible. Communicate information to enable people to prepare for an incident and to make decisions during an incident to protect lives and property. Selects the right tools for the messages. Communication with internal agency personnel is A. not a role undertaken by a PIO. Knowing how to effectively speak to media representatives using both verbal and nonverbal communication. endstream
endobj
1929 0 obj
<. Increased information needs can be handled. Verdi White: The way that we set this particular operation up is we took the Incident Command System and made it an overlay onto the National Guard that had the infrastructure to be able to do all the functions that we needed to accomplish to do this, and of course one of the central components of, of an incident command system is the public information piece. A public awareness campaign is a vehicle you can use to get your message out about being prepared. When a newsworthy incident occurs, the media will be there, whether youve invited them or not! If you do not want something recorded by the media, cover it up or shield it with a vehicle. With an eye on public safety, the mayor began looking for a way to educate people about disaster preparation and response. Private wiki servers require user authentication to edit pages, and sometimes even to read them. Once your campaign is implemented, the last step is to determine its success. Tammy Kikuchi: I would say it, whatever expense it takes for your Public Information Officers to get the training, spend it. The benefits of social media include the following capabilities: New social media tools are being developed and implemented all the time. The goal of this awareness course is to provide an orientation to the public information function and the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in the public safety/emergency management environment. These sites make it easy to establish networks of contacts. Even the best writer can make mistakes, particularly when under pressure or in a time crunch. Use jargon to communicate with your target audience B. Break your ideas into one subject per sentence. PIOs get their message out by communicating directly with the public, working through the traditional news media and through new media. 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. Click on a program for additional information. 1. As a PIO, when you get to the scene, you will first make contact with the Incident Commander to gather information and assess the situation. . Last name. The news media and local government ask the community to send videos and photos via social media, email, and text messages. It was absolutely the very best thing we could have done. As demonstrated by the examples, micro-blogging has become an important source of information in preparation of, during, and after crisis situations. Emergency Management Institute
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. An important difference in these evolving media is that anyone can report the informationit could be a reporter, you, someone in your organization, or anyone in the public. (Unit 4), Apply public information techniques to a 5% scenario. 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? Guidance on COVID protections for EMI students, and the CDC Coronavirus page for the latest updates on the pandemic response. Describe how to effectively communicate orally and through written products. A validation of your key message C. Backgrounders D. Photos, charts, and graphics, 25. Establishing relationships with news media representatives by being accessible and prepared. The most important point is is an example of a transition phrase or: A. hb```"g@($CC4i9"Mp1:u3;;:*&d@|Hh 9C$,;30K2=e$b00 D! Make sure the media area is far enough away and/or your workspaces are shielded from prying cameras, microphones, and eyes. For more information on the Public Information Officer training program, contact FEMA-Master_PIO_Program@fema.dhs.gov. Recognize various legal aspects associated with emergencies and public information. When creating your media list: Media information is constantly changing; make sure you have a process to keep your media list up-to-date. 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. ., Example 2:There is more severe weather on the way as a large storm cell is moving across Livingston Parish into EBR. 0
Angie Welling: Pretty much every State agency was involved, and thats when we found out pretty early on that the Governor had involved every aspect of State government. We wanted questions answered, we wanted stories to be able to do, and we had one place to go to and that was great. FEMA does not endorse any non-government Web sites, companies or applications. Establish contact with other agency PIOs. 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. +O,))8+l"O{i9"5QKh^R7YH'gI@P+,,#+pbH,ZJt-9#)*~{"Dxu A Federal structure designed for large-scale, multijurisdictional incidents B. ), John enjoys boating, swimming, and to fish. Web sites can link to social media sites, help you collect email addresses, display videos, house blogs, or link to other Web sites. . Now that youve got a goal statement, the next step is to create messages in support of the goal that are suited to your target audience. C. result in the need to conduct follow-up interviews. D. enhance agency credibility. B. cause the intended audience to act on requests in the message. Another way to express your key message B. The widespread use of social media means you and your organization need to include social media in your communication strategy. The activities a PIO chooses in non-emergency times (95%) has a significant impact on how successful he or she will be in the 5% spent in emergency response and recovery. 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. @8'_= J J0
Do not be afraid to put bad news first if that is the message. Spelling- and grammar-checking tools (printed and computer software). You can learn how to protect yourself from heat with some resources on our website including our Heat Brochure, Heat Related Illness Tips for Schools and our newly revised Heat Emergency Response Plan. User: The Public Information Officer: A. Interfaces with the public and media and/or with other agencies regarding incident-related information requirements. 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. 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. . For highly visible or controversial matters, it might be best to have a leader in the organization speak. The highest-ranking State official C. His/her regular boss D. The Operations Section Chief, 13. People have a right and a need to know about the risks they face. Once you have identified your goal, write it down! ), 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.) Resource Typing Definition for Response . Determines what the public needs to know. B. report to the Finance/Admin Section Chief when arriving at an incident. NIMS Description of the PIOs Responsibilities. C. request additional assistance through the National Public Information Support Network. 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. You can use different types of media and different avenues to get your message out, including: According to a Pew Research Center project conducted in December 2010, Americans now get most of their news information from television and the Internet, with newspaper readership declining. Some examples of evolving media tools are: Web sites can be used alone or in conjunction with traditional media and other evolving media to get your message out. 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.