This document provides an overview of the role and responsibilities of a Public Information Officer (PIO) during an emergency incident. It discusses the PIO's role in the Incident Command System and the Joint Information System, including coordinating public information through a Joint Information Center. The document also describes the PIO's key functions during an incident, such as determining public information needs, managing media interactions, using social media, and monitoring information flow. The goal is to provide an orientation to the public information role in emergency management.

1. ESF15: Public Information
Management & Awareness
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2. Course Goal
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.
This is an awareness-level training suitable for
new PIOs, elected or other officials such as
Incident Commanders or emergency
operations center managers who want an
overview of emergency public information.
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3. Course Objectives
• Describe the role and function of the Public Information Officer.
• Describe the target audience for the PIO.
• List the skills needed to be an effective PIO.
• Describe traditional media available for communication.
• Describe evolving communication tools including social media.
• Describe the role of the PIO in an emergency.
• Describe how to manage the news media at the scene of an incident
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4. Public Information Officer
Role
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFt7NXDhcmE
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5. Transparency
Transparency in government promotes efficiency and effectiveness and
allows the people in your community to understand and participate in your
processes. While local, tribal, territorial, and State governments may have
different laws regarding transparency and open government the general
principles are to be:
• Transparent: Disclose information to the public in ways that are easy to
find and use.
• Participatory: Offer the public the opportunity to participate in policy
making.
• Collaborative: Actively engage the public to work with government.
PIOs need to the know the laws that apply to their area because they are
responsible for providing the information to the public.
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6. Public Information
People have a right to know about the risks they face. Having such
knowledge enables them to make informed choices that affect their
health and well-being.
This fundamental principle is the basis for public information in
emergency management in this country. Public information can help
people make the right decision at the right time.
PIOs will likely communicate public information and emergency
public information as well as conduct community education.
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7. Types of Communication
The types of communication are:
• Public Information: Provided to educate, inform and create
a positive impression of your organization.
• Emergency Public Information: Provided to save lives and
protect property.
• Community Education: Provided to educate and improve a
community’s safety or resiliency to a given risk and to
ultimately create a behavior change towards safer actions.
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8. Examples
Public Information:
www.coemergency.com
Emergency Public Information:
www.jeffcosheriffco1.blogspot.com
Community Education:
www.readycolorado.com
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9. Discussion Question
Who Are Your Target Audiences?
Effective public communication involves collecting,
verifying and disseminating information to your
target audiences.
Who should your target audiences include?
• External
• Media
• Community
• Other PIOs
• Internal
• People in your organization
• Your leadership
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10. What Type of Information Does
the PIO Provide?
Your PIO communicates with your target audiences to
keep them informed about activities, events and
resources. The information provided:
• Calls people to action.
• Educates and informs.
• Changes behavior or attitudes.
• Creates a positive impression of your
organization.
• Prepares people for emergencies.
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11. Qualities of a Good PIO
Knowledgeable.
Analytical and strategic.
A credible, trusted source.
Proactive and assertive.
Flexible.
Cool under pressure.
A professional communicator.
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12. Required PIO Skills
• Written Communication Skills.
• Oral Communication Skills.
• Media Relation Skills.
• Community Awareness.
• Emergency Management Knowledge
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13. PIO Tools and Resources
• Traditional Media
• Print
• Radio
• Television
• News Briefings/Conferences
• New Media Technology
• Web site
• Email
• Blogs (COEmergency.com)
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Youtube
• Others you are using?
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14. Print Media: Newspapers & Magazines
The PIO needs to Advantages are . . . Limitations are . . .
provide . . .
•Details •More details provided •Delay in information
•Background •People can return to it getting out
•Access to subject-matter •Ability to hold feature
experts stories and run them
when space is available
or on specific dates or
times of year
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15. Radio
The PIO needs to Advantages are . . . Limitations are . . .
provide . . .
•Details •More details •Delay in information
•Background provided getting out
•Access to subject- •People can return to
matter experts it
•Ability to hold
feature stories and
run them when
space is available or
on specific dates or
times of year
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16. Television
The PIO needs to Advantages are . . . Limitations are . . .
provide . . .
•Details •More details provided •Delay in information
•Background •People can return to it getting out
•Access to subject- •Ability to hold feature
matter experts stories and run them
when space is available
or on specific dates or
times of year
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17. News Briefings or Conferences
News Briefing:
Exchange of information on a single topic to include a question and
answer period.
News Conference:
Gathering at which reporters expect to be able to ask questions on a
variety of topics.
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18. News Briefings or Conferences
News Briefing:
Exchange of information on a single topic to include a question and
answer period.
News Conference:
Gathering at which reporters expect to be able to ask questions on a
variety of topics.
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19. New Media Technology (Social Media)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs
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20. What Can Social Media Do?
Significant
Situational
Awareness
Feed & Evaluate
Direct Communication PR- PIO
Plan
News Strategy
Media
Crowd-
Source
Solutions
www.EngagingOthers.com // Twitter: @Engaging_Others & @CherylBle
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21. What Can Social Media Do?
Impacts on your operations or communication plan:
• Speed of communication
• Engagement
• Rumor Management
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22. Speed of Communication
Talking Points vs Press Releases
• Release small amounts of information as it is received or unfolds
(verified as accurate) instead of holding onto it for one large press
release.
• Silence during a situation is perceived as negative.
• Explain a slower releases of information
• Be forward thinking in your communication plan.
• Keep information consistent across multiple social media sources,
however, that doesn’t mean releasing information in the same
format.
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23. Engagement with Community
Social Media allows you connect faster with your community or
customers:
• Increases situational awareness
• Tweets out 30-60 minutes before WebEOC postings?
• Video from citizens involved in the disaster to share current
conditions or road blocks.
• Provides two-way communication with the community.
• Can choose to utilize as one way broadcasting of information.
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24. Engagement with Community
Lower North Fork Fire: Citizen Raw Video Escaping the Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdBaqfiynLE
Scanner Feeds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBkObZapPhE
Colorado Guard Fights Lower North Fork Fire Video
Education on the Process
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGJKdHPIJCs
Citizen Journalist:
West Metro Fire Rescue shot and posted by citizen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGJKdHPIJCs
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25. Rumor Control
Monitor Social Media Sites:
• www.tweetgrid.com
• www.monitter.com
• www.hootsuite.com
• www.fbsearch.us
• www.tweetdeck.com
• www.google.com/trends
• www.twazzup.com
• www.additomatic.com
• Google Alerts
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26. Hashtags
Hashtags should always be utilized in your communication release:
• Improve Identification
• #Cofire
• #Cowx
• #incident name (#lowernorthforkfire, #littlesandfire)
• Improve consistency
• Improve monitoring
• Improve documentation
• Improve evaluation of messaging
• Get help fast
• #smem
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27. Communication Plan
Be the First to Share the Truth
• Share it with internal staff, volunteers and partners
• Don’t forget about your internal staff
• Who will be answering the phones while you are dealing with the
incident on site
• Who will be sharing official or unofficial info on Social Media sites
• Be the first to share it with the community and outside
stakeholders
• Share your own good or bad news
• Builds credibility
• Get the correct information out
• Establish your relationship/presence before a disaster, incident or
emergency. Be the expert they turn to for information.
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28. Hub and Spoke Plan
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29. WebEOC
• Internal:
• Great for situational awareness
• Mapper tool for better understanding of incident
• Sharing talking points, getting everyone on the same page, and getting a
plan in place for the future or next shift
• Documentation
• Information on possible resources and costs with “mission sets” in the
library.
• External:
• Using information from WebEOC for documentation and reporting
• Source to find and use approved talking points or incident updates
Is Your Organization Using WebEOC? Do you have a log in?
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30. Twitter
• Follow Me
• Community
• First place community is going for emergency information
• Situational Awareness – share the weather in your area
• Monitor the mood or feelings of the community
• Monitor your messaging
• Is something going on that you aren’t aware of in the community
• American Red Cross survey on social media.
• Media
• Get information out the faster and cut down on phone calls
• Hashtags
• Helps organize your information under key words so that you can
monitor the situation
• Twitter advanced search
• Hoot Suite or Tweet Deck
Practice Hashtags - #EMacademy
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31. Facebook
• Like Me
• Important difference with Facebook is that people want you to interact
with them…answer questions
• Relationship based
• Share links and resources
• Share photos and documents
• Create closed groups for sharing information and creating training
opportunities
Look at Colorado PIO – Post comment to COEmergency
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32. Google Applications
• Blogs – Blogspot
• Important Crisis Communication Tool
• Google Crisis Response
• Public Alerts
• Trends
• Voice
• Photos– Picasa Photo Carousel
• Google Maps
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33. Google Maps
Mapping for your community will make the biggest impact.
Visually share the incident with your community in a format they
use frequently and is accessible.
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=2155639895664
50268982.0004bc2e2a43a753aeec4&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.49397
4,-105.226707&spn=0.127171,0.219727&z=12&source=embed
The single most effective tool for the LNFF was the Google Map
with 2.7 million+ views
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34. Social Media Key Concepts
• Accurate and Quick
• Mobile Accessibility
• Cross post/ cross market your information
• Build it before the disaster to build credibility and audience.
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35. ESF15: During an Incident
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36. PIO Role in ICS
The PIO is a part of the Command Staff and advises the Incident
Commander on all public information matters relating to the
management of the incident.
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37. Key Incident Functions
• Assesses the situation.
• Manages the situation.
• Determines what the public needs to know.
• Serves as an advisor to the Incident Commander.
• Selects the right tools for the messages.
• Coordinates the messages.
• Responds to the media while respecting restrictions on the
release of sensitive information.
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38. Joint Information System
Managing public information is another function of emergency
management. NIMS describes the use of the Joint Information System
(JIS) to complete the critical tasks of information sharing and coordination.
The JIS is a system that ensures coordination and integration of
information across jurisdictions, organizations, and agencies during an
incident.
PIOs use the JIS to:
• Determine information to be communicated to the public.
• Create clear and easily understood messages.
• Ensure information is accurate.
• Identify how messages should be conveyed.
• Coordinate information being distributed to ensure consistency with
other agencies’ messages.
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39. Joint Information Center (JIC)
The physical site of Public Information Officers working as a JIS is
called the Joint Information Center (JIC). It is the location where
PIOs will:
• House the tools to enhance the flow of public information.
• PIOs gather centrally.
• Handle increased information.
• Media can go for “one-stop shopping”.
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40. Roles During Incident
• Media Interviews: Phone and Press Conferences
• Social Media Information Output
• Twitter
• Blog
• Web site
• Social Media and Media Monitoring
• Community Meetings
• Trap Lines
• VIP Tours
• Mapping
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41. Lower North Fork Fire
Integrated Social Media & Public Information Outreach Strategy
Jefferson County Incident Management Team
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