Generally, there is no review before modifications are accepted. For highly technical information, it might be best to prepare a credible subject-matter expert to present. Depending on where the media area is, the media representatives will need to be able to connect with their microwave towers or uplink with a satellite. 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 For more information on the Public Information Officer training program, contact FEMA-Master_PIO_Program@fema.dhs.gov. Your organization may have other format preferences, such as single-spaced and one-page only. Preparing quality written products including news releases. Develop relationships with other organizations PIOs B. Uses information from other members of the local unit to develop accurate, accessible, and complete information on an When considering whether a goal is attainable, ask yourself: Do I have the skills and resourcesor can I get themto achieve this goal? Your media list should be current, complete, and tailored to your organization. All of the above, 23. Evolving media (Web sites, email, blogs, social networking sites, etc.). 1928 0 obj <> endobj Identify the purpose of what you are writing and start with the main message. Describe traditional media available for communication. 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. You should set a realistic deadline and interim benchmarks, as needed. 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. This lesson introduced you to the steps to create a preparedness campaign: These steps will help you develop a campaign that will inform the whole community about the importance of being ready and preparedness steps to take. Develop and pre-test materials C. Develop an action planD. Studies show that people read differently online than when they read printed materials, therefore, when you write for the Web or social media you should: A. The Incident Commander B. These sites make it easy to establish networks of contacts. As a PIO, you need to: In the next lesson you will learn about various tools available to you for communicating with the community. Tammy Kikuchi: The response was overwhelming. B. report to the Finance/Admin Section Chief when arriving at an incident. That you will get them information and be back to brief themand then do so. %PDF-1.6 % Joanne H. Moreau: Working with the children, and with such an emphasis on the children, we wanted a tool that could reach them. During an incident, the media wants: At an incident scene, after you have conferred with the Incident Commander to assess the situation, you can begin to manage the situation by making contact with the media. ), John enjoys boating, swimming, and to fish. A news conference or briefing may be used when you want to: A news conference or briefing may be announced by using a press release or media advisory. Providing information and access to newsmakers. Final Exam for: IS-29.a: Public Information Officer. Email is also an ideal tool for communicating within your organization because you generally have access to your colleagues email addresses. 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. [25 Test Answers] FEMA IS-29A: Public Information Officer Awareness endstream endobj startxref Evaluation is crucial for judging the effectiveness of a public awareness campaign. This course introduces PIOs with no, or limited, experience to the basic skills and tools needed to communicate effectively with the public. If you hope to work with schools, plan well in advance to coordinate with their schedules and curriculum. This feature can facilitate abuse of the system. B. is not bound by public record laws. 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. The public information officer for an organization A. should clear all public documents with neighboring agencies before release. endstream endobj 495 0 obj <. Managing public information is another fundamental element of emergency management. Are there warnings or other critical messages to be communicated to the public? 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. There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. This training focuses on both parts of the equation. Mayor Holden: Sometimes you have to get your story out very quickly. It includes features and characteristics that are not available in a traditional news release, such as: In addition to having good written communication skills, a successful PIO also needs to be able to speak effectively. 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. For highly visible or controversial matters, it might be best to have a leader in the organization speak. @8'_= J J0 They heighten awareness of community hazards and encourage the public to take steps to become more prepared. Describe the role and function of the Public Information Officer (PIO). Private wiki servers require user authentication to edit pages, and sometimes even to read them. Please review the IS FAQ's for more information. After taking this course you may want to take other courses to help you continue your professional development. 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. Influence an audience to modify behavior C. Sell government or nonprofit products and programs D. Enhance social media, 11. 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. Weegy: The role of the pubic information officer is to gather facts and disseminate it to the media. Zoom lenses, parabolic microphones, and just plain observant reporters may be able to discover sensitive or protected information from your incident command post (e.g., zoom shots of maps, recorded conversations, etc.). Providing good public information helps people make the right decisions at the right time and can instill public confidence in the organization, which is primarily important because: Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like theWalking Deadwere born. Demonstrate that you are in the knowB. Many edits, however, can be made in real-time and appear almost instantly online. Understand the National Incident Management System, Incident Command System and their correlation with the emergency response system. Establish contact with other agency PIOs. People use technology to tell others that they are okay. Walter Monsour: So, the message was managed extremely well. Thats right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens youll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe youll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for arealemergency. The widespread use of social media means you and your organization need to include social media in your communication strategy. Expert Help. Who is likely to be affected by the hazard or threat? At the completion of this course you should be able to: The remainder of this lesson presents information on your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). You can entice them to stay by giving them regular official updates and letting them know that if they are absent they may miss something important or interesting. (Unit 4), Apply public information techniques to a 5% scenario. Include email addresses and Internet sites for the media contact. Blogs are Web sites that allow you to engage in a conversation with readers. Primary audience: FEMA IS-29.A is designed for the new or less experienced state, local, tribal and territorial PIOs or those who have this role as a secondary function. Tammy Kikuchi: I would say it, whatever expense it takes for your Public Information Officers to get the training, spend it. Lieutenant Doug McCleve: One of the reasons why we felt it was so important to put together a Joint Information in the first, Center in the first place is because we knew that there would be all aspects of State government involved in this process from providing basic food and clothing and shelter for these people who have had nothing for up to a week. D. The ninety-five (95%) segment of the 95/5 concept, 5. 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. Demonstrating an understanding of media needs and operations. Narrator: While responding to disasters, Mayor Holden and his staff began to realize that many of the issues they faced repeatedly could be eliminated if the public was better prepared. It provides a framework for people from multiple agencies to work well together B. A micro-blog is a type of blog where the message is shorter. Successful written communication conveys your key messages and: More information on writing clearly and effectively is presented in Lesson 3. . . The role of the PIO is the same regardless of the type or size of the event. You can find the complete list of courses in the Spanish language course list. Consider your resources and your role in ICS. 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. 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.. 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. They can be used for personal networking, professional networking, and sharing public information. endstream endobj startxref While local, tribal, territorial, and State governments may have different laws regarding transparency and open government the general principles are to be: As a PIO, it is important to know the laws that apply in your area because of your role in providing information to the public. 281757518-Role-of-Catering-Establishment-in-Tourism-Industry-PRINT.docx. 19. 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. Quantify results when evaluating public information efforts. Were people prepared for previous incidents? 1. 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. It was absolutely the very best thing we could have done. What is the community sentiment toward your organization or the issue? 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. It also helps identify the target audience for a particular public awareness campaign. 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. 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. C. will transfer to a planning position if no media covers an incident. . FEMA IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness Answers. 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. Different types of written products include the following: View actual news releases, statements, and fact sheets on the InciWeb site [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/]. Access to you and the newsmakers or persons in charge. Describe the role and function of the PIO. Questions to answer when evaluating a public awareness campaign include the following: You can collect data about your campaign in different ways. if4-0lP,H^F1!P`8FF@T br.afQP0G@U@} )F%H (wtP9 lF `PFn*Lks]k^s9LgsXxh|s ]bpa As part of conducting research, you have identified populations in the community who are vulnerable and need the information from your campaign. Once you have identified your goal, write it down! 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. 0 (What will motivate them?). An important part of the PIOs role is to prepare written products, so the PIO must be able to write clearly and effectively. 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. B. an important part of the PIOs job. One of the advantages of the Incident Command System (ICS) is: A. Increased information needs can be handled. DECEMBER 2020 INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER 1 OF 5 FEMA-509-v20170717 . In the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, the Public Information Officer (PIO): A. 50% C. 25% D. 5%, 9. Angie Welling: Reporters understand change really well because our days are always changing, but just have that plan in place, know basically what you want to do, whos going to staff it, what will be available, what hours you will be available for the media. Wear your uniform or neat, conservative attire if not in uniform. For different audiences, you may need to write different products. 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). Each time this test is loaded, you will receive a unique set of questions and answers. The public information officer (PIO) reports to the incident commander, who in turn reports to the agency or jurisdictions responsible. (Unit 4), Given a scenario, apply the 8-Step Model to a public awareness campaign. Chris Mrela wrote a dynamite report on this a couple of years ago. . Recognize various legal aspects associated with emergencies and public information. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. Video sharing sites to expand or market a story, and. Coming back after the fire to retrieve them, their ghostly shadows left indelible evidence of the inferno that swept through their home. What actions and resources are being used to achieve the objectives? You cant manage who shows up but you can and should manage contact with the site. 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. Contact local, tribal, territorial, and State press associations to obtain media lists. Well, were here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing forrealemergencies too! 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. Tammy Kikuchi: Having the Joint Information Center for this event was critical. Please note that the is program now requires a fema sid to be used instead of your ssn. (Unit 5). The PIOs primary responsibility to organizational leadership as an advisor is to: A. Guidance on COVID protections for EMI students, and the CDC Coronavirus page for the latest updates on the pandemic response. B. Serves as a press secretary for the Agency Executive or Senior Official during the incident. Recall preparation techniques that contribute to a successful media interview. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. University of California, Merced hiring Public Information Officer Determining hazard impact is a crucial component in emergency planning. 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. Television is the main source of news for Americans. Determine information to be communicated to the public. Three PIOs on the scene of a crisis huddling prior to making a statement to the media. Develops a strategy or plan for handling the incident, monitors it in process, and adjusts the plan as needed. ICS is used to manage an emergency incident (like a wildland fire, search and rescue, hurricane, etc.) It can be taken alone or before Basic Public Information Officer Training (G290). The AP Stylebook is used by most of the news media. Avoid acronyms. FEMA IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness Course Summary The participant will benefit from participating in entry-level incident command system training prior to taking this course. This lesson presents information on how to effectively communicate with the whole community regarding the importance of being prepared for an incident. This is a release that you post online. Governor James Smith today declared a state of emergency in the Great A&P fire that is rapidly spreading west. Gathering feedback and heading off problems, Explaining your mission, policies, and goals. Switchboard: (301) 447-1000 Media pools are used to restrict access to an area due to space limitations or safety issues. In their zeal to get the story reporters may not always recognize the potential for danger to themselves. 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. What do you want people to know or do after hearing your message? Successful blogs are compelling and current, and encourage interaction with readers. Practice talking in 5-second to 8-second sound bites. Overview: The FEMA IS-29.A course was published on 8/5/2019 to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role.