Were people prepared for previous incidents? . 95% B. 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. 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. Determine who your audience is, what they need to know, and what they already know. In the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, the Public Information Officer (PIO): A. ), 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.) . Tools to enhance the flow of public information are housed. The media will want to get as close as possible to get pictures/audio/interviews. Many times at the scene of an incident a media area can be set up to facilitate the enhanced flow of information between the PIO and the media. or a non-emergency event. 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. Even a few minutes of practice can make a big difference. Last name. Campaign topics can range from recruiting volunteers to fire safety. 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. The media area is a place where media congregate to help enhance the flow of information. If there is a reason that the media cannot be allowed access to the scene, consider using a media pool to restrict access while allowing them to get the images and interviews they desire. Time will also impact the shelf-life of your campaign. 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. Two PIOs talking to each other on the phone about a news story that involves both of their agencies. 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. 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 and Warning . Campaigns are usually multifaceted, combining events and various media to get the message out. Joanne H. Moreau: We are able to work with all agencies and give a real solid unified message. The Governor repeated his request that everyone use caution and heed warning messages on TV and radio, or in their newspapers. Many edits, however, can be made in real-time and appear almost instantly online. IS 29.A Public Information Officer Exam Questions | FEMACourses Derrick Jensen: The feedback we received from them, from the local media that we work with on a regular basis and have a pretty good relationship from them . 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. For each of these toolstelevision, newspaper, radio, news briefings, and evolving mediayou need written products. 494 0 obj <> endobj 0 As demonstrated by the examples, micro-blogging has become an important source of information in preparation of, during, and after crisis situations. 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. How or what can your community learn from these events? Some examples include traditional media using: An important step when communicating is to continually evaluate and adjust your message by monitoring the media. Email can be used to get people: In order for email to work, you need to have a good email distribution list. (Unit 3), Recall preparation techniques that contribute to a successful media interview. What do you want people to know or do after hearing your message? As exemplified in the Pew Research study, people are getting information from sources other than traditional media. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?. 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. The AP Stylebook is used by most of the news media. Serves as a press secretary for the Agency Executive or Senior Official during the incident. A social networking site is a great tool for: Now you know about the many tools available to get your message out. 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. Transparency in government promotes efficiency and effectiveness and allows the people in your community to understand and participate in your processes. Wear your uniform or neat, conservative attire if not in uniform. Please note that the is program now requires a fema sid to be used instead of your ssn. Test the message on a safe audience B. PDF NIMS Basic Guidance for Public Information Officers - FEMA What are people in your community concerned about? 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. endstream endobj startxref It also helps identify the target audience for a particular public awareness campaign. 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. Additionally, it can provide those in executive level roles the necessary knowledge of PIO roles and . 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. Providing information and access to newsmakers. Determining hazard impact is a crucial component in emergency planning. Web sites can link to social media sites, help you collect email addresses, display videos, house blogs, or link to other Web sites. Access to you and the newsmakers or persons in charge. Emergency Management Institute 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. Print medianewspapers and magazinesare the first type of mass media developed. (Incorrect), John enjoys boating, swimming, and fishing. 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. Identify contacts and sources that are relevant to your organization. You can find the complete list of courses in the Spanish language course list. How to Remember Better: A Study Tip for Your Next Major Exam, (13 Tips From Repeaters) How to Pass the LET the First Time, [5 Proven Tactics & Bonus] How to pass the Neuro-Psychiatric Exam, 5 Research-Based Techniques to Pass Your Next Major Exam, 2023 Civil Service Exam (CSE) Reviewer: A Resource Page, [Free PDF] 2023 LET Reviewer: The Ultimate Resource Page, [52 Test Answers] FEMA IS-251A: IPAWS for Alerting Administrators, [26 Test Answers] FEMA IS-284A: Using the Substantial Damage Estimator 3.0 Tool, [32 Test Answers] FEMA IS-1120: Letters of Map Revision (LOMRs), [23 Test Answers] FEMA IS-101C: Preparing for Federal Disaster Operations: FEMA. The median, annual pay for public relations specialists, during the same period, was $52,090, with the top 10 . Once your campaign is implemented, the last step is to determine its success. Generally, there is no review before modifications are accepted. 0 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!). FEMA IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness Answers. Show emotion as appropriate, but dont use big gestures. . As a PIO, you communicate with your target audiences to keep them informed about activities, events, and resources. 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.)? The Governor is continuing to monitor the situation. All social networking sites allow users to find people they know among the members, or look for other members with similar interests or affiliations. A campaign on hurricane awareness wont get much play in December. Public information is a vital function in disaster operations that . Always connect with the Incident Commander before making any statement to the media. 281757518-Role-of-Catering-Establishment-in-Tourism-Industry-PRINT.docx. They can be timelesslike encouraging children to be active. 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. Evolving media (Web sites, email, blogs, social networking sites, etc.). 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. PIOs shouldA. compile a go kit to allow for lengthy deployments to a long-term incident. Continue to monitor the weather., Example 3:4 Shelters remain open: MassMutual Ctr, 1277 Main St. Springfield; Quarry Hill Comm. They have access to the officials. Work to keep them out of danger as you would any member of the public. 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. C. will transfer to a planning position if no media covers an incident. The Public Information Officer is responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident-related information requirements. PIOs must possess good oral communication skills because they will need to present critical information and prepare other people to speak: More information on speaking and preparing speakers is presented in Lesson 3. The fire started near Harvest Junction on the railroad and the fumes from the burning hazardous materials in the cars threaten a number of nearby communities, according to local authorities. Is there any restriction on the information to be released? endstream endobj startxref We wanted questions answered, we wanted stories to be able to do, and we had one place to go to and that was great. Emergency management knowledge including an understanding of NIMS, ICS, the JIS, and the JIC. Select this link to access a printable . Communicating factual information with the public is the most important job function of a PIO. Joanne H. Moreau: The media is embedded in our Emergency Operations Center. After taking this course you may want to take other courses to help you continue your professional development. Once again, we see a fire threatening our citizens and their homes. These people are your target audience. the feedback has been, you know, we appreciate this. 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. Keep the subject and verb close together. 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. Admissions Fax: (301) 447-1658, Independent Study Program The Public Information Officer Awareness Course (IS0029) is designed to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. 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. Watching the background. Each time this test is loaded, you will receive a unique set of questions and answers. An important part of the PIOs role is to prepare written products, so the PIO must be able to write clearly and effectively. 50% C. 25% D. 5%, 9. News releases are one of the most commonly used tools for PIOs. 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). %%EOF @8'_= J J0 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. Are there warnings or other critical messages to be communicated to the public? Identify how messages should be conveyed. 17. 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). Responsibilities of the Components of the ICS Organization. It can be taken alone or before Basic Public Information Officer Training (G290). This lesson presents information on tools you can use in support of your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). Recognize various legal aspects associated with emergencies and public information. Verdi White: And I believe that that has helped in our relationship with the media. He and his wife threw open their window and helped their kids drop to waiting neighbors gathered below. 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. View IS-29.a - Public Information Officer Awareness | FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI).pdf from CIS 20 at SUNY Empire State College. %PDF-1.6 % 3 Step Guide for Assistance. These sites make it easy to establish networks of contacts. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is:A. Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. endstream endobj 495 0 obj <. Verdi White: The two functions and people that I need to have with me when Im out here doing anything is I need to have a finance person and I need to have the Joint Information Center. EMI is introducing a limited number of IS courses that have been translated to the Spanish language. Smith activated the State Emergency Operations Center, which coordinates State firefighting efforts in these situations. Mayor Holden: By having that access it really helped us to quell the various rumors that were out there and we were able to keep the situation calm. The Incident Commander B. When creating your media list: Media information is constantly changing; make sure you have a process to keep your media list up-to-date. If you use an acronym, make sure your audience understands it. Include information on evolving media contacts, instructions, and resources. In a crisis, getting the right information to the right people at the right time is more important than catching a dangling participle! They knew that they werent being led down another road, that they were hearing things unfiltered. 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. Provide public information, emergency public information, and community education to your internal and external target audiences. 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. Announce events of interest to your community or share information about an incident. Describe traditional media available for communication. Evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign. Policies for evolving media (e.g., who can post, what can be posted, how to respond to negative comments, etc.). This includes: More information on learning about the whole community is presented in Lesson 4. The participant will benefit from participating in entry-level incident command system training prior to taking this course. Include email addresses and Internet sites for the media contact. 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. Avoid acronyms. In your communication strategy, identify how you will use social media by itself and together with traditional media to prepare your community for emergencies, and to provide them with life-saving information when an incident occurs. Increase community preparedness is not specific. 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. * The social media links provided are for reference only. 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. Some tips for building relationships with your media contacts are: It is important to prepare a list of media outlets and contacts, for everyday activities and to act quickly in an emergency. In their haste, each suffered minor injuries, including stitches for their son who cut his ankle on the glass of the first floor window. Managing Public Information for All Hazards Incidents One PIO talking by phone to an on-scene PIO to confirm the number of responders at the scene prior to an initial news release. 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). Other zombie origins shown in films include radiation from a destroyed NASA Venus probe (as inNight of the Living Dead), as well as mutations of existing conditions such as prions, mad-cow disease, measles and rabies. Avoid fillers (um, er, uh); dont be afraid to pause while formulating an answer. Speak to several members of the media at one time, especially during an incident. Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-29.A: Public Information Officer Awareness. What will you change in future campaigns? News releases should adhere to the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. Technology has a great impact on your ability to manage the message. All goals should have a target date for completion. Brian Hyer: We had all kinds of questions. 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. 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? Emergency management guidance for public- and private-sector organizations C. A database of Federal-level emergency incidents D. Another name for the National Response Framework, 21. Example: Press Release Using Inverted Pyramid Format. 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. B. an important part of the PIOs job. 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. Resident/Non-Resident, Trainer Program, etc. Doug Miser. This awareness-level training is suitable for new PIOs. Remember to treat amateur journalists the same as you would any other journalistwith courtesy and respect. (A media pool refers to a group of news-gathering organizations pooling their resources in the collection of news.) What is the community sentiment toward your organization or the issue? People have a right and a need to know about the risks they face. Joanne H. Moreau: Working with the children, and with such an emphasis on the children, we wanted a tool that could reach them. Communicates with internal and external stakeholders. 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). C. only required when dictated by the Incident Commander. Write out the full term on first usage, as appropriate.
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