news · boynton beach police dept. (561) 742-6191 [email protected] secretary lou thurston newport...
TRANSCRIPT
1 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
NEWS
www.nioa.orgSEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2017
NIOA member Steve Conn courageously shares his struggle with the mental strain first responders face on the job
PLUS:Other Highlights from Clearwater Diverse presentations draw sell-out crowd for third consecutive year
2 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Follow NIOA @
Don KellyEditor
Baton Rouge PD(225) 389-3800
Shell ArmstrongWriter/Designer
[email protected](504) 881-0223
NIOA News is the official newsletter of the National Information Officers Association. It is published six times annually and is distributed
via email.
2017-18 NIOA Executive Board
Executive Director Lisa McNeal
P.O. Box 10125Knoxville, TN 37939
(865) [email protected]
PresidentBrennan Matherne
Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Dept.(985) 532-4338
Vice PresidentStephanie Slater
Boynton Beach Police Dept.(561) [email protected]
Secretary Lou ThurstonNewport News Police Dept.
(757) [email protected]
Immediate Past PresidentMike Fronimos
Williston Fire-EMS Dept.(859) 393-4317
Past President’s Council Rep Marlee Boenig
Bowling Green Fire Dept.(270) 393-3702
C O N T E N T S
6 TERROR IN ORLANDOOPD PIO discusses the second deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history
10 ER FAIL?Sensationalized TV news report called out after one-sided reporting job
16 STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSReach your target audience and effectively work with the media
Highlights from the 2017 NIOA Annual Training Conference
5 SNAPCHAT & YOUPostings are only temporary, but 15-25 year olds are flocking to the app
9 LEAN PIO SHOPSDon’t have a huge staff or unlimited re-sources? Most agencies don’t, but here are a few tips to help you succeed.
14 CHAOS @ AIRPORTFt. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport shoot-ing spirals into mayhem never experienced before.
20 CYBER JEOPARDY!America’s thinking man’s game tackles your knowledge of the Web.
About theCover
For nearly eight years, NIOA member and battalion chief/PIO Steve Conn, of the Colerain Township Dept. of Fire and EMS, unknowingly struggled with PTSD and CTSD. He spoke of his journey and ways first responders can help peers suffer-ing at the 2017 NIOA Annual Training Conference. Read his story on page 12. And if you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help.
3 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
The 2017 NIOA Training Conference is in the books!
I want to thank each and every NIOA member who
attended this year’s conference in Clearwater Beach. We had one of our most successful conferences to date, thanks to the hard work of the Executive Board and planning committee, as well as our presenters who contributed greatly to our success. Last, but certainly not least, I thank our members who attended and made for an incredible networking experience once again!
This year’s conference was unlike any other for me due to serving as Vice President. It provided me an incredible opportunity for many one-on-one discussions with so many presenters and new members, some of whom have been PIOs for only a few weeks!
I sincerely thank you for the privilege to have served as your Vice President, and now as President. I promise to continue to serve and represent you in a distinguished and efficient manner. My goal is lead the NIOA as it continues to evolve along with our jobs as PIOs. I hope to bring about positive changes and additions without neglecting the fundamentals and traditions that have made our organization so great.
I appreciate those who have reached out to me already to give your personal thoughts and feedback on this year’s conference – the good and the bad. While the official window for submitting feedback for the conference through the app has closed, I still encourage you to contact me directly at any time to discuss your thoughts.
Our conference planning committee will meet in January to begin planning the 2018 conference. While we will try to make decisions to bring you all the best training experience, we also rely on ideas feedback from you – our members. If you didn’t like something this year, let us know! If you loved something we did, tell us about that
too! Most importantly, don’t forget to submit ideas for presentations! While we will always consider the response from major incidents, sometimes the best presentations can lie outside of those incidents, such as the session on PTSD at this year’s conference, which received many positive reviews.
As I mentioned earlier, we had a number of new members this year, which is evidence that so many of you are recruiting! The diversity in our membership, including years of experience, is one of the things that
makes this such a great organization. Throughout this year, I encourage you to continue to recruit new members, consider submitting presentation ideas, and write at least one article for our newsletter.
Remember that I am only a phone call or email away, and I truly thank you for this opportunity to serve. •
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
NIOA continues to evolve
By BRENNAN MATHERNE
TAMMY CHATMAN
NIOA Immediate Past President Mike Fronimos hands the gavel to incoming President Brennan Math-erne. He has served as spokesman for the Lafourche Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office since September 2011. Prior to that, Matherne was PIO for the Lafourche Parish Government.
‘I hope to bring about positive changes and additions without neglecting the fundamentals and traditions that have made our organization so great.’
4 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
As NIOA members, we often say to each other, “I’m here if you need me when the big one hits.”
Well, the big one came for Florida two weeks after this year’s annual training conference in Clearwater Beach. Her name was Irma, and she was fierce.
Fortunately, she skirted Palm Beach County and my city did not suffer significant structural damage.
There were large trees down and some minor flooding. Millions of people in the tri-county area (Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade) were without power for several days, but it was nothing in comparison to the devastation that went on in the Florida Keys and the west coast of our beautiful state. As I write this, there are still Floridians who are suffering and slowly picking up the pieces of their destroyed homes and businesses. Just as there are still Texans recovering from Harvey. They will rebuild. Texans and Floridians are strong.
I was assigned to work at the City of Boynton
Beach Emergency Operations Center, where I lived for three days. My husband, who is a police officer, was assigned a Bravo shift of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and stationed at a local hospital. Our 2-year-old daughter safely rode out the storm with my
parents at their home (fortunately, she thought it was just a really long slumber party).
So much of what went on during that time is a blur, and it’s probably going to take some time before it all sinks in.
But what I do remember vividly are the texts and emails that I got from so many of you in the days leading up to the storm, throughout it and even after to check on me and my family. It truly meant the world to me that you reached out to let me know you were thinking of us and there if I needed anything.
That, to me, is the true spirit of NIOA. We are there for each other in a moment’s notice when it matters most. It’s what makes me so proud to be a member of this organization and serve another term as your Vice President.
I look forward to working on your behalf throughout the year, and I promise that when the big one hits your agency, I will be there for you too. •
H opefully, those of you who attended this year’s conference enjoyed the experience as much as I and the rest of your Board. Once again, the Sheraton
staff went the extra mile to ensure our stay was a memorable one. As a Board member it was great to see everything come together and how much everyone seemed to enjoy not just the presentations but also the networking, making new friends/contacts and learning from others.
Every year I’m amazed to see how people from across the country can come together and almost immediately seem as if they have known one another for years. Couple that with those long
time members who have been friends for many years, add in presentations that are timely, interesting and thought provoking and what do you have? One heck of a successful conference for a record-breaking number of attendees.
The conference experience would not be possible were it not for the membership participating, not just during the conference but in the weeks and months spent planning. Let’s face it, the Board needs everyone’s input to continue to produce such high caliber events. With that said, it is never too early to make suggestions for presentation topics and speakers for next year’s conference.
It is important to remember that, while we all enjoy the big national stories, there is also much to be learned from local events as well. With that said, please send ideas and speaker suggestions to any Board member. The Board will be meeting in mid-January, which is not all that far off, to handle any business matters needing attention and to plan for the 2018 conference. The continued success of this organization depends greatly upon the memberships’ interest and participation. Let your Board hear from you as we work toward another record breaking conference. •
SECRETARY’S MESSAGE
By LOU THURSTON
Have a conference topic, let us know
VICE PRESIDENT’S VIEWPOINT
By STEPHANIE SLATER
Spirit of NIOA shone through Irma
5 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Region 1
William AddisonUS NavyNorfolk, [email protected]
James ByrneNYPDNew York, [email protected]
Region 3
Kathy [email protected]
Richard [email protected]
Rick [email protected] County PoliceGaithersburg, MD
Greg [email protected]
Donald [email protected]
Aundrea [email protected]
Laura [email protected] PoliceWilliamsburg, VA
Region 4
Lee AlexanderCitrus County Sheriff’s OfficeInverness, [email protected]
Emily LongDecatur Police DepartmentDecatur, [email protected]
Brett DavisCity of DyersburgDyersburg, [email protected]
Scott DresselHighlands County Sheriff’s OfficeSebring, [email protected]
Melissa Zayas MorenoCity of KissimmeeKissimmee, [email protected]
Harold Watson IIIBirmingham Fire and Rescue Service Dept.Hoover, [email protected]
Region 5
Ryan HouchenLafayette Township Fire Protection DistrictFloyds Knob, [email protected]
Michael GriffinMoline Police DepartmentMoline, [email protected]
Region 6
Rick TomlinAbilene PoliceAbilene, [email protected]
Melody DanielARK Dept. of Emergency ManagementRussellville, [email protected]
Region 7
Marshanna HesterJackson CountyKansas City, [email protected]
Thomas [email protected]
Patrick [email protected] City Police Kansas City, MO
Region 8
Francisco SaucedoWeld County Sheriff’s OfficeGreeley, [email protected]
Region 9
Janet SanchezYuma PoliceYuma, [email protected]
Welcome newNIOA members
Where did your younger audience go?
Maybe you shot one too many vertical videos. Maybe your posts are too old. Or, more likely, you may not be using the proper platform to reach younger audiences.
Maintaining a diverse tool belt when it comes to social media apps is crucial to reach audiences. Sure, everyone from mom and dad to grandma and grandad are plugged into Facebook. But the younger lot is more likely linked to Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram. And its replacement is likely just around the corner, according to Dionne Waugh of the Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office and Kate Kimble of the Fort Collins Police Dept.
Instagram is basically a simplified version of Facebook. Driven by mobile use and visual sharing, the app transmits your photos and video on your profile. It has filters that can be used to modify photos or to trim videos. Anyone who follows you will receive the post and can comment, like, tag or private message you via the app.
Snapchat is the newer, cooler kid on the block, largely popular among 15 to 25 year olds. The mobile app allows you to send videos and pictures, which self-destruct after 10 seconds, adding a sense of urgency to the snap.
Snapchat can capture a photo or short video. Captions, doodles or lenses/filters are available. The lenses allow you to real-time special effects and sounds, and the filters let you stamp colors, time, local weather, speed overlays or geofilters to snaps.
To give your post a longer online life, users can snap a
“story,” a series of snaps that remain live for 24-hours.Snapchat also provides an analytic breakdown of
indicating how many followers have received your snap or story and how many have actually viewed it.
“Snapchat is all about now,” Waugh said. “Videos and photos share the story of your day visually.” •
Photo by TAMMY CHATMAN
Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office’s Dionne Waugh and Kate Kimble, of the Fort Collins Police Dept., offer ideas to help create dynamic Snapchat and Instagram content.
6 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
TRAGEDY inORLANDO
The crowd likely disregarded the loud pops echoing in the Pulse nighclub, mistaking them for fireworks. But as the shooter blasted away, it soon became clear lives were in danger. Armed with an AR-15, the gunman killed 49 people and left dozens critically injured in the nation’s second deadliest mass shooting.
6 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI } REUTERS
7 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Michelle Guido spent 25 years in newspaper and a year in TV news before approaching Orlando Police Chief John Mina for a job. The department, she said, needed a crisis communications specialist and she was ready for a career change.
Mina was convinced, too. And before long, the self-described “mayhem girl” crossed sides from media to PIO.
In the wee hours of June 12, 2016, Guido’s skills were put to the test.
Inside Pulse, an Orlando gay nightclub, a lone gunman, armed with an AR-15 assault weapon and a handgun, unloaded on the crowd of partygoers. Three hours later, as SWAT team members breached the club’s walls, 49 people were dead and dozens more critically injured. The Pulse shooting is the second worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
The night before the Pulse tragedy, Orlando was in the national spotlight for another killing. Singer Christina Grimmie, a contestant in NBC’s “The Voice,” was fatally shot as she signed autographs following a concert performance in the city.
“A crazed fan shot her in the head at about 11:30 p.m.,” Guido said. “All the national media descended on Orlando. By 7 a.m., they were all there.”
Many national outlets were still in town when news hit that Pulse was under siege.
“The decision was made that we would only communicate through Twitter,” Guido said. “There was no way we would be able to deal with the volume of media calls. Doing that allowed us to completely ignore
NIGHTTERROR
Twitter tells story of 2nd worst US mass shooting
Michelle Guido
Courtesy OPD
An Orlando officer’s helmet shows evidence of the night’s gunfight inside the Pulse nightclub.
telephone calls and emails and we could just focus on our jobs.”
That decision proved foretelling. Guido said she received more than 1,100 emails by sunrise.
For the first three hours, PIOs didn’t have much information to dispense other than confirming an active shooter inside Pulse, that he had taken hostages and people were injured. The public was also directed to stay out of the area for safety reasons.
“We were limited as to what we could say,” Guido said of the “extremely crazy” time. “We tried to send something out every 20 minutes, even if it was just confirming that law enforcement was on the scene.”
Approximately 250 police responded. Shortly after 5 a.m., SWAT breached the club’s wall. The gunman was killed in a barrage of shots. In all, 90 people were safely rescued from inside.
“We had no idea the scope of the media on scene until the sun came up,” Guido said. Hundreds of media arrived for the first official briefing at 7:30 a.m. Authorities still did not have a count of the dead; it wouldn’t be confirmed for a few more hours.
Guido said the initial message was straightforward. “We said it was a horrible tragedy but that it does not define Orlando. We tried to assure the public that they were all safe now.” •
8 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Above photo by TAMMY CHATMAN/ below courtesy of NYPD
Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Stephen Davis answers NIOA member Bill Davis’ questions. Scott Glick and Yael Bar-tur are pictured in the background.
Social media blows up after NYC bombing“If it walks like a duck, explodes like a duck,
it is terror,” according to Stephen Davis, deputy commissioner of the NYPD’s public information division. On Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, the NYPD found itself on terror’s trail.
Earlier that morning, police in Seaside Park, N.J., responded to a pipe bomb explosion inside a trash can along the Semper Five 5k run route. A suspicious backpack was spotted near the starting point, delaying the race and, Davis opined, likely saving injuries.
At 8:33 p.m., 33 people were hit by flying shrapnel after a cooker pressure bomb exploded near a construction site in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.
Davis remembers the day as a “perfect media storm.”
9/11 had been celebrated the week before, the Occupy Wall Street anniversary was that day and, on Monday, the United Nations General Assembly was slated to begin. The NYPD was on heightened alert. Police, fire and medical services swarmed the scene, tending to the injured, redirecting traffic and searching for evidence.
Davis abandoned his dinner plans and rushed to the scene where throngs of media were gathered. He was met by eight PIOs already there trying to herd the press.
The NYPD’s DCPI office includes a staff of 30 uniformed police who operate 24/7. The office
‘When I first started, I thought Twitter was a candy bar and Facebook was a binder of mugshots.’
- NYPD DCPI Stephen Davis
TERRORISM IN NEW YORK
handles the barrage of media queries and oversees “The Shack,” the department’s blog, and its social media and internal communications.
As the NYPD took to Twitter to confirm the incident was under investigation, police found a second pressure cooker-bomb blocks from the explosion site.
Ironically, surveillance footage of the area would later reveal that two men – Egyptian sky marshals who had been shopping nearby during a layover – found the backpack, removed a bag containing the bomb from inside, and left with the backpack. Davis said while moving the pressure cooker, the wire attached to a cell phone inside came undone, which prevented the make-shift bomb from detonating.
The NYPD’s bomb squad safely removed the bomb.Police traced the suspected bomber via the cell
phone. He was captured at 11 a.m. Monday, shortly after incoming Commissioner James O’Neal was sworn into office.
Throughout the 48-hour ordeal, NYPD Det. Scott Glick and digital strategist Yael Bar-tur relied on social media to communicate with media and the public. Press conferences were streamed live on Facebook. Releases and updates were transmitted via Twitter and Instagram. The city helped blast emergency alerts to those in the Chelsea area.
Using social media to cultivate followers and guide media, Glick and Bar-tur agree, is essential to meet the immediate demand for information. •
9 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Lean PIO Shops Someone calls in sick, another is on vacation. Suddenly your PIO shop is half what it should be. Or, maybe you’re with a small agency; you are the lone PIO. What now? Baltimore Police PIOs TJ Smith and Jeremy Silbert were in exactly that situation in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death and the subsequent unrest in the city. From handling hourly press conferences, to helping deliver pizzas to front-line responders at the height of the riot, to briefing media on the arrest of six fellow officers days later, Smith and Silbert coordinated BPD’s public response. Operating a virtual JIC to facilitate the information flow and livestreaming press conferences kept stakeholders – officials and the public – updated. “At the end of the day, our constituents didn’t want to hear news on CNN or Fox first. They wanted to hear it from us,” Smith said. “We’re able to tell our own story and our followers know we will give the full story.”Want to operate your own lean, mobile virtual JIC and livestream outfit? Smith and Sil-bert suggest applying a couple of apps and some basic gear…
Appsv Skitch – BPD PIOs use this Evernote app to denote media stages on live maps. Re-porters and cameramen heading to a scene can easily distinguish landmarks.v Twitter – Smith credits tweets with slowing the onslaught of phone calls. The BPD alerts stakeholders when press con-ferences will be held and when they are streaming.v Pages – The free app is like Microsoft Word. Press releases are created, saved as PDFs and distributed via email.
Livestreaming ToolsConsider environmental and noise issues when choosing a livestream site. And al-ways film horizontally.
v iRig ($30 on Amazon)v XLR cablev Cable Jive Projive XLR Micro Adapter ($28.95 on Amazon)v RB50 Handheld microphone ($70 or more)v Lavalier Mic ($12.95 on Amazon)v 20-foot Movo TRRS female 3.5 mm to male 3.5mm extension ($12.95 on Amazon)v Vastar mount adapter ($5.99 on Amazon)Square Jellyfish Spring Tripod Mount ($14.95 on Amazon)v LimoStudio Mount Clip ($5.99 on Ama-zon)v Manfrotto Tripod ($72 on Amazon)Vivitar monopod ($16 on Amazon)
Photo by TAMMY CHATMAN
Baltimore Police PIOs TJ Smith and Jeremy Silbert at the NIOA Annual Training Confer-ence in Clearwa-ter, FL.
10 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Hospital takes aim when media misfires
10 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
11 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Infused with drama, TV story ignored truth
“Deadly Delay?” ABC 11 investigate reporter Steve Daniels titled the April 29, 2015, TV package. The four-minute report featured a Wake Co. widow claiming her husband, who was suffering cardiac arrest, had died because of a deadly EMS delay. The piece ignored input from the North Carolina county’s EMS – to the dismay of the service’s Assistant Chief and PIO Jeffrey Hammerstein.
“The news story implies this patient’s death is a result of improper action by EMS,” he said. “That a bold statement, a really bold statement.”
Weeks prior to the airing, ABC 11 notified Hammerstein, asking for information about the man’s case, which HIPPA laws forbids. However, the PIO did provide documents outlining the EMS response protocol.
“I thought they’d study the documents and then call,” Hammerstein said. “Basically, do your homework and then take us up on our offer to talk about how we work.”
Throughout March and much of April, no one called. Hammerstein figured the station had just abandoned the story. And then Daniels’ “Deadly Delay?” piece ran.
“That was lesson one,” the EMS assistant chief said. “Providing a document without telling (media) what the document does doesn’t tell your story.”
Raleigh-Wake Co. is home to more than 1 million people. The 860-square-mile county is ranked 24th in media markets nationwide. That night, the audience heard the widow recount the 90-minute time from the initial call until her husband arrived at the hospital. Daniels’ report said EMS “could have responded quick” because there was a station a mile away from the couple’s home. It cited the extended stop at
a “busy intersection,” and said first responders determined a hospital further away was “better suited” to treat the man. At the end of the piece, Daniels invited viewers to “tell us about your EMS experiences.”
The public outcry was immediate and fully in support of the Wake Co. EMS.
Daniels contacted Hammerstein the next day asking where the report had failed.
“I have to take responsibility,” the PIO said. “If I hadn’t forwarded the document, but called and told him we need to talk about this in the first place, the story would have been a lot different.”
In a follow-up piece, Hammerstein was able to answer the majority of false claims.
Although the initial report likely reached more viewers, Hammerstein said he was satisfied EMS at least got to tell its story. “You’ve got to know what winning looks like,” he said. “The story addressed some of the issues the first story raised.”
When media gets it wrong, he said, PIOs have to “stand up and insist” on a fix. In the case of the “Deadly Delay” piece, Hammerstein said relationships with the community are critical. “The community supported us right away and spoke out,” he said. Equally important, he said, is having a solid working relationship with the media. After all, they are the ones who will share your story. •
Viewers Demand More of WTVD
‘This seems like a story that is under researched.’
‘I’m just disappointed that this is the story you decided to put on the TV.’
‘To blame EMS without truly getting educated on EMS responses in Wake Co. is bad reporting.’
‘Shame on you ABC 11.’
‘Wake Co. is a busy system. Just because there is a station across the street from your home doesn’t mean that unit isn’t tied up on another call. I am truly sorry to this family for their loss.’
‘I am a paramedic and the story left out what we actually do in the ambulance and why there was a delay in transport.’
‘I certainly would have done BASIC research be-fore airing this story.’
‘This article and gross lack of integrity of report-ing is the reason why I stopped watching.’
‘Terrible journalism, which is truly becoming the norm.’
‘Lack of proper journalism and a desire to stir the pot against public servants.’
‘Anyone in EMS would be happy to explain to you the clinical operating guidelines allowed on this 911 call and others like it every day.’
‘Unwarranted hit piece on our first responders.’‘As a journalist, you have failed to do your job.’
‘Thanks for your feedback on our story. We are doing a fol-low-up with Wake EMS District Chief Jeff Hammerstein on our 5:30 p.m. news today.’
‘First, let me say I’m truly sorry for this family’s loss. As a paramedic, I’m offended by the headline of this report..’
Report aired April 29; newsman response May 1
WTVD 11 FOOTAGE
Jeffrey Hammerstein, assistant chief of community outreach for the Wake County EMS in Raleigh, NC, discusses EMS response procedure to WTVD 11 investigative reporter Steve Daniels.
11 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
12 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
FIGHTINGBACK
For years, March 21 haunted Steve Conn … not that he was aware. But each spring was tougher. Each day, it was harder to wear his many hats: firefighter, registered nurse, master’s degree candidate, husband and father. With each passing minute, it was harder and harder to cope.
Conn, a battalion chief and PIO of the Colerain Township (Cincinnati, Ohio) Dept. of Fire and EMS, and a longtime NIOA member, courageouly shared his personal journey with post-traumatic stress disorder and continuous traumatic stress disorder at the 2017 NIOA Annual Training Conference.
It began March 21, 2001. The first floor of a burning building collapsed, dropping a firefighter into the basement. Firemen rescued him, but nine days later, he died. The fireman and Conn were medical partners for four years. It was the first line-of-duty-death in Conn’s region, and the first that he knew to die fighting a fire.
Flash forward to the morning of March 21, 2003, a Cincinnati Fire Dept. firefighter is killed in a flashover minutes after arriving on the scene of a structure fire. Conn and his crew listened intently to CFD radio traffic at his firehouse. “We felt this trauma in the station,” he said. “We could hear what was going on.” The afternoon was spent practicing rescues and Mayday calls.
That night, Conn’s crew was on the scene of a structure fire. Fire consumed the attic and basement and the air was thick with smoke. The floor under Conn’s feet gave way, and he landed, head first in the basement. Luckily, he was rescued and sustained no burns. Conn returned to the station and, two hours later, he was responding to a cardiac arrest and car fire.
Everything appeared fine. But Conn was struggling. He had problems sleeping, his appetite changed and he quit working out. At times, he felt claustrophobic wearing his gear. And that damned thesis … he hated the topic but was working feverishly to meet the deadline. The nagging headaches never relented.
A much-needed break came March, 15, 2005, when Atlantis Paradise Island Resort needed a pipe and drum corps to play an 8-minute gig. Conn played with the sheriff’s department, which was picked to perform. He and his wife were headed to the Bahamas for their dream vacation.
“I thought it would be the break I needed. It’s such a beautiful place,” Conn said. “My wife and I had a good time, but half the time I sat in my room crying. I had a hopeless feeling of pain and I couldn’t get through
it. Here I was in paradise, and I couldn’t shake this terrible feeling.”When it was time to board the plane to return home, claustrophobia
attacked. “You can’t do this down here,” Conn recalls his wife forcefully saying. “I did get on the plane, and the next day I admitted myself in the hospital where I work.”
Hours after leaving paradise, Conn sat in the hall, crying uncontrollably and waiting for a mental ward room to become available.
Conn’s nursing co-workers passed at one point, and seemed satisfied – but concerned – when the firefighter/nurse’s wife said doctors were concerned with the headaches her husband had been experiencing.
For seven days, Conn went to group therapy, the entire time, unable to identify why he was there. He knew he couldn’t go home – his wife couldn’t guarantee his safety. Conn’s mind raced. All he could think about was hurting himself.
Outside of group, he stitched a wallet, weaved a basket, glued pieces of wood creating a remote-control caddy he still has. He painted wooden birds, graduating to a bird house by week’s end. But he still couldn’t say why he was there.
“My mind was racing so much about hurting myself that I couldn’t see five minutes down the road,” Conn said. “They turned the thoughts toward something else five minutes at a time and helped break that cycle.”
A seven-day outpatient program followed. For the headaches, Conn said the hospital gave him a CPAP.
Conn returned to the firehouse … no wiser about the reason for the hospital stay.
Two years later, April 4, 2008, two firefighters died in another catastrophic fire. Hyper-focused, Conn worked nonstop responding to media, helping plan funerals and handling post-incident reports. NIOA Immediate Past President Mike Fronimos joined Conn, handling 100
Steve Conn
13 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
What is PTSD? The American Psychological Association defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as an anxiety prob-lem that develops in some people after extremely traumatic events, such as combat, crime, an ac-cident or natural disaster. It can occur after a single major incident. PTSD is defined by the victim; nobody else can tell someone how to feel after an event. Prototypical sufferers include military personnel, emergency responders – police, fire, healthcare and social programs – as well as crime victims. Any-one who experiences continuous major stress in a compressed or long period of time.Symptoms can include physical pain; nightmares or flashbacks; depression or anxiety; withdrawal; avoidance; repression; emotional numbing; hyper-arousal; irritability; guilt and shame.
What is CTSD? Continuous Traumatic Stress Disorder offers one possible way of describing the psychological impact of living in conditions in which there is a realistic (continuous) threat of present and future danger, (not just) only experiences of past traumatic events. It can be the result of chronic, continuous exposures to high-stress events. CTSD can return late or early in one’s career. Over time, sufferers experience compassion fatigue – an indifference to charitable appeals on behalf of those who are suffering, experienced as a result of the frequency or number of such appeals. Fire, EMS, police and healthcare workers are prototypical examples.
How Can I Help?• Recognize potential major incidents. Be vigilant and watch for subtle clues. • Don’t minimize or downplay the event; remember, the survivor defines the event.• Foster a culture of caring, compassion and love.• Treat personnel like family. If that means reach-ing out to their spouse or significant other, do it.• Encourage those closest to survivor to contact you if they see a change.• Check on those who are on sick or injury leave.• Stay vigilant and pay attention to the incidents your people are being exposed to.
Courtesy of STEVE CONN
Steve Conn and his family enjoy a trip to Mt. Pilot, NC. It was there that the firefighter/PIO/nurse realized he was suffering from PTSD and CTSD. Education and perseverance will lessen the stigma of mental health issues. “Eventually it will take off, eventually it will spread that it’s OK to get help,” Conn said.
If you suspect you or someone you know is suffer-ing from PTSD or CTSD, please seek help.
percent of the department’s PIO duties for two weeks. The funerals drew about 2,000 firefighters.
That June, Conn and his family were vacationing in Mt. Pilot, aka Mayberry R.F.D. in “The Andy Griffith Show.”
“Once again, I’m in paradise wondering why I still can’t shake this funk,” Conn said. His wife was the first to notice. She helped serve as the tour guide to his epiphany: Conn realized he was suffering from PTSD.
“The immediate events after my fall into the basement (in 2003) set me up for a breakdown,” he said. “I realized that my Mayday was a successful operation overshadowed by the Cincinnati catastrophe earlier that day.”
Conn said his department minimized his fall. After all, he’d kept working. Conn’s battalion chief asked, “What did you f—k up to do that,” when he learned about the incident. An after-action report was not created, which meant nothing was learned from the fall. “It was all business as usual, I realized,” Conn said.
Seeking closure, he called his professor at College of Mount St. Joseph. Conn told him he had PTSD. The professor arranged a meeting the next day. Conn was greeted by the professor, dean and college president, all three of whom are former military. “We are going to see you through this,” Conn recalls them saying. And he was given free tuition. “That was huge. I went back to school.”
Conn changed his thesis topic. “An Evaluation of the CISM and Colerain Fire Department Response to the Squirrelnest Lane Firefighter Tragedy” was the new focus.
“The project wrote itself,” the master’s degree recipient said. It posed one question: “How are we addressing the mental health needs of our firefighters following a double line-of-duty-death incident.” The answer was “not very well.”
Conn researched a period of three, six and nine months. He found instances of chemical dependencies, relationship issues; divorce and marital problems; poor sleep and eating problems; work performance issues; and problems with children.
In June 2011, Conn saw his PTSD/CTSD theory play out after a firefighter took his own life. He was the one who recovered the bodies of the two LODD victims in the 2008 blaze.
“This kind of stuff just tears you down over time,” he said. “We need to have a safety net already in place to try and catch these guys when they are in trouble.”
Conn is careful to use the word “cured” when talking about his experience. He continues to see a counselor, continues to process critical incidents, and his wife keeps a close eye.
“I love my guys. I hope my guys love me, and that’s why I’m (talking) about this,” Conn said. “It’s so we can help each other out.” •
14 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Chaos ensues after FL airport shootingNo tabletop exercise, movie script or worst-
case scenario could have prepared emergency responders for the Jan. 6 tragedy at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Shortly before 1 p.m., a passenger emerged from the men’s restroom, armed with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two magazines of ammunition, opened fire in the crowded Terminal 2 baggage claim area. Within 85 seconds, the gunman was in police custody. Five people lay dead and six more were wounded.
The brief incident unleashed a torrent of similar reports of gunfire – all of which proved to be false – and caused approximately 12,000 people inside the airport scrambling to the nearest exit to escape harm, all in about 3 minutes’ time.
“It was the first time that has ever happened in airline history,” Veda Coleman-Wright, PIO for the Broward Co. Sheriff’s Office, said.
Coleman-Wright’s leisurely lunch with staff was abruptly cut short when she got the “shots fired” call. “My third phone call was for a mobile JIC,” she said.
Press updates were transmitted via social media, and the press began setting up at the pre-designated staging area on the second level.
Greg Meyer, PIO for the airport, also raced back to the scene, which was quickly erupting into complete chaos.
At 1:43 p.m., the first official tweet confirming gunfire and fatalities was issued. As law enforcement and medical responders rushed to the scene, those inside the airport panicked as they saw people running from Terminal 2.
Nine sites at the airport and surrounding access roads were misidentified as shooting scenes, causing more people to flee. A woman who encountered angry K9s was thought to have been a shooting victim. And three hunters, armed with rifles, had their weapons seized after they were found walking in a parking garage.
“Everything at that point looked suspicious,” Coleman-Wright said.
In all, 18 SWAT teams swept the entire airport. As night fell, hundreds of people were bussed to hotels and other locations. More than 23,000 items were strewn about the airport. Within 1 1/2 weeks, all the items were returned to their owners.
The Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood reopened at 5 a.m. the following day. Many lessons were learned in the process. Meyer said headphones would have prevented shooter updates from transmitting over open radios – several messages were misinterpreted and sent more people scrambling. Restroom facilities for the media also proved to be a concern since the crime scene was visible from inside the airport staging area. And first-responders have a new scenario to use at the next tabletop exercise. •
‘We had about 12,000 passengers self-evacuate or try to escape in about 3:08 minutes. It was the first time that has ever happened in airline history.’
- BCSO PIO Veda Coleman-Wright
Photo by TAMMY CHATMAN
Veda Coleman-Wright, of the Broward Co. Sher-iff’s Office, and Greg Meyer, of the Ft. Lauder-dale-Hollywood International Airport, detail the mayhem that followed the Jan. 6 shooting that killed five, injured six and brought the airport to a standstill.
15 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Fire on theMountain
Wildfires ravaged Gatlinburg, TN, in late November 2016, killing 14, injuring 191 and destroying more than 2,400 homes and businesses. More than 14,000 people had to be evacuated at the height of the tourist haven’s busy season. When the smoke cleared, officials estimated more than 17,000 acres burned. Insurance companies reported more than $500 million in damages. But state officials know that figure is much higher when uninsured structures and prop-erty are added to calculations. Communication analyst Mark Basnight and systems analyst Holly Hardin, both with Argonne PAST Fusion Center, reviewed the communication breakdowns during the his-torical Gatlinburg wildfire. “We had never seen a fire like this before,” Hardin said, “nothing of this magnitude that affected this many people and caused this much damage.” Basnight said the post-fire review of public communica-tions at the local and state level, as well as TV and print media reports pointed to a major shortfall: a lack of social media presence.
Two teens – a 17- and 15-year-old – face an aggravated arson charge. The boys allegedly tossed lit matches along the Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountain Nation-al Park. High winds and severe drought conditions carried the blaze into Galtinburg, Sevier County and Pigeon Forge, forcing a week-long evacuation and hundreds of man-hours to extinguish the inferno. Desperate for information, locals and visitors relied on outside sources for the latest news at a time when agencies should have been telling their own story, Hardin said.Gatlinburg practically ignored social media as a tool to alert people of the fast approaching firestorm, Basnight said. City officials later admitted neither the city nor its public safety agencies had a Facebook or Twitter account at the outset of the fire. Today, Gatlinburg has an active social media presence. “You must have a 24/7 presence on social media to build a local following,” Hardin said. “It is a great tool for reach-ing people in a crisis, and it’s where people turn today in a disaster.”
Mark Basnight
TN 2016 BLAZE
15 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Holly Hardin
16 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Is your audience REALLY following you?
Identifying your target audience
The “general” population typically can read and understand English at least at the basic level. They have few mobility or perceptual limitations and generally have access to multiple ways of receiving information via radio, TV, computer or mobile device. But have you considered those who have perceptual differences? People with special needs, such as hearing or vision impairments? What about the mentally disabled, or those who depend on critical support animals? And what about those with limited English proficiency, as well as migrant workers, tourists and other transient workers? In a crisis, each of these groups must be contacted. Does your emergency response plan include ways to reach them?
People to Consider• News media: TV, print, radio and online• Elected officals at local, state and federal level.• Those with limited English proficiency.• Disabled residents and their caregivers.• Institutionalized population: hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers and jails.• People without access to a personal vehicle.• Business, industry and agriculture, both operators and employees. • Public and private schools. Universities and colleges with residents new to the area.• Daycare facilities.• Churches and other religious institions.• Other community groups.
How do we reach them? There are a number of ways to convey mes-sages to identified target audiences. Consider print and electronic media, special purpose publications, community organizations – churches and schools – and mailing brochures. Be mindful of group characteristics that may indicate which particular method is likely to be more effective in reaching the audience.
Did you know...Literacy matters everywhere.
It’s the heart of communication.Are you aware of the range of
literacy numeracy and computer-based problem-solving skills of adults in your community? Do you develop emergency messages for adults in your community accordingly?
Learning the difference in skill levels in your area can improve the effectiveness of disaster messages to the public at all levels of literacy.
Percentage of Students With Less Than a 12th-Grade Education
SOURCE: ProLiteracy Annual Statistical Report, 2015-2016
Want to know readability level of your homepage and emergency notifications?
Go to ... https://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/StateEstimates.aspx
So, what’s a PIO to do?
To make your message more understood by your local audience, consider shortening your average sentence length. Also, consider replacing complex words with simpler ones.
Take the TestUsing the Readability Test Tool, you can find out
if your message passes the muster. Visit this site to access your work by URL.
Still too tough for your target market to comprehend? Try the Hemingway App. It helps make your writing bold and clear.
Don’t forget, the same philosophy applies to mathematical figures. Keep your graphs and charts simple to understand.
17 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.orgSOURCE: Argonne National Laboratory
Delivery methods? Using more than one communications method for each target audience reinforces the mes-sage and increases the credibility and retention of the information.There are plenty of ways to reach out to the community.
• Written material: news releases, op-eds, pamphlets, instructional booklets, flyers, news-letters, direct mail, calendars, telephone book inserts.• Visual media: videos, slide shows, exhibits/displays.• Specialized media: signs, bulletin boards, stickers, magnets, calendars, telephone book inserts.• Giveaway items: tote bags, first aid kits, pens, memo pads.• Television/radio: news and public affairs programs, public service announcements, video news releases, special news programs, paid advertising.• Newspaper: advertisements and future sto-ries.• Websites: information should be available online and accessible to all people.• Social media sites: posting messages and inviting community members to become “friends” or “followers.”• Community outreach and information centers.• Public presentations and speaking engage-ments at schools, community centers, and church groups.• Materials and activities for schoolchildren: field trips, coloring books, games.• Placemats for restaurants, inserts in hotel and motel rooms, and lobby signs in camp-grounds and other transient facilities.• Special events that involve the community at large: fairs, sporting events, safety weeks.
Photo by TAMMY CHATMAN
Mark Basnight (at far left), of Argonne’s PAST Fusion Center, leads NIOA members through a messaging exercise during Sunday’s day-long risk and crisis communication course. Basnight and Argonne staffer Holly Hardin helped groups craft releases targeting specific audiences and develop strategies for reaching those with reading and math differences.
Consider this...When crafting your key
messages, there are a few other things to consider. What is the psyche of the audience. Are they sad, disgusted, angry? Keep the culture, social economics and race in mind.
Environment and behaviours are the visible signs of the culture
in your community. But there are invisible causes to watch for, too. These include values and attitudes, as well as fundamental assumptions and beliefs.
Also, keep in mind the formal and informal leadership.
Formal leaders are usually a member of an organization, community or other demographic who is given formal leadership
authority. An informal leader also belongs to an organization, community or other demographic but has no leadership authority. This person has the ability to influence the group to follow their leadership and agenda.
Also keep the history and past events in mind when readying your message.
STRATEGY
INCIDENT SUMMARY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
INCIDENT SUMMARY
INFORMATION OBJECTIVES
TARGET AUDIENCE
KEYMESSAGES
COMMUNICATION CHANNEL
STRATEGY FOR MONITORING
Simple Communication/Information Strategy
Talk with the incident or event commander for situation/incident update. Find out what his expectations are to inlude key messages, how much access to allow the media, will a designee be available for interviews.
Strategy should include:
1. Incident summary 2. Concerns/Issues 3. Information objectives (desired results; are you com-munication to inform/persuade) 4. Target audience(directlyimpacted, likely to be impacted, potential to be impacted, situation awareness) 5. Methods for reaching audiences (traditional media, social media, town hall meeting, toplines, door-to-door 6. Key messages (2-3) 7. Strategy for monitoring (accuracy and effectiveness)
18 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING
Milwaukee incident triggers unrestThe Milwaukee Police Department’s first tweet
was short and succinct. “Preliminary: Suspect shot by MPD near 44th & Auer. Suspect is deceased. Officers not injured. Media to stage at 45 & Auer.”
Retired PIO Capt. Mark Stanmeyer believes in short, straightforward tweets. “Initial tweets should be marked ‘preliminary,’” he advises. “You know the information is going to change. And keep it short and unimpeachable. You can’t get in trouble if it’s short and unimpeachable.”
The situation Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, involved a routine car stop. When two uniformed MPD officers stopped the two suspects, the pair bailed out of the car and ran. One of the men was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, which police later learned had been reported stolen as was the 500 rounds of ammo. The suspect, a repeat offender with a hefty criminal record, was fatally shot by one of the officers.
Video of the entire scene was captured on both officers’ body cameras.
As Stanmeyer and investigators raced to the scene, social media’s rumor mill was already at work.
Sherman Park was primed with racial tension;
the shooting provided many a platform for protest. As the afternoon dragged on, more angry onlookers gathered, which meant more officers were called to the scene to provide protection. That only attracted more onlookers and, by nightfall, the windows of a parked squad car had
been broken and another squad car set afire.Gunshots fired by the crowd made it impossible
for Milwaukee firefighters to extinguish a fire at the BP gas station not far from the shooting site. And a MPD officer had to be treated when a rioter threw a brick through his squad window, striking him in the head.
By the end of the unrest two days later, eight officers were injured, 47 rioters were arrested, 10 squad cars were damaged, two were totaled, there were 78 ShotSpotter activations, six businesses set afire and the windows of another store were broken out. Armored vehicles were employed Sunday to rescue a shooting victim from the scene.
Throughout the ordeal, Stanmeyer said Twitter kept the public informed. Photos of the damage to officers’ units drew community support.
Before the fate of the officer who fired the deadly shot was determined, a victim came forward naming him as the culprit in an unrelated sexual assault. The officer was fired. A jury found him not guilty on first-degree reckless homicide. He still faces sexual assault charges.
“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does,” Stanmeyer said. •
18 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
STANMEYER’S TIPS FOR PIOsv Have a second set of eyes review releases be-fore posting. “After doing it for 20 hours straight, you start to risk saying something stupid,” Stan-meyer advises.
v Remember, the media may be friendly, but they are not your friend.
v Don’t let the national media intimidate you. The local guys will still be there when they’re gone.
Photo by AARON BERNSTEIN } REUTERS
TAMMY CHATMAN
Milwaukee PD Capt. Mark Stanmeyer (retired) talks about the Aug. 13, 2016, riot in the city’s Sherman Park neighborhood.
19 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
NIOA Regions represent @ Clearwater 2017
NIOA Region 1
NIOA Region 3
NIOA Region 4
Photos by TAMMY
CHATMAN
20 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
NIOA Region 5
NIOA Region 6
NIOA Region 8
21 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Gainesville Police Officer Billy White responded to a complaint Jan. 15 that youngsters were playing basketball “loudly” in the streets.
“Can you believe someone called and complained about kids playing basketball in the streets,” he told one of the teens holding a basketball. The entire scene was captured on White’s squad car’s dash cam. “Can you believe that?”
The teen is visibly skeptical about what’s to come.“I don’t know who called,” White says, taking the ball from the teen.
“Obviously, I ain’t got no problem with it.”White lobbed the ball, striking the backboard and sending the teen
lunging for the ball, ready for a game of pick-up.For the next minute, White and the teen experience the thrill of the
game. For the officer, it was more like the agony of defeat.Six or seven more teens soon join the fun for the next minute. White
begs off, encouraging the group to have fun, watch for cars and “try not to be too loud.”
White said he’d bring back-up the next day for a rematch.“So, if you call GPD to complain about kids being kids,” the text
across the screen reads, “this is how Officer White is going to handle it. We’re going to let kids be kids. We are going to focus on the ones that commit crime. #HoopsNotCrime.”
The 1:38 minute video went viral almost immediately. Within six hours that Thursday, the short tallied 1 million viewers. Today, it has garnered more than 500 million views.
Ironically, Tobias went a week with the video on his computer before he posted it. “Imagine if that I hadn’t posted it at all.”
The video was followed by a flood of calls from fans praising what they’d seen. “That was the point I knew this was going to be way bigger than me and way bigger than the Gainesville PD.”
White’s back-up teammates included a handful of officers and the former Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal. The crowd of youngsters were visibly shocked and impressed. The 6:18 minute video shows GPD police and Shaq and the youth enjoying the street rematch.
In a surprise move, Shaq challenged the boys $100 if they sank a free throw. The bet left the NBA All Star $800 lighter, but it was all in good fun.
The encounter ended with fist bumps, hugs and words of encouragement from the 7-foot-1 back-up player. Shaq attributed his career to respecting his peers, his parents and his elders, focusing on school and believing in their dreams.
VIRALGoing
GPD video has over 500M views
Photo by TAMMY CHATMAN
“I am a millionaire,” GPD PIO Ben Tobias said. “Social media is where I get my millions.” Tobias runs a 1-man shop. He hit the jackpot with a casual game of hoops between a cop and some neighborhood kids.
GAINESVILLE PD
Gainesville Police Department Officer Billy White’s decision to join in a little street basketball action has taken YouTube by storm. The youth like expected a lecture from the cop. In a 1:38-minute video, GPD showed the world that police are still kids at heart, too.
“These kids will never forget the day Shaq rolled up to their neighborhood to play ball,” Tobias wrote in the closing frame of the follow-up video. It has attracted 1.9 million views and was picked up by media worldwide.
The boys were invited to sit courtside at an Orlando Magic game, enjoyed a Harlem Globetrotters one-on-one and were featured in ESPN. The story also prompted people to donate basketballs and hoops to the #HoopsNotCrime effort. And a new backyard basketball court was built in the boys’ neighborhood.
Much like the videos, the hashtag #HoopsNotCrime is trending. Tobias said many communities have contacted him to emulate the program in their communities. And a foundation – HoopsAcrossAmerica – soon followed. Basketballs and hoops to inner-city neighborhoods. Officer White, in the meantime, has become a celebrity cop … the “Basketball Cop.”
“This all started on a Thursday evening in my office when I decided to post a video up on social media,” Tobias said. “That still blows my mind.” •
22 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
We came, we learned we networked!
Special thanks to COPS, our exclusive sponsor, and
all of our exhibitors
23 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Photos by TAMMY CHATMAN
24 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org
Lt. Jeff Angermeyer, of Bergen Co. NJ Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force has a few tips to avoid becoming an online victim. The categories are: Ransomware, Fishing, Strong Passwords and Going Social. So let’s play...
RansomwareThe traditional way Ransomware was sent to
victims was by fooling them into clicking and opening these.
What are email attachments. “Nowadays, not clicking on email patches would
make your IT folks very happy.”We do it to ourselves. We download the virus
because we double-clicked.
FishingThe author of a well-documented scam originating
in Nigeria.
What is the Prince of Nigeria.“We want to be accessible, but with it comes
spam and every other fake message that comes down the pike.”
Strong PasswordsIn the famous 2010 breach, according to a study,
this was the most commonly used password. What is 123456.“Up to the present, the two most popular
passwords that researchers know about are 123456 or 12345. I think we can all do better. If you’re not required to change your password every 90 days or so, at the change of season, think about changing your password by a letter or two.”
Going SocialUnlike Facebook or other apps, this app does not
allow you to correct problems.What is Twitter.“There is no edit button on Twitter. You
can delete the tweet if there is a typo or if it is inappropriate. If your agency’s public records law requires you keep everything, you may consider adding a caveat for certain instances.”
Plotting and Bomb ThreatsTo add authenticity, a plotter may do this, which
fools the call taker and frustrates anyone tracing the call.
What is spoofing.“The media and general public does not
understand how easy it is to spoof a call and how difficult it is to trace that call afterward. They think because this is 2017 and they see it done on TV in just minutes that we should be able to immediately tell where a call originates from. Recognize however that the people who do the high-end traces have tricks up their sleeves they don’t necessarily want people to know about.
Photo by TAMMY CHATMAN
Host Lt. Jeff Angermeyer, of the Bergen Co., NJ, Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force, leads players through a game of Cyber Jeopardy. Seated are con-testants Past President Ed Buice, Vice President Stephanie Slater and Region 9 Director Steve Berry. Assisting Jeff is Maureen Parenta, Region 1 director.
24 | September – October 2017 • www.nioa.org