esf15 information management -pio awareness

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G-358 Evacuation and Re-Entry

ESF15: Public Information Management & Awareness

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Course GoalThe goal of this awareness course is to provide an orientation to the public information function and the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in the public safety/emergency management environment.

This is an awareness-level training suitable for new PIOs, elected or other officials such as Incident Commanders or emergency operations center managers who want an overview of emergency public information.

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• Describe the role and function of the Public Information Officer.

• Describe the target audience for the PIO.

• List the skills needed to be an effective PIO.

• Describe traditional media available for communication.

• Describe evolving communication tools including social media.

• Describe the role of the PIO in an emergency.

• Describe how to manage the news media at the scene of an incident

Course Objectives

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Public Information Officer Role

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFt7NXDhcmE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFt7NXDhcmE

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Transparency

Transparency in government promotes efficiency and effectiveness and allows the people in your community to understand and participate in your processes. While local, tribal, territorial, and State governments may have different laws regarding transparency and open government the general principles are to be:

• Transparent: Disclose information to the public in ways that are easy to find and use.

• Participatory: Offer the public the opportunity to participate in policy making.

• Collaborative: Actively engage the public to work with government.

PIOs need to the know the laws that apply to their area because they are responsible for providing the information to the public.

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Public InformationPeople have a right to know about the risks they face. Having such knowledge enables them to make informed choices that affect their health and well-being.

This fundamental principle is the basis for public information in emergency management in this country. Public information can help people make the right decision at the right time.

PIOs will likely communicate public information and emergency public information as well as conduct community education.

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Types of Communication

The types of communication are:

• Public Information: Provided to educate, inform and create a positive impression of your organization.

• Emergency Public Information: Provided to save lives and protect property.

• Community Education: Provided to educate and improve a community’s safety or resiliency to a given risk and to ultimately create a behavior change towards safer actions.

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Examples

Public Information:

www.coemergency.com

Emergency Public Information: www.jeffcosheriffco1.blogspot.com

Community Education: www.readycolorado.com

http://www.coemergency.com/

http://www.jeffcosheriff1.blogspot.com/

http://www.readycolorado.com/

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Discussion QuestionWho Are Your Target Audiences?Effective public communication involves collecting, verifying and disseminating information to your target audiences.

Who should your target audiences include?• External

• Media

• Community

• Other PIOs

• Internal

• People in your organization

• Your leadership

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Your PIO communicates with your target audiences to keep them informed about activities, events and resources. The information provided:• Calls people to action.• Educates and informs.• Changes behavior or attitudes.• Creates a positive impression of your

organization.• Prepares people for emergencies.

What Type of Information Does the PIO Provide?

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Qualities of a Good PIO· Knowledgeable.

· Analytical and strategic.

· A credible, trusted source.

· Proactive and assertive.

· Flexible.

· Cool under pressure.

· A professional communicator.

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Required PIO Skills• Written Communication Skills.• Oral Communication Skills.• Media Relation Skills.• Community Awareness.• Emergency Management Knowledge

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PIO Tools and Resources

• Traditional Media• Print• Radio• Television

• News Briefings/Conferences• New Media Technology

• Web site• Email• Blogs (COEmergency.com)• Twitter• Facebook• Youtube

• Others you are using?

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Print Media: Newspapers & Magazines

The PIO needs to provide . . .

Advantages are . . . Limitations are . . .

•Details•Background•Access to subject-matter experts

•More details provided•People can return to it•Ability to hold feature stories and run them when space is available or on specific dates or times of year

•Delay in information getting out

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Radio

The PIO needs to provide . . .





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TelevisionThe PIO needs to provide . . .





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News Briefings or Conferences

News Briefing:Exchange of information on a single topic to include a question and answer period.

News Conference:Gathering at which reporters expect to be able to ask questions on a variety of topics.

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New Media Technology (Social Media)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs

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What Can Social Media Do?

Significant Situational Awareness

Evaluate PR- PIO Strategy

Crowd-Source

Solutions

Feed & Direct News Media

www.EngagingOthers.com // Twitter: @Engaging_Others & @CherylBle

Communication Plan

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What Can Social Media Do?

Impacts on your operations or communication plan:

• Speed of communication

• Engagement

• Rumor Management

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Speed of Communication

Talking Points vs Press Releases• Release small amounts of information as it is received or unfolds

(verified as accurate) instead of holding onto it for one large press release.

• Silence during a situation is perceived as negative. • Explain a slower releases of information• Be forward thinking in your communication plan.

• Keep information consistent across multiple social media sources, however, that doesn’t mean releasing information in the same format.

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Engagement with Community

Social Media allows you connect faster with your community or customers:

• Increases situational awareness• Tweets out 30-60 minutes before WebEOC postings?• Video from citizens involved in the disaster to share current

conditions or road blocks.• Provides two-way communication with the community.• Can choose to utilize as one way broadcasting of information.

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Engagement with Community

Lower North Fork Fire: Citizen Raw Video Escaping the Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdBaqfiynLE

Scanner Feeds:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBkObZapPhE

Colorado Guard Fights Lower North Fork Fire VideoEducation on the Processhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGJKdHPIJCs

Citizen Journalist:West Metro Fire Rescue shot and posted by citizen.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGJKdHPIJCs



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBkObZapPhE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBkObZapPhE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGJKdHPIJCs



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Rumor Control

Monitor Social Media Sites:• www.tweetgrid.com• www.monitter.com• www.hootsuite.com• www.fbsearch.us• www.tweetdeck.com• www.google.com/trends• www.twazzup.com• www.additomatic.com

• Google Alerts

http://www.tweetgrid.com/

http://www.monitter.com/

http://www.hootsuite.com/

http://www.fbsearch.us/

http://www.tweetdeck.com/

http://www.google.com/trends

http://www.twazzup.com/

http://www.additomatic.com/

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Hashtags

Hashtags should always be utilized in your communication release:

• Improve Identification• #Cofire• #Cowx• #incident name (#lowernorthforkfire, #littlesandfire)

• Improve consistency• Improve monitoring• Improve documentation• Improve evaluation of messaging

• Get help fast• #smem

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Communication Plan

Be the First to Share the Truth • Share it with internal staff, volunteers and partners• Don’t forget about your internal staff• Who will be answering the phones while you are dealing with the

incident on site• Who will be sharing official or unofficial info on Social Media sites• Be the first to share it with the community and outside

stakeholders• Share your own good or bad news • Builds credibility• Get the correct information out • Establish your relationship/presence before a disaster, incident or

emergency. Be the expert they turn to for information.

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Hub and Spoke Plan

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WebEOC

• Internal:• Great for situational awareness• Mapper tool for better understanding of incident• Sharing talking points, getting everyone on the same page, and getting a

plan in place for the future or next shift• Documentation• Information on possible resources and costs with “mission sets” in the

library.• External:

• Using information from WebEOC for documentation and reporting• Source to find and use approved talking points or incident updates

Is Your Organization Using WebEOC? Do you have a log in?

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Twitter• Follow Me• Community

• First place community is going for emergency information• Situational Awareness – share the weather in your area• Monitor the mood or feelings of the community• Monitor your messaging• Is something going on that you aren’t aware of in the community• American Red Cross survey on social media.

• Media• Get information out the faster and cut down on phone calls

• Hashtags• Helps organize your information under key words so that you can

monitor the situation • Twitter advanced search• Hoot Suite or Tweet Deck

Practice Hashtags - #EMacademy

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Facebook

• Like Me• Important difference with Facebook is that people want you to interact

with them…answer questions• Relationship based• Share links and resources• Share photos and documents• Create closed groups for sharing information and creating training

opportunities

Look at Colorado PIO – Post comment to COEmergency

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Google Applications

• Blogs – Blogspot

• Important Crisis Communication Tool • Google Crisis Response

• Public Alerts

• Trends

• Voice

• Photos– Picasa Photo Carousel

• Google Maps

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1uXKmf7olU7fQ6bUR9wW2zgT2XI8aP-bl6SK4edrvsnk

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Google Maps

Mapping for your community will make the biggest impact.

Visually share the incident with your community in a format they use frequently and is accessible.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215563989566450268982.0004bc2e2a43a753aeec4&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=39.493974,-105.226707&spn=0.127171,0.219727&z=12&source=embed

The single most effective tool for the LNFF was the Google Map with 2.7 million+ views





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Social Media Key Concepts

• Accurate and Quick• Mobile Accessibility• Cross post/ cross market your information

• Build it before the disaster to build credibility and audience.

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ESF15: During an Incident

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PIO Role in ICS

The PIO is a part of the Command Staff and advises the Incident Commander on all public information matters relating to the management of the incident.

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Key Incident Functions

• Assesses the situation.• Manages the situation.• Determines what the public needs to know.• Serves as an advisor to the Incident Commander.• Selects the right tools for the messages.• Coordinates the messages.• Responds to the media while respecting restrictions on the

release of sensitive information.

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Joint Information System

Managing public information is another function of emergency management. NIMS describes the use of the Joint Information System (JIS) to complete the critical tasks of information sharing and coordination. The JIS is a system that ensures coordination and integration of information across jurisdictions, organizations, and agencies during an incident.

PIOs use the JIS to:• Determine information to be communicated to the public.• Create clear and easily understood messages.• Ensure information is accurate.• Identify how messages should be conveyed.• Coordinate information being distributed to ensure consistency with

other agencies’ messages.

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Joint Information Center (JIC)

The physical site of Public Information Officers working as a JIS is called the Joint Information Center (JIC). It is the location where PIOs will:

• House the tools to enhance the flow of public information.• PIOs gather centrally.• Handle increased information.• Media can go for “one-stop shopping”.

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Roles During Incident

• Media Interviews: Phone and Press Conferences• Social Media Information Output

• Twitter• Blog• Web site

• Social Media and Media Monitoring• Community Meetings• Trap Lines• VIP Tours• Mapping

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Lower North Fork Fire

Integrated Social Media & Public Information Outreach Strategy

Jefferson County Incident Management Team

esf15 information management -pio awareness

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