At the end of this course, participants will be able to: Federal Emergency Management Agency | Emergency Management Institute, Notice to Applicants for EMI or NFA Courses, How to apply for a FEMA Independent Study course (Online Course), How to apply for a course held in EMI (On-Campus Course), Non-Resident Courses (EMI Courses Conducted by States), National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC), Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP), Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP), National Incident Management System (NIMS), Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC), Disaster Field Training Operations (DFTO), Schools Multihazard and Mass Casualty Planning, Virtual Table Top Exercise (VTTX) (Sites participate from home via VTC), Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, Exercise Simulation System Document (ESSD), Guidance on COVID protections for EMI students, Please review the IS FAQ's for more information, Define emergency public information and the importance of being proactive. Describe the target audiences for the PIO. Additionally, it can provide those in executive-level roles with the necessary knowledge of PIO roles and responsibilities during an emergency. In other words, express parallel ideas in parallel grammatical forms. What are priorities within your organization? When something happens, the PIO needs the media to get information to the public but also needs to manage the scene and guide the story. Your media list should be current, complete, and tailored to your organization. The Public Information Officer may also perform a key public information-monitoring role. or a non-emergency event. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?. The media area is a place where media congregate to help enhance the flow of information. Now that you have some tips for better writing, lets look at how to write a news release. Transparency in government promotes efficiency and effectiveness and allows the people in your community to understand and participate in your processes. %PDF-1.6 % Angie Welling: Reporters understand change really well because our days are always changing, but just have that plan in place, know basically what you want to do, whos going to staff it, what will be available, what hours you will be available for the media. A. @8'_= J J0 The goal of this awareness course is to provide an orientation to the public information function and the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in the public safety/emergency management environment. Selects the right tools for the messages. As a PIO, your target audiences include . They tell the public about services and programs that can affect their lives, like information about staying healthy, fire safety, and changes in community college tuition. endstream endobj 495 0 obj <. Avoid fillers (um, er, uh); dont be afraid to pause while formulating an answer. Describe the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in an emergency. Mayor Holden: We have what they call Mayor Mouse, and Mayor Mouse basically is operated to go to various schools. They have access to the officials. B. is not bound by public record laws. C. will transfer to a planning position if no media covers an incident. This lesson introduced you to different tools you can use to communicate your message as a PIO, including: In the next lesson you will learn how to prepare quality written products for these tools and how to speak effectively with the media and to the public. (Unit 2), Describe the types of written products used in public information activities. Public information is a vital function in disaster operations that . Be accessible and return calls and emails promptly. (What will motivate them?). . Admissions Fax: (301) 447-1658, Independent Study Program A news conference or briefing may be used when you want to: A news conference or briefing may be announced by using a press release or media advisory. 0 News releases should provide accurate, factual information that is attributed to its source. In their zeal to get the story reporters may not always recognize the potential for danger to themselves. 1. For highly technical information, it might be best to prepare a credible subject-matter expert to present. Narrator: Red Stick Ready targets every segment of the community. Its not complicated; its very easy for them, which makes for better reporting. Blogs are Web sites that allow you to engage in a conversation with readers. How or what can your community learn from these events? Select the right media to reach the target audience. In the next lesson you will learn how to communicate effectively when an incident happens. Members of the media do not want to interfere with these tasks, but if they can get close enough to observe and/or photograph they will be happy. Each time this test is loaded, you will receive a unique set of questions and answers. As the PIO, you must know your organizations role in an emergency and have emergency management knowledge, including: This lesson introduced you to your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). Some examples include traditional media using: An important step when communicating is to continually evaluate and adjust your message by monitoring the media. But all four occupants miraculously escaped and the 45-year-old dad told the Ventura County Star: We thank God that were alive, regardless of what we lost up there.. Grab the attention of your readers so that they will continue reading. As exemplified in the Pew Research study, people are getting information from sources other than traditional media. Describe how to effectively communicate orally and through written products. Manages resources including supplies, personnel, and equipment. Public information is a vital function in disaster operations that contributes greatly to saving lives and protecting property. Determine information to be communicated to the public. Holding the session indoors, if possible. The press saw it. hb```f``z B@16 @>cC?v,gY&9w=K{mg,XRV3Z'le NIMS provides a consistent, systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment. 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. Timely updates and corrections to information in evolving incidents. In the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, the Public Information Officer (PIO): A. NIMS Description of the PIOs Responsibilities. Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-29.A: Public Information Officer Awareness. Social networking sites are online communities that connect people. Sit on your coat tail to keep your jacket from riding up. Resident/Non-Resident, Trainer Program, etc. In a span of, I think, 2 months, we took in roughly about almost three thousand kids at various sites to talk to them about different safety things. Supporting information can be described as: A. Joanne H. Moreau: We focus a lot on making sure that we have a very accurate and timely information process of information dissemination. B. describes a writing technique applied to social media content. Provide information and updates in a timely manner. This awareness-level training is suitable for new PIOs. Communication with internal agency personnel is A. not a role undertaken by a PIO. When preparing written products, it is important that your message is understood. Two PIOs talking to each other on the phone about a news story that involves both of their agencies. They focus on specific issues or programs to move the public to take action. It is important to note that traditional media sources are not being replaced by social media; instead, traditional media are using social media to connect with their audiences and expand their reach. At the completion of this course you should be able to: The remainder of this lesson presents information on your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). As a PIO, you need to: In the next lesson you will learn about various tools available to you for communicating with the community. nEAH {27(L( o 5UR\sR%or=uG5($#MJ (2*8T-\< Having clear goals is the foundation for your campaign. If you intend to become a Public Information Officer use these FEMA IS 29.A answers to turn a 7 hour course into one that takes 5 minutes. These people are your target audience. 514 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<897144EC39D7C94ABD0F71D9C292EE4A><41375C8F366F3C4EA1877AFFBEEAAE0A>]/Index[494 31]/Info 493 0 R/Length 101/Prev 195410/Root 495 0 R/Size 525/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Recall preparation techniques that contribute to a successful media interview. They heighten awareness of community hazards and encourage the public to take steps to become more prepared. A defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Understand the National Incident Management System, Incident Command System and their correlation with the emergency response system. * The social media links provided are for reference only. In this lesson youll learn more about creating public awareness campaigns. the feedback has been, you know, we appreciate this. Describe the role of the PIO in an emergency. The AP Stylebook is used by most of the news media. Disclosing information to the public in ways that are easy to find and use. (Unit 3), List the steps of the 8-Step Model for Strategic Communications. Goals should be stated in clear, concise terms that have meaning for those working on the campaign and other key stakeholders. Access to the scene for information and images. 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. List the skills needed to be an effective PIO. Thats what happened to Jose Martinez yesterday morning as he woke early to get his 9-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son off to school on time. News briefings or conferences and interviews are times when you will need to know how to (or prepare a speaker to) present information and respond to questions. The test questions are scrambled to protect the integrity of the exam. Gathering feedback and heading off problems, Explaining your mission, policies, and goals. Admissions Fax: (301) 447-1658, Independent Study Program Additionally, students conduct various public information activities and exercises, to include writing messages and conducting press conferences. News releases should adhere to the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. Describe how to manage the news media at the scene of an incident. Announce events of interest to your community or share information about an incident. To be eligible for the course, the student must successfully complete the following courses: The completion of the following courses is recommended but not required: The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) is an Accredited Provider (AP) of Continuing Education Units (CEU) and is authorized to award the following CEUs for successful completion of this activity: IACET (International Association of Continuing Education and Training) 3.2 CEUs, 1-866-213-9553 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST, Contact Us What actions and resources are being used to achieve the objectives? These examples are micro-blogs from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (Example 1), the Mayors Office of Homeland Security in Baton Rouge (LA) (Example 2), and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (Example 3). Emergency Manager jobs 33,535 open jobs Practice talking in 5-second to 8-second sound bites. The role of the pubic information officer. Determines what the public needs to know. (A media pool refers to a group of news-gathering organizations pooling their resources in the collection of news.) On the couples dresser were two heat-seared imprints where Martinez had left his wallet and cell phone as he frantically scrambled to ensure his familys leap to safety. The role of a PIO can be executed by one person or as a team, depending on the emergency and what resources are available. 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. Mayor Holden: We need to get in advance of different things that could happen, and begin to put a television show together to talk about the things that people should be aware of and what they can do. Communicating factual information with the public is the most important job function of a PIO. Serves in an ICS role 2. C. is presented as a bad example of public information management. Media pools are used to restrict access to an area due to space limitations or safety issues. hbbd```b``"_H|LI&x9"$ ;Dr?*&Fvql2r S3 The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is:A. Include information on evolving media contacts, instructions, and resources. Identify how messages should be conveyed. Watching the background. Describe the role and functions of the Public Information Officer (PIO) Describe the types of written products used in public information activities. Tammy Kikuchi: Having the Joint Information Center for this event was critical. This process includes: Your goal statement expresses what you hope to achieve through your campaign. The following was originally posted on CDC Public Health Matters Blog on May 16, 2011, by Ali S. Khan. 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. The table below summarizes what you need to provide for a print story, and identifies the advantages and limitations of print. Students also learn message development and delivery, legal considerations, press conferences, the operation of a Joint Information Center, stress management, and strategic communication and planning. EMI is introducing a limited number of IS courses that have been translated to the Spanish language. 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. Weegy: The role of the pubic information officer is to gather facts and disseminate it to the media. News releases are one of the most commonly used tools for PIOs. 494 0 obj <> endobj To help you in monitoring conversations on social media sites, you may want to use a social media monitoring tool or social media dashboard. Switchboard: (301) 447-1000 %%EOF Expert Help. ), John enjoys boating, swimming, and to fish. Youll be quite surprised at how the elected official mouse makes all the difference with the children. Select the correct definition External Affairs A. Coordinates the release of accurate, coordinated, timely, and accessible public information to affected audiences, including the government, media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector B. 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. Overview: The FEMA IS-29.A course was published on 8/5/2019 to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. Many wikis are open to alteration by the general public without requiring them to register user accounts. Continue to monitor the weather., Example 3:4 Shelters remain open: MassMutual Ctr, 1277 Main St. Springfield; Quarry Hill Comm. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Responsibilities of the Components of the ICS Organization. Always connect with the Incident Commander before making any statement to the media. It can be taken alone or before Basic Public Information Officer Training (G290). Use natural gestures, but dont cross your arms, raise your eyebrows, shrug your shoulders, sway, or bounce. This demonstrates how social media are now an integral part of our lives and a valuable part of the PIOs toolkit. When an emergency happens, ICS is implemented. The latest information on activities, events, and resources. 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. This lesson presents information on tools you can use in support of your role as a Public Information Officer (PIO). . The first step in developing a public awareness campaign is to research issues to identify relevant topics for your campaign. At the completion of this lesson you should be able to: Public awareness campaigns are ongoing public education programs that PIOs use to inform, educate, and increase organizational visibility. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. 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). Their three-bedroom condo was almost immediately choked in smoke and he could hear screams from below as roaring flames billowed from the balcony outside his front door. If you do not want something recorded by the media, cover it up or shield it with a vehicle. Well, were here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing forrealemergencies too! 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. Score .9906. The Public Information Officer Awareness Course (IS0029) is designed to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. Technology allows anyone to be a journalist. Images, sound, and information captured by the public can be used by traditional news organizations, or posted to social media sites, and broadcast globally. When considering whether a goal is attainable, ask yourself: Do I have the skills and resourcesor can I get themto achieve this goal? It was four, five, and six teams from every news, particularly the TV stations sending out that many cameras with that many reporters from each station and it just was incredible, not to mention the newspapers, the radio stations, the smaller papers in the area plus national media. Managing Public Information for All-Hazards Incidents (MPI) is a four-day course that provides students with the practical knowledge of the role of the Public Information Officer, the National Incident Management System, emergency communications methods, risk communication, and interpersonal skills. Note: Often micro-blogs will provide links to Web sites or social networking sites for more information. For highly visible or controversial matters, it might be best to have a leader in the organization speak. 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. 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. 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. Dont date your materials by using the year or referring to news events that will become out-of-date quickly. It may be a good idea to record how many news releases you sent out, but the amount of media coverage you receive (e.g., column inches, mentions on news programs, and number of radio interviews) is more indicative of success. The Sonoran Desert will be among the hottest places on the globe for the next 4 months. It can be taken alone or before Basic Public Information Officer Training (G290). Communicates with internal and external stakeholders. B. Communicating public information messages internally to the workforce is important because it allows the PIO to: A. I would urge you to be careful whenever you travel, Smith said. I know our superb team of firefighters will do all they can, but the conditions on the railroad are particularly difficult, Smith said. View IS-29.a - Public Information Officer Awareness | FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI).pdf from CIS 20 at SUNY Empire State College. FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov NIMS Basic Guidance for Public Information Officers 2 II. DECEMBER 2020 INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER 1 OF 5 FEMA-509-v20170717 . ), Prescription medications; basic first-aid supplies, Weather gear (e.g., rain poncho, gloves, sunscreen). As a PIO, you will likely communicate public information and emergency public information as well as conduct community education. Are there warnings or other critical messages to be communicated to the public? Questions to answer when evaluating a public awareness campaign include the following: You can collect data about your campaign in different ways. For some incidents, implementing a media area may be an important way to manage the situation. PIOs get their message out by communicating directly with the public, working through the traditional news media and through new media. 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. Walter Monsour: So, the message was managed extremely well. The news media and local government ask the community to send videos and photos via social media, email, and text messages. This lesson introduces you to some emergency management principles contained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). 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. Final Exam for: IS-29.a: Public Information Officer. Hundreds are so ill that they end up being admitted to the hospital. User: 4. Describe traditional media available for communication. Social marketing is the use of commercial marketing principles to: A. Even the best writer can make mistakes, particularly when under pressure or in a time crunch. Operates with the understanding that any video, audio, or interviews acquired will be shared with the rest of the media. Work to keep them out of danger as you would any member of the public. Joanne H. Moreau: The media is embedded in our Emergency Operations Center. 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. Social media have changed how quickly information about a disaster is available. B. an important part of the PIOs job. You cant manage who shows up but you can and should manage contact with the site. Verdi White: The way that we set this particular operation up is we took the Incident Command System and made it an overlay onto the National Guard that had the infrastructure to be able to do all the functions that we needed to accomplish to do this, and of course one of the central components of, of an incident command system is the public information piece. 1955 0 obj <>stream Identify the purpose of what you are writing and start with the main message. Select the correct definition Public Information A. Coordinates the release of accurate, coordinated, timely, and accessible public information to affected audiences, including the government, media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector B. The five (5%) segment of the 95/5 concept B. downtime when working an emergency. C. blue sky time but makes no difference in credibility. They can be seasonallike hurricane preparedness week. A well-executed interview will likely not A. advance leaderships goals. While local, tribal, territorial, and State governments may have different laws regarding transparency and open government the general principles are to be: As a PIO, it is important to know the laws that apply in your area because of your role in providing information to the public. Other data requires that you reach out to the target audiencefor example, to conduct focus group sessions or implement random telephone, email, or print surveys. As with ICS, the JIS is as simple or complex as the needs of the situation. In order to keep a consistent two-way flow of information with the media representatives at the scene, it is important to make it relatively easy to communicate with them face to face. Managing public information is another fundamental element of emergency management. Your organization may have other format preferences, such as single-spaced and one-page only. As a PIO, when you get to the scene, you will first make contact with the Incident Commander to gather information and assess the situation. 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. Jeff Leduff: We are the first line of information for the rest of the team because were out there all the time. And thats not all. C. is a failed theory and should not be used by modern public information officers. Different types of Web sites can be used to get information to your community: Email is another way that you can get information to members of your community and organization. Many times the site of a crisis or disaster may be considered a crime scene and needs to be processed by forensic units. You can find the complete list of courses in the Spanish language course list.