Exercise. Classes.

I've hit middle age, which means I have to work harder to ward off those extra inches at my waist, and just about totally overdo it to drop any pounds. To help with this health maintenance effort, I have joined a few exercise classes which help keep me motivated, honest to myself and working under the careful eye of a trained instructor, ensuring that I'm not slacking off.

Why does it feel so bad if it's supposed to be good for you?

I have always wondered,though, why are there so few venues for public information officers to get better at what they do?

Think about it for a minute. Talk to a firefighter. They go through the fire academy, get classroom instruction, do simulated drills and exercises and get plenty of feedback on how they perform.

Talk to a law enforcement officer. They go through the police academy, get classroom instruction, do simulated drills and exercises and get plenty of feedback on how they perform.

Talk to an emergency medical technician... well, you are starting to get the idea.

Firefighters getting training

Now, talk to a PIO. Yeah, how does one get that kind of intensive training? How can you make your agency look its best without committing too many mistakes? It's a tough one ...

That's why there are some important things a PIO - or the supervisor of a PIO - should consider doing to improve his or her skills.

First, a great place to start is by taking FEMA's G290: Basic Public Information Officer training class.  This is a two-day classroom-based training that is administered at the local level by real-world PIOs. Each state has their own requirements for instructors, but I believe that you will discover that the people who choose to instruct are well spoken and care tremendously about spreading the knowledge. Check with your local emergency management department or other state training agency to find out where the training is being offered.

Tabletop exercises allow participants to simulate real-world events

Another important part of creating a well-trained cadre of PIOs is to gather them together to run an exercise - be it a tabletop or one that's more active. Well-prepared exercises provide a near real-world simulation of what a PIO can expect out in front of the cameras and reporters. Stuck for ideas on how to make this happen? Gosh, FEMA has a great link to some emergency planning exercises that could be adapted for PIO work. Just be sure to have the least comfortable PIOs in your group serve in the most responsible and challenging positions. Otherwise, how else will they learn?

A law enforcement PIO conducting a media update

Remember, there's no substitute for real world experience. When your agency does respond to an incident, be sure to pair your more seasoned team members up with the newer members, so they can see first-hand how field interactions work with reporters, incident commanders and the public.

There are also many other training programs out there, and more advanced PIO training classes offered at places such as the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. By simply taking the time to run a few dedicated exercises for your PIO's, they will soon be flexing their media and public relations muscles.

Tom Iovino, Public Information Specialist
Pinellas County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino

Some important apps

Now that smart phones are part of just about everyone's PIO go kit, I have gotten a number of questions about what's on my phone. I have to admit, I have a few which I'm sure don't do much for me as a PIO (how about a rousing game of Battleship?), but there are a few that have really helped me while in the field, especially in light of recent events.

The Sony Xperia Z1s

First, let me start by telling you what platform I am working on. I have Sony Xperia Z1S. It's a pretty awesome Android-based phone with a huge screen, great camera and - best of all - it's waterproof. That's a huge plus, especially here in semi-tropical Florida.

I'm not here to promote that particular phone or the Android operating system - I'm sure many of you are using various iterations of the Apple iPhone, Windows based phones or even Blackberries, so if I tell you about a particular app that I use, I'm sure you can find a similar one for your phone of choice.

A screen full of apps

First, I'm sure you are using your phone for taking pictures, making phone calls, accessing the Internet and managing e-mails. They all seem to do this pretty well.

The big social media platforms - Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram ... the works - all have their proprietary apps that fast track you to your account of choice. One thing you might want to consider, though, is moving to a social media aggregation program such as Hootsuite, which can post to multiple social media platforms at once for you. It saves a few steps for you in the field, and can help make your social media coordination that much easier.

Dictating notes into a smartphone

You can always rely on your built in note program for taking down details at briefings. I discovered (remember, I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack) that by using the phone's built-in voice recognition software, I could dictate notes to myself. This made it a whole lot easier to read my chicken scratch notes. Let's just say that my teachers used to recommend that I become a doctor.

A few photo and video apps I use include Photo Resizer and Media Studio. These programs allow me to adjust the sizes of photos or trim video to length right from my phone - a definite plus while working in the field. Media Studio even allows for some basic video editing as well, This is where iPhone users have it over us Android types... both iPhoto and iMovie are built from the ground up integrating with the Apple iOS.

Skype is also a great app to keep on the phone, since it gives you the ability to do a live interview - if need be - with the news office while getting both audio and video.

My phone cradle with my phone.

I would throw in a few other accessories. First, a cradle mount of some type that allows you to hold the phone a little steadier. I have a Woxom Slingshot, but it appears that it is no longer available. Trust me, though, there are tons of other options.

The other thing I would recommend is some type of waterproof cover for your phone. Yes, mine is waterproof, but I discovered that water on the screen makes it just about impossible to operate. From a simple sealable freezer bag to a high-end dry case for your phone, get something to keep it dry when the skies open up.

I'm sure I must be  missing some important details here, but I think this is a fairly decent start for stocking your phone to become a lean, mean PIO assistance machine.

Tom Iovino, Public Information Specialist
Pinellas County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino

The weekly read

Communications Strategies for the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic
The National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases  
December, 2011


If you are a public information officer working anywhere in the world, you will eventually be asked about the emerging Ebola Virus Disease and what its potential effects will be. While there are many resources online which offer outstanding information on this disease (especially the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization), there are many lessons that can be learned from the last major international public health threat - the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

Mexico City commuters wearing masks to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus

This outstanding paper is full of keen observations about what tactics worked - and what didn't - as the fear of the H1N1 Novel Influenza pandemic spread. From pre-pandemic communications to spreading the word about precautions to the public, the NCCID explored the entire arc of how information was disseminated. Differences between the information distribution processes of different nations are discussed at length, giving a detailed analysis of what transpired.

While Ebola and the 2009 H1N1 Flu pandemic are very different illnesses, the public health communications lessons learned can help make spreading the facts about the illness just a bit easier.

Tom Iovino, Public Information Specialist
Pinellas County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino

The unplugged PIO

Empowering a community without power

We’ve all been there.....the sinking feeling as you watch the last of your smartphone battery drain away or the sudden sense of helplessness brought on by the words, “Internet connection not available.”

In the world of emergency services and even forward thinking corporations, plans and procedures are in place for Continuity of Operations during a disaster, but ask yourself this question: While we may have plans and backup systems, how ready are you to communicate with an entire community that suddenly becomes completely disconnected? No power, cell towers down, no telephones, no TV.

Joe Farago in his fire attire

Do you have the tools and skills necessary to reach an audience that may be effectively isolated by the loss of electricity and communications? And when you do, what will your message be?

In the fast-paced world of Twitter, Facebook, web pages, blogs, electronic news releases and interviews, we've come to rely on almost instantaneous, sometimes two-way communications with local residents and the world at large. But, in the scramble to keep up with the onslaught of new technology there lies a danger of becoming too dependent on electronic avenues of communication. We may be doing this at the expense of some basic preparedness principles.

When’s the last time you considered what your job would look like without electricity or the Internet?

As an example, consider what Public Information Officers on National Type I and II Incident Management Teams have been dealing with over the years as they work with communities often isolated by wildfires or hit by large scale disasters. 

Getting the information out however you can

"Go Kits" for those PIOs contain everything from stick pins, tape, flagging, paper and marking pens to large staplers, pliers, signs and battery operated portable printers. News releases and information are distributed in person and tacked or stapled onto community bulletin boards at stores, post offices, city/county offices and in other high traffic areas...complete with colored flagging to draw attention to the material.

Distribution systems called “trap lines” are created and mapped to insure that each location is known and can be maintained by team members on a daily basis. These updates become vitally important to any community cut off from the normal flow of information during an emergency.

Are “Go Kits” or portable bulletin boards part of your response plan?

Until lately, basic emergency communications methods like these had been found primarily in the world of wildland firefighting and Incident Management Team PIOs. Fortunately, some of these “lessons learned” have been blended into new courses such as the FEMA E/L 952: NIMS ICS All-Hazards Position Specific Public Information Officer.

Another example of thinking outside the “electronic box” comes from the experience of a Florida State PIO Deployment Team during Hurricane Charley in 2004. 

Hurricane Charley's aftermath left many difficulties

The Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center had been devastated by the storm. So much for plan A with all its connectivity! There was a local radio station on the air broadcasting information about points of distribution for ice and water, but how to get that message out? Team member Joel Gordon of the Florida Association of Public Information Officers noticed an undamaged plane at the airport across from the EOC being inspected by its pilot. The single engine aircraft was one normally used by advertisers to fly a banner over local beaches. The rest is history as Gordon and the team got the pilot to fly their message behind the plane with details of the radio station operation over the community.

These are only two small examples of the type of thinking required to deal with emergencies outside our comfort zone and into a world unplugged. Neither fits into that neat, comfortable space between our computer terminal and smart phone.

Public Information Officers are continually scrambling to keep up with changing times. We’re living in a world where some people are starting to expect an official emergency response to “tweets” and Internet postings. We have sophisticated systems of contacting residents with outreach messaging and electronic alerts. The media broadcasts in real time and we’re more connected than at any other moment in human history.

Emergency responders are working in a whole new environment

As response guidelines, procedures and operational manuals keep growing in scope and size, it’s a real challenge to adjust our thinking, and our training, to confront what may be the basic reality of an uncertain future. The plug might just be pulled. Then what? Have you ever been to a busy grocery store or other business where the credit card terminals have suddenly gone down? Everything just stops. Cashiers are frozen. The customer response? It’s often not pretty. Now, think of a busy airport... 

Maybe it’s time to start asking ourselves if we’re really ready for the results of something as devastating as another mega-storm or, God forbid, an electromagnetic pulse that fries our telecommunication and power grids along with most of our electronics. 

Joe teaching a new crop of public information officers

Does your training include scenarios like that? Do you have the plan or the resources in place?

You know, being a Public Information Officer involves more than just what you do at a desk or in an office. It reaches into almost every part of who you are. There’s the constant need to prepare, to look at the “what ifs.” To be informed and situationally aware. It comes with the territory.

In everyday life, it’s possible that people tell you that you worry too much. After all, they say, what’s the worst that could happen? Funny question. In the world we live in, it’s our job to consider just that.

Joe Farago

Emergency Communications Professional

The important part

Watching my two sons grow up has been a joy. One of the things I really enjoyed the most was coaching them both in youth basketball. We had our ups and our downs, and now that they are past the years for rec sports, my coaching days are pretty much over.

But, oh, that last season. We had an awesome team. Attentive players. They wanted to learn. They wanted to hustle. The results of our first nine games, though, were pretty bad. I think we entered the last game of the season 1 - 8, riding a two game losing streak. It's not that we were abysmal. Our first few games were bad, but after every loss, we gathered for practice. We learned to drive to the basket, not blindly jacking shots up from the outside. We tightened up our defense, getting better on denying passes to the other teams' star players. In other words, we learned from what we had seen, and had gotten better.

We were the champions, my friends.

How much better? We entered the playoffs as odds-on-favorites to lose early and go home. But, something happened... we started winning. Knocking off teams that dismissed us as soon as they got onto the court. By the end of the following week, we hadn't only made a statement - were the league champs. What a transformation.

And, how did that happen? The kids checked their egos at the door, payed attention to the coach and saw ways they could improve how they approached the game.

That's why I contend that the most important part of any event is the after-action analysis, also known as the hotwash. No matter how many times you practice something or run table top exercises, there is nothing that can take the place of actual real-world experience. The reporters aren't people from other departments or agencies 'playing' reporter - they are actually reporters with real world deadlines. They may even have an axe to grind with your agency, making things just that more difficult.

A meeting of the minds after the incident can help tremendously

So, make it a point to have that hotwash, even though everyone will be busy trying to get back to their regular duties. Just a few rules about the hotwash:

• Hold it promptly. Memories are elastic things, and with time, we can underplay a huge deal, or make the proverbial mountain out of a molehill. People also tend to forget details after time, so plan for the hotwash within a day or two of the event.
• Check your ego. Just like the kids on my team, nothing in the hotwash is directed at you. Besides. you learn more about yourself and your plans from what goes wrong that what goes right. 
• Ask the tough questions. Did you have the right equipment? The right people?  Did you have all the phone numbers you needed? How were your procedures? Was everyone using the same playbook? This isn't an opportunity to embarrass anyone - it is an opportunity to improve what you do for the next event. 
• Take notes. Don't rely on people telling you they will make improvements. Take notes. Assign steps to people in your organization and give deadlines for things to be done by.
• Ask for the moon. After an event is the time to ask for what you need. Extra staff members. Equipment. You might not get what you need, but the lessons will be fresh in everyone's mind. You never know.

If you are unsure how to run a hotwash, there are plenty of online resources that can help. Even if you don't run yours 'by the book,' simply going through the steps with the right people at the table can help you build a winning public information team.

Tom Iovino, Public Information Specialist
Pinellas County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino

The weekly read

Why rumors outrace the truth online
The New York Times
Sept. 29, 2014

It's a public information officer's worst nightmare. You are working the scene of a small incident that doesn't seem too terribly important when your phone starts ringing incessantly, with reporters barraging you with questions that seem to be coming totally out of left field. What gives?

Illustration originally appeared with the New York Times article

This article, written by Dartmouth Professor Brendan Nyhan, offers an interesting look at just how quickly rumors can spread in social media, and how the retractions/corrections can never catch up with the initial spread of the rumors themselves. He offers a case study about the recent online rumor about a woman who claimed to have had a special prosthetic surgically implanted to enhance her appearance, and how quickly that rumor about that spread online. Using online analtyics tools, Nyhan illustrates how the initial report circulated three times as widely as the retraction.

A fascinating read about just how quickly news can spread online, and why it's important for public information officers to stay on top of emerging social media trends.

Tom Iovino, Public Information Specialist
Pinellas County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino

For the duration

So, what's it like being somewhere for the duration of an event as a PIO?  Well, it means a lot of different things.

It means waking early to a call from someone in the field telling you that there's 'something' going on, and that they may need some media support.

A sight you never want to see near a sanitary sewer pipe

It's about getting to the scene and realizing that - wow - it's a huge event like a giant sanitary sewer overflow - a scene which I'm sure Dante Alighieri might have written into his master work, the Inferno - and that you are going to need a lot of support from your team to make a successful response happen.

It's about gaining the confidence of the incident commander and assuring him that the more information you have, the better you can do your job.

It's about becoming an instant expert on pipe diameters, pump pressures, air locks and valves, so you can effectively communicate these things to the public through the media.

The nearby school's PIO delivering important messages to the parents and students

It's about coordinating with the nearby private school that has to readjust its schedule and pickup/drop off pattern for nearly 700 families, and helping them get their word out through the media. And, about thanking them for being gracious hosts to a small army of trucks and heavy equipment.

It's about spelling your first and last name - correctly - and giving your title about a thousand times as each of the reporters does an interview trying to find those facts.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night ...

It's about standing and delivering those media updates in the heat, the dark and any weather condition that mother nature can throw your way.

It's about early morning rising to find that the utility workers have done an outstanding job busting their tails through a long, difficult night.

Utility workers and contractors working side by side to fix the problem

It's about telling the reporters and your superiors about the outstanding job that these under-appreciated men and women do and making sure that their selfless, tireless contributions aren't forgotten.

It's about remembering that you have a smartphone with an HD camera on your hip to catch the moment the flow of the pressure main is turned off, and having it aimed in the right direction when the awesome moment happens.



If you can imagine that, yes, than you can imagine what it's like being part of a PIO team on the scene for the duration.

Tom Iovino, Public Information Specialist
Pinellas County, Florida
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomiovino