Aug 20, 2014 | Member Activities
I am seeking the assistance of the NIOA membership.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Harford County Department of Emergency Services and the local hospital are seeking information from any department or agency that has developed a plan for public information officers related to “Active Shooter” incidents.
Rather than “reinvent the wheel” we are interested in obtaining a copy of any such plans for PIO’s for those specific type incidents.
Thank you for your assistance in helping us reach out to our NIOA colleagues.
Robert
Robert B. Thomas, Jr.
Coordinator of Community Outreach and Public Information
Harford County Department of Emergency Services
410-638-3408 or 443-617-1954
Aug 6, 2014 | Member Activities
Your input is requested to help answer some defining questions about PIO qualifications and requirements. Responses can go directly to Robert Thomas, Jr. Please see his recent correspondence to Executive Director Lisa McNeal:
Good afternoon Lisa,
I need some assistance from the membership if possible.
I am trying to ascertain what standards PIO’s must meet in jurisdictions throughout the country.
Specifically, are PIO’s required to complete ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800 training?
Also, are PIO’s required by their employer to complete the FEMA G290 course “Basic Public Information Officer” and the associated FEMA G289 Joint Information Center (JIC) course?
If you could send a query to the membership it would be very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Bob
Robert B. Thomas, Jr.
Coordinator of Community Outreach and Public Information
Harford County Department of Emergency Services
410-638-3408 or 443-617-1954
rbthomas@harfordpublicsafety.org
Apr 27, 2014 | Items of Note, Lessons Learned, Member Activities
The following letter was sent to NIOA President Charlie Warner. It is reproduced by permission.
Subject: Membership to NIOA Extremely Beneficial
April 17, 2014
Dear NIOA,
Many folks think that NIOA is an organization just for those working in Public Safety. I’m here to say otherwise. I’ve worked for the Waste Management Division with the City of Portsmouth for 13 years. During that time the media has come knocking many times. I’ve answered questions pertaining to refuse fees, code changes, or services provided.
The reason I joined NIOA originally was because of the weather. Hurricane Isabel hit our area in 2003, leaving us with much debris to dispose of. Hurricanes are pretty rare for our area. Information about our division was being posted and it was coming from other departments, not ours. Our citizens consider trash and bulk collection a serious matter and someone needed to speak on behalf of our division with the right information. I attended my first NIOA conference in 2004. Since that time, I’ve developed good relationships with our Communications and Marketing Department and our local media.
These relationships proved very beneficial last year when we began a curbside recycling program. I sent out press releases and the media helped promote our program. Articles appeared in the newspaper, stories on our local TV news stations, and interviews on our city cable channel. Social media also played a role in getting the information out. Curbside recycling began on August 19 and a TV news crew even followed one of our new recycling trucks along the route.
Our program has been extremely successful. We expected a 20% participation rate, but we’ve seen over 50% participation each month. Instead of paying $125 per ton to have our trash burned, we are recycling instead. Recycling makes sense environmentally and economically. I’m certain the media, and establishing a relationship with them early on, helped play a role in our successful recycling program.
I’m grateful for the training I’ve received from NIOA. It’s helped tremendously this past year. Folks shouldn’t think NIOA is for emergency services employees only; it’s also beneficial for those who really do talk “trash” for a living.
Sincerely,
Donna Corbus
Recycling Coordinator
City of Portsmouth
Department of General Services
Portsmouth, VA
Jan 27, 2014 | Member Activities
Fellow NIOA member Massiel Ladron De Guevara is asking for your help.
The Chino Valley Fire District is considering a title change for the Public Information Officer that would capture the PIO’s role as a community liaison, department spokesperson, author of all internal and external communications and the manager/supervisor of the District’s Public Education department.
The Fire District would like to review various job titles that include Community Relations Manager or Director of Public Affairs and the roles and responsibilities of the people working under those titles.
Please contact her at mdeguevara@chofire.org with your suggestions or experience.
Dec 12, 2013 | Items of Note, Member Activities
Well done, everyone. Ten people acted quickly to register their 2014 membership with our online credit card processing tool. Each of the early-bird winners will receive a $25 iTunes gift card.
Sep 11, 2013 | Member Activities
Member Christina Villalobos, Department of Police Services, CSU Northridge, asks PIOs to complete a survey about social media use for the job. This should only take a few minutes of your time. Find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pio_socialmedia
Thank you for helping her with her research.
