290: Basic Public Information Officers Course

Public information consists of the processes, procedures and systems to communicate timely, accurate and accessible information to affected audiences. Armed with good information, people are empowered to make better decisions and thus contribute to the overall response goal of saving lives and protecting property. Personnel tasked with gathering, verifying, coordinating and disseminating public information at the federal, state, tribal, local and territorial levels bear this considerable responsibility concurrently with other job assignments. These Public Information Officers (PIOs) must be provided with the opportunity to learn and practice the skills they will use on the job.

The Basic Public Information Officer Course (G0290) is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to start applying basic concepts underlying the Public Information Officer (PIO) role. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position.

This is the second course in the Public Information Training Series. This course is delivered at the state, local, tribal and territorial governments. Other courses are conducted as resident courses at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). The courses build on each other enhancing students¿ skills further at each level. This course uses Bloom¿s Taxonomy as a guide to focus the course material to augment the knowledge and comprehension for new PIOs.

This course will consider the value of communication before, during and after an incident. It will help PIOs identify critical audiences, both internal and external.

The learner must achieve a minimum passing score of 75% on final knowledge assessments or demonstrate mastery on performance assessments or research assignments to earn the IACET CEU.

Selection Criteria: The primary audience for this training is individuals who have public information responsibilities as their main job or as an auxiliary function at the federal, state, local, tribal or territorial level of government, and in the private and nongovernmental sectors.

Course Objectives

• Explain why emergency public information is important during an incident. (Unit 1)
• Recognize the functional needs and challenges of different audiences. (Unit 1)
• Demonstrate the role and function of the PIO in both day-to-day and emergency environments. (Unit 2)
• Compare actions PIOs can take to work with the news media during day-to-day and emergency situations. (Unit 2)
• Using the strategic communications planning model, develop a public awareness campaign (95%). (Unit 3)
• Using the strategic communications planning model, develop an incident communications strategy (5%). (Unit 3)
• Explain the news briefing cycle. (Unit 4)
• Outline media needs at the scene. (Unit 4)
• Describe the difference between media briefings and press conferences. (Unit 4)
• Describe different public information written products. (Unit 5)
• Apply effective news release writing guidance. (Unit 5)
• Adapt or repurpose written media products for other purposes. (Unit 5)
• Describe what types of impressions specific body language might convey during an interview. (Unit 6)
• Identify elements of an interview the PIO should consider ahead of time. (Unit 6)
• Identify steps a PIO needs to take to prepare for and conduct a news interview. (Unit 6)
• Demonstrate effective techniques for on-camera interviews. (Unit 6)
• Given an emergency scenario, apply public information skills. (Unit 7)
• Recall course key points. (Unit 8)

Mission Areas

• Common

Prerequisites

• IS0702.a: National Incident Management System Public Information Systems
• IS0909: Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone
• IS0029.a: Public Information Officer Awareness
• IS0100.c: An Introduction to the Incident Command System, ICS 100