Public & Media Relations for the Fire Service

Many fire chiefs have been overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of satellite trucks, news helicopters, and media personnel, when an incident in their jurisdiction attracts the media's attention. If reporters can not get fast, accurate information from fire officials, they'll get it from whomever they can. This book is intended to help fire departments master the basics of public relations. Contents: Public relations 101 Who are these reporters and what do they want anyway? Communicating and communicators Who can we get to do this stuff? Choosing a PIO Where does it say that? A primer on legal considerations The PIO at the incident scene Q&A: Basic skills for new interviews When the news hits the fan: Preparing for the inevitable Connecting with the community Model public information: policy and procedure Model public information: Plan for major emergencies Oregon bar/press/broadcasters: joint statement of principles Bibliography Selected sources for additional training.