Public Information Officer (PIO)
Public Health
Incident Command System (ICS)
Emergency Response
Job Action Sheet
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Reports to: Agency Incident Commander
Mission: The department spokesperson and person responsible for releasing information regarding the incident to the media or other agencies and the public. Only one PIO is appointed per incident although assistants may be appointed as necessary.
| Immediate: | |
|---|---|
| Receive appointment from Agency Incident Commander (AIC). | |
| Read this entire Job Action Sheet and review organizational chart. | |
| Identify restrictions in contents of news release information from Agency Incident Commander. | |
| Establish a Public Information area away from Incident Command Post and other activity areas. | |
| Obtain a full briefing from the AIC regarding the incident and participate in planning meetings to formulate and evaluate the Incident Action Plan (IAP). | |
| Intermediate: | |
| Ensure that all news releases have the approval of the Agency Incident Commander (AIC) and/or chief health official or County PIO. | |
| Issue an initial incident information report to the news media. | |
| Inform on-site media of the accessible areas which they may have access to, and those which are restricted. | |
| Coordinate with Safety Officer. | |
| Contact other on-scene agencies to coordinate release of information with respective PIOs. Inform Liaison Officer of action. | |
| Arrange for interviews, teleconferences, video conferences, satellite broadcasts, web site revisions, broadcast faxes, etc., upon approval by AIC or chief health official or County PIO. | |
| Monitor incident as to the need to modify or change public alerts or risk communications. | |
| Approve initial and updated scripts for interviews, hotlines and web sites. | |
| Direct ongoing evaluation of message contents. | |
| Extended: | |
| Review progress reports from Section Chiefs as appropriate. | |
| Notify media about incident status. | |
| Observe all staff for signs of stress. Report issues to Safety Officer. Provide rest periods and relief for staff. | |
| Prepare end of shift report and present to oncoming PIO. | |
| Plan for the possibility of extended deployment. | |