Public Information Officer Type 1

Duties

• Acquires regional/national media directories, and NIFC National IOF directory.
• Ensures the safety and welfare of assigned personnel during the entire period of supervision.
• Maintains positive interpersonal relationships. Employs good listening/responding skills with co-workers, incident personnel, media, and public.
• Employs conflict resolution skills to resolve problems within incident staff or with outside interests.
• Contacts agency Public Affairs Officer and/or established information center(s) by telephone to determine the following: Level of public/media interest in incident; and, amount of media on scene.
• Establishes contact with incident management team to obtain initial information and review available documentation.
• Develops policy with Incident Commander (IC), incident management team members, Agency Administrator, Agency Public Affairs Officer, and/or incident investigators regarding information gathering and dissemination.
• Develops and receives IC’s approval of a comprehensive, proactive communications strategy that reflects both immediate and long term goals.
• Submits orders to meet immediate and long term needs for center and field operations.
• Prepares/approves a fact sheet/news release to address basic incident facts (address who, what, when, where, and why.) Update on a regular basis.
• Initiates contact with and respond to inquiries from media.
• Participates in briefings, meetings, and special sessions as a member of the Incident Management Team.
• Conducts information staff briefings on a regular basis.
• Briefs information personnel on incident specific hazards and safety procedures.
• Establishes/supervises information center.
• Establishes/supervises field information function.
• In cooperation with jurisdictional agency, establishes/supervises community relations function.
• Establishes/supervises procedures for distributing information to incident personnel, and cooperating and participating agencies (local, regional, national).
• In coordination with jurisdictional agency, develops and/or approves messages for incorporation into routine incident information.
• In consultation with IC and Agency Administrator, develops strategy for informing/involving VIPs (elected officials, others).
• Responds to special situations within incident (e.g. fatalities).
• Determines and follows procedures for coordinating with other information functions (MAC group, area command, NIFC, local communications centers, cooperating agencies, other incidents).
• Completes, reviews, approves, and submits required ICS documentation and other reports requested by IC and Agency Administrator.
• Supervises subordinate IOFs.
• Prepares information personnel demobilization plan keyed to level of media and public interest, and information needs of incident personnel.
• Assists jurisdictional agency with preparation of a post incident information strategic plan.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

• Advanced Incident Management (S-520)
• Satisfactory performance as an IOF2
• Satisfactory position performance as an IOF1