Florida Association of Public Information Officers

Announcements

Statewide PIO Deployment

Section Council

Goals

Press Release Templates

PIO Training

Florida's PIO Deployment Team provides support to localities that require additional public communications capability during an emergency.  The PIO Deployment Team works with local public affairs officers to provide people in the incident area with the most accurate and timely information possible. Florida's PIO Deployment Team provides support to localities that require additional public communications capability during an emergency. The PIO Deployment Team works with local public affairs officers to provide people in the incident area with the most accurate and timely information possible.

FAPIO offers PIO Training annually in conjunction with Fire-Rescue East in January.

FEMA L0105 Public Information Officer (PIO) Basics

Florida Association of PIOs nationally recognized instruction team and FEMA national guest instructors

FAPIO now offers the updated FEMA Basic PIO curriculum, expanded from two to three days of training. It is intended for Public Information Officers who are new to the field or less experienced, established PIOs who desire to refresh their training, new emergency managers, and is a required course for the FEMA National Emergency Management Basic Academy.

The course emphasis is on the basic skills and knowledge needed for public safety, emergency management and government/municipal public information activities. Topics include: the role of the PIO, communications tools, awareness campaigns, news release writing, public speaking, conducting media interviews and news conferences, strategic communications, and social media.

NOTE: There is a prerequisite for the L0105 that can be completed online. FEMA IS-29.A (Public Information Officer Awareness), available at this link: http://bit.ly/2oQ1WS9. You need a FEMA student identification number https://cdp.dhs.gov/FEMASID. You will need to provide proof of your IS-29.A certificate before your L0105 certificate will be issued.

Strongly recommended, though not required, are the following National Incident Management System (NIMS) courses: IS-100.B (Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS), IS-200.B (ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents), IS-700.A (NIMS – An Introduction), IS-800.B (National Response Framework – An Introduction).

FAPIO Advanced PIO Skills Workshop

The FAPIO Advanced PIO Skills Workshop was developed by FEMA Master PIOs to build on the skills introduced in the Basic PIO course and better prepare the PIO for handling all facets of public information for a variety of situations, from high profile incidents to managing internal and external crises. Often, PIOs are introduced to these skills during their basic training but often don’t test them until a crisis strikes. It will also better prepare the PIO for meeting the many challenges encountered in the intensive, week-long FEMA Advanced PIO Program. Class size will be limited to optimize small group instruction and feedback. Students will be critiqued on their products through constructive feedback.

This is a dynamic workshop that is updated with new material and nationally recognized, guest instructors every year, so repeat participation is encouraged.

Suggested prerequisite, but not required: Applicants should have completed, at minimum, FEMA G290 Basic PIO or have been a practicing PIO for two years.

The Florida PIO Symposium

A full day symposium with a lineup of top speakers and topics specific to the PIO profession, the program is updated each year to ensure the most relevant topics and issues are offered.