It is widely accepted that public informa-tion and marketing go hand-in-hand in the fire and rescue service. Big fires and significant rescues are big news. Once you accept the news medium as an asset instead of a threat, you can work on how to make the most of each opportunity. How you handle the media has a lot to do with how effectively you get out your message. There is no substitute for early and aggressive handling of an incident by the fire department public information officer (PIO).
Without knowing how to properly use the news media, the PIO might take the position of “let them come to me.” In most cases, this method will work, but it puts you on their schedule when the media find out about the incident on their own. Often, by letting the word of an incident spread by normal means, such as by scanner, word of mouth, or a routine inquiry, news media will be slow to arrive at the scene, which can delay coverage and tie you up unnecessarily.
Sometimes the lack of early notification can cause the assignment editor to give a low priority to a particular incident simply because of the “age” of the incident and the location of the news crews.
The most effective way to get the news media to cover an incident is to notify them early. If you, the PIO, have established a relationship with media representatives and have obtained telephone, pager, and fax numbers in advance, you can easily contact them and “encourage” them to cover an event. Additionally, if you have a history of credibility and a demonstrated understanding of their needs, the media will be confident that they can get a good story from you.
As the former PIO for a large metropolitan fire department and, currently, for the Maryland State Fire Marshal, I have learned the benefits of working closely with the news media. As we enter the 21st century, I think that even the most staunch “dinosaur” sitting around the fire station coffee table realizes the importance of good media relations. Not only must you seize opportunities to advertise or market your agency, but you have to remember that the news media are going to get the story one way or the other. It is your responsibility to get out early and tell the story the right way, your way.
FIVE-STEP PLAN
With all of this in mind, it is now up to you to determine how you can best work with the news media in your particular area to maximize opportunities to tell your story. I have had great success with the following five-step process.
- Early notification. As soon as I have decided to go to the scene of an incident, because of its significance, location, or newsworthiness or because the boss tells me to go, I fax a teaser (see box below) to all media in the area of the incident. This is usually several lines of bold face type announcing the incident, its location, significant information, and how to contact me en route. (Note: The fax machine is preprogrammed with the fax numbers of the media.)
- Follow-up notification and verification. After you get in the car, start calling reporters or news desks with which you are familiar. Don’t wait for them to call you. Depending on your mobile telephone, you may have them on speed dial. This makes for a safer response to the incident. Regardless of who calls whom, this is the time to convince them to come out and cover the story. Remember, your job is to talk to the media, and you cannot do that if they do not come. (Depending on the incident, you may have to convince them that this is an important story and that you will help them get it. However, before you make promises, be sure that you can DELIVER.)
- On-scene coverage. Hopefully, by the time you arrive on the scene, you will have gathered enough information about the incident to get started. (Remember, thanks to helicopters, pagers, and scanners, some media may beat you to the scene.) You will want to get a quick update from the incident commander, and you will probably be expected to assume responsibility of the media or information sector. At this point, you should make yourself known to police and other sector officers and advise them of your designated media area.
Even if you do not have details about the cause of the fire or the status of occupants, you can give a brief summary of what has happened and promise to gather more information and return. Make every attempt to keep the media together in one place. You do not want them freelancing or interfering with other personnel. This can be done by committing to provide updates at certain times at a specific location. KEEP YOUR WORD!
Stay in close contact with all media representatives, and update them as often as possible. At the proper time, get them as close to the scene as safety will allow.
Be fair with everyone, and provide as much information as you can as long as it does not compromise the integrity of an investigation or sensitivity issues. Beyond the obvious information available during a fire or rescue incident, very few “secrets” remain. However, should some information not be suitable for immediate distribution, such as the identification of victims or elements of the investigation, state this, and give the reason. Often, you may not have the requested information. In that case, admit that you do not know, and promise to find out. The only policy when dealing with the news media is honesty.
- Wrap-up or summary. After all media have left the scene and you do not expect any more (hopefully, they were all on the scene), it is time to do a wrap-up or summary news release. This is a factual overview of the entire incident from first report to the status of the investigation. Its purpose is not only to provide the news media with the particulars of the incident but also to provide a historical document for your own future use. The wrap-up news release may also be useful in getting coverage from media outlets that could not get to the scene, such as radio, wire services, or print media from neighboring jurisdictions.
- Follow-up. After everyone is gone, command has been terminated, firefighters have picked up, fire investigators have wrapped up their investigation, and the crowd has dispersed (that’s right, the PIO should be the last to leave), you have to assess the situation. Is the incident over, as it would be with a routine fire, or is there a need (opportunity) for follow-up, such as in the case of a fire that caused several injuries or deaths, a fire that destroys a significant or historic building, or a fire involved with or caused by criminal activity? Such incidents can be the subject of follow-up news stories. For any number of reasons, news media representatives often choose to do follow-up stories on particular incidents, and it is in your best interest to be there.
On many occasions, the media will return to the scene the next day for related stories such as the impact the incident has had on the community. This is an opportunity for you, the agency representative, to provide updated information on the condition of the injured or the status of the investigation. Even if you have nothing new to add, this can be an opportunity to review the incident and your agency’s actions, promote related programs, or remind the public how it can protect itself from a similar tragedy.
Remember, if you do not make yourself available for follow-up, you run the risk of reading or hearing the one phrase that makes an aggressive PIO cringe: “Fire officials were not available for comment.”
Regardless of the media’s focus of the next-day follow-up visit to the scene, it is an opportunity you, the PIO, must use to advantage. Often, media representatives will work with you to plan a follow-up story, especially if you ask, or even suggest it. Remember, they are going to tell the story-make sure that they tell it the right way, your way.
ALLEN R. GOSNELL, a 30-year veteran of the fire and rescue service, is currently a deputy state fire marshal and the public information officer for the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. He is a retired battalion chief from the Prince George’s County (MD) Fire Department, where he also served as the public information officer. He is a Fire Officer IV and a certified Fire Investigator, Fire Inspector, and Fire Service Instructor II.
