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● Introduction & Index ● What is PR ● Job Expectations ● Types of Media ● Building Relationships ● Media, Hams & FCC Rules ● The Basic News Release ● Interviews and Live ● Making your own show ● Easy P.R. ● Public Service Events ● Piggy-back to Events ● Pictures NOW! ● P.R. Research Aids ● Making Friends ● ARES® PIO ● Final Exam Information Next Page

## Section 16 - ARES PIO: The Right Stuff ## ## Goals: Provide the PIO with a basic understanding of their role when attached to a deployed ARES unit. Encourage further training in this specific activity area. More and more sections are appointing ARES specific PIOs. These PIOs are specialists in covering PR when ARES units are deployed in an emergency or community service operation. While general PIOs may also do this work, the entire emergency field is becoming more and more complex and special training is not only advisable, but strongly encouraged. The goal of the PIO in an emergency is: Providing the Right information to the Right people at the Right time so they can make the Right decisions. In addition to the regular duties and tasks of establishing media relationships, informing the public and attracting new members, the ARES PIO has the opportunity to become an integral part of the Incident Command System (ICS). For those that have ICS training, use the following as a refresher. For those who have not here is a quick overview. As a disaster or emergency begins to take place, typically the first responder to the event becomes the Incident Commander, the boss of the situation. As the gravity of the situation unfolds and more responders and agencies become involved, a Unified Command is activated. The UC is comprised of a group of trained and qualified individuals that work together to lead and orchestrate the effort. One component of forming the Unified Command is that of a group of PIOs representing the various responder, agencies and disciplines will come together to form a Joint Information Center (JIC). It is the duty of the JIC to establish a unified message and become the unified voice of the event, providing consistent and unified information, dispel rumors, as well as providing a central location for media to receive information and ask questions. As an ARES PIO you are very likely to be invited to represent Amateur Radio within the JIC.