Online Independent Study Training for PIO’s through FEMA

Online Independent Study Training for PIO’s through FEMA

Go to https://training.fema.gov/is/crslist.aspx

You can scroll to see the list of classes or search by title

Most classes only take an hour or two to complete.

IS-29.a Public Information Officer Awareness Training

The goal of this awareness course is to provide an orientation to the public information function and the role

of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in the public safety/emergency management environment.

IS-42.A Social Media in Emergency Management

The purpose of this course is to provide the participants with best practices including tools, techniques and a

basic roadmap to build capabilities in the use of social media technologies in their own emergency

management organizations.

Classroom Training for PIO’s

Intro to Incident Information (S-203)

Dates 3/17 – 3/20 – Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy - Prescott

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to serve as Public

Information Officers (PIO3). The course covers establishing and maintaining an incident information

operation, communicating with internal and external audiences, working with the news media, handling

special situations, and long-term planning and strategy. There is a cost for this course. Registration

information on the Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy website,

https://www.azwildfireacademy.org/

Public Information Basics (L105)

Dates: 3/21 – 4/2 (Phoenix) L105-021

This course is designed to equip participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including

oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques

to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/emergency response. There

is no cost for this course.

Prerequisite: IS – 29 (mentioned above) A full description of the Public Information Basics course can be

found here: https://www.firstrespondertraining.gov/frts/npccatalog?catalog=EMI

Step 1: Registration through Acadis/DEMA (dematraining.az.gov). Once your Acadis registration has been

approved by our office, you will receive an email with the invitation code necessary to complete step 2.

Step 2: Registration through FEMA/EMI online application system

(http://training.fema.gov/onlineadmissions/).

1/28/2025

This will likely be a full class. Students must have the status of “Enrolled” to attend any class or event.

Students who are “Waitlisted” or “Pending Approval” will not be allowed to attend the class. If a student

needs to cancel enrollment, please do so as early as possible to allow someone on the waitlist to be enrolled.

***FYI - G289/G290 are no longer being accepted as prerequisites for the Advanced PIO Course. If you

want to attend the Advanced PIO Course (388), you must take L105.

Advanced Public Information Officer Course in Maryland (E0388) or Adobe Connect (K0388)

Dates: 4/14/2025 - 4/18/2025

7/28/2025 – 8/1/2025

This course is a combination of lecture presentations and exercises designed to apply public information

skills during a major emergency or disaster situation. This week-long course (you need to arrive on Sunday

and return on Friday) when you take the course at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg,

Maryland. It is a very thorough course and is good training.

If you are approved to attend, the federal government will actually reimburse your plane ticket cost, provide

your lodging and the only out of pocket costs for your agency is the meal ticket (approximately $120 for all

your meals while at the facility). There are prerequisites for the course. Admissions will no longer accept

G290/291 as prerequisites, you will need to have the 105 Public Information Basics Course.

You can find out more at http://training.fema.gov/emicourses/crsdetail.aspx?cid=E388&ctype=R This

course is offered in other states but you will have to pay for your lodging, contact EMI for full details.

Executive Public Information Officer Program (E-389, 393, 394)

Dates: Check this link for course offerings

The Executive Public Information Officer Program is a three-course series that prepares public information

officers for an expanded role in delivering public information and warning using a strategic whole

community approach.

The program reinforces the qualities needed to lead whole community public information/external affairs

programs, provides relevant management theories and concepts, and uses case studies to enhance public

information/external affairs skill sets. EPIOP participants work within a collaborative environment on

projects and establish a network of peers. More information here, https://training.fema.gov/programs/public-

information-officer/executive/

Online training for PIO’s through the CDC

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)

The CDC offers Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication training including the following topics;

Introduction to Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication, Psychology of a Crisis, Messages and

Audiences, Community Engagement, Spokesperson, Communication Channels.

https://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/training/archives.asp

Reference Materials

Questions commonly asked by the media in a crisis (Covello, 1995). The best way to access this list of 77

questions is by entering the term “Covello 77 questions” into your preferred search engine.

1/28/2025

Countering False Information on Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/SMWG_Countering-False-Info-Social-Media-Disasters-

Emergencies_Mar2018-508.pdf

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Support Function 15 Standard Operating

Procedure https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/fema_esf-15_sop_2019.pdf

National Incident Management System (NIMS) Basic Guidance for Public Information Officers

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_nims-basic-guidance-public-information-

officers_12-2020.pdf

Protective Action Questions & Answers for Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-06/pags_comm_tool_2023.pdf

Protective Action Area Map Templates https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-

09/documents/protective_action_area_map_templates_09152017_w-cover.pdf

Improvised Nuclear Device and Recovery: Communicating in the Aftermath (June 2013)

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_improvised-nuclear-device_communicating-

aftermath_june-2013.pdf

Communicating During and After a Nuclear Power Plant Incident (June 2013)

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_nuclear-power-plant-incident_communicating-

during-after_june-2013.pdf

Communication with the Public in a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency

https://www.iaea.org/publications/8889/communication-with-the-public-in-a-nuclear-or-radiological-

emergency

Nuclear Detonation Preparedness, Communicating in the Immediate Aftermath

https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1032/ML103230099.pdf

Rad Resilient City https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/resources-at-the-center-for-health-security

Networking/Professional Organizations*

Arizona Information Officers Association (AIOA) – This is a networking group based on the Statewide

PIO list maintained by the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. Everyone who is on the

list is considered a member. There are no membership fees.

 AIOA maintains a Facebook PIO group (Arizona PIOs).  It is a closed group where PIOs can

share ideas, have discussion related to all things PIO.   If interested, send a friend request.

International Association of Business Communicators - IABC

National Information Officers Association - NIOA

National Association of Government Communicators - NAGC

Arizona School Public Relations Association - ASPRA

3CMA - City-County Communications and Marketing Association

PRSA – Public Relations Society of America

* Information provided to promote the public information profession. If you know of a group that should be

added, please send an email to judy.kioski@azdema.gov.