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Emergency Management, Emergency Services, & Disaster Spox

FEMA OEMA G0291: Joint Information Center/System class at the Cleveland EOC! #PIO

Posted on October 26, 2018 by rusnivek

Happy AlohaFriday and a great start to the FEMA OEMA G0291: Joint Information Center / Joint Information System course here at the Cleveland EOC!

So naturally, we talked a bunch of JIC stuff including our third guest VIP – day shift Cleveland JIC Manager of the 2016 RNC and the led JIC Manager of the Christmas plane crash in 2016, Beth Zietlow DeJesus!!!

Not only sharing stories about coordination amongst local, county, and Federal agencies on the recovery process, Beth was able to share a few stories about the media on controlling the message and handling mis-information.

Great experiences to share with out new PIOs!

Outstanding class this week. Proud of the work and collaboration in class shared by everyone. Great to see these new PIOs as they increase their organization’s visibility.

Now go forth, and use your new PIO skillz for good!

Also, yeah.

@rusnivek

Day-2 of the FEMA OEMA G0290: Basic #PIO at Cleveland EOC

Posted on October 25, 2018 by rusnivek

Day-2 of the FEMA Basic PIO Course in Cleveland, Ohio!!! Starting out the day with one of the best JIC Managers in the biz, ladies and gents, one of the orig FEMA Master PIOs put your hands together for ERICA CREECH!!!!!

Sharing her experiences with the class on PIOs and coordination was critical in countless EOC and JIC activations.

In a heartbeat, I’d work for Erica any day in the JIC.

Don’t worry, we jumped back on the train (FEMA’s powerpoint slides) to talk and debate about press releases.

Since Steve is from media, he loves his inverted pyramid. But are press releases valuable? Needed? Seems we had quite the spirited discussion on the necessity and timely appeal of press releases.

After lunch, we were fortunate enough to grab, IMHO, the best of the best media talent in Cleveland.

Fox8: Jennifer Steer (@jensteer)

WOIO-19: Chris Tanaka (@Chris_Tanaka)

WEWS-5: Homa Bash Ball (@HomaBashWEWS)

WKYC-3: Barry Wolf (@photowolfTV)

Cleveland PlainDealer: Ginger Christ (@GChristCLE)

These pros not only talk a good game, but their social media skills are top shelf! I submit to you Barry’s fashion selfie from the front of the room.

Solid!

These folks were able to dedicate their time to answer any I mean ANY questions that our new PIOs had.

Proud to see new relationships and transparency with all parties involved.

Why? We hear of soooo many bad interactions and exchanges with the media. This kind of engagement showcases that if we work together and we share our knowledge of ongoing issues, we can help each other out.

I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to see this kind of action happening in class.

Like nurturing new PIOs and helping them network…OMG THIS IS WHAT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!!

Yeah yeah, I’ll get off the soapbox now.

But seriously, this media panel has been one of my absolute favorites to have because….well, because of this…

Brah, Tanaka’s got some seriously good selfie skillz. Many mahalos to all of my media panel that showcased the best of TV news media.

After the media panel left, we reviewed all of our on camera interviews.

Sharing our challenges but learning from others in a productive and positive way increases participant on camera skills.

To close out the day, we also had our second and most lauded PIO stop by. Ladies and gents, the orig filmmaker himself, raise the roof cause it’s Cleveland Fire very own PIO Mike Noooooooooooorman!!!!!!!

Glad to spend a few minutes with fire’s new PIO who jumped head first into the role for CFD. FYI-Mike was a participant in a class that Steve and I taught in Summit County Ohio so we are proud to see him flourishing in his role at CFD.

Outstanding and super fun day with everyone. Back at it tomorrow with another special guest and to talk about JIC/JIS!

@rusnivek

Day-2 of the State of Ohio #Basic #PIO class #Summit

Posted on February 21, 2018 by rusnivek

Day-2 of the State of Ohio Basic Public Information Officers’ Course here in Summit County. And yaaassss, #OnWednesdaysWeWearPink!

Started off the morning talking about interview skills and techniques that are readily used by both PIOs and Reporters/Photojournalists.

Reviewed all oncamera interviews from all the participants in our class.

We want to prepare our new PIOs with the best training so they are capable off hitting the ground running representing their agency positively in a crisis or emergency.

Steve brought in the Team from WKYC (NBC affiliate) Akron Office to be our panel discussion.

Lots of great points including what could make or break a PIO – esp for a close tight knit community like Akron and Summit County. Special thanks to Reporter Amani Abraham and Photojournalist Carl Bachtel on their insight to news media.

PC: Bosso

I was able to get my friend Cleveland Police PIO Sgt Jennifer Ciaccia to give a dual presentation with me on the 2016 Republican National Convention and other Cleveland activities.

As a team, Jen and I are solid, but we recognize that others are needed to establish the efforts of PIOing within their own communities – no matter pre-planned event or emergency.

And yes, we addressed how PIOs need to keep current on social media trends esp on national cool campaigns…like the mannequin challenge.

Again, special thanks to Jen on the support of today’s State of Ohio Basic PIO class.

PC: Bosso

Afternoon was dedicated to the PIO TTX. We setup two groups with all participants for the in class mock press conference and they did a solid job. Both groups worked together…

…and formulated talking points….

…organized and strategically thought out a press conferences agenda…

…prepped speakers…

And of course controlled the unruly fictitious media reps from OZRadio, WTF, and the YellowBrickRoadNews. FEMA Phil and USFA Tom would be so proud of us MPIOs to see us working the press conference part of the class.

Another great day for PIO training in the State of Ohio!

@rusnivek

2018 Second Quarter #PIO Training at WOIO Channel 19 news #PresidentsDay

Posted on February 19, 2018 by rusnivek

Leading off our 2018 2nd quarter Public Information Officer (PIO) Training at WOIO Channel 19/43 (CBS Affiliate).

I’m proud to have so many PIOs from across the State of Ohio and West Virginia discussing current issues and breaking news.

PC: Beth Zietlow-DeJesus

Collaboration and coordination were consistent themes we revisit all the time including Joint Information Center and Joint Information Systems (JIC/JIS). Current news stories like the FL shooting were hot button topics but we also discussed the Boston Bombing, FacebookLive killer, 2016 Republican National Convention, Chardon Shooting, Burke Lakefront plane crash, 3 girls missing for 10+ years, Imperial Ave murders, World Series, and NBA Championships.

PC: Beth Zietlow-DeJesus

But knowing that other PIOs are going through the same issues, we can commiserate and work toward a solution. Yes, of course we did the behind the scenes tours of the studio, desk assignment/reporter bullpen….

…anchor desks, and even popped into a planning meetings for the evening broadcast.

We had so many various disciplines represented.

PC: Beth Zietlow-DeJesus

Great to see all those hard working PIOs ensuring the safety for their communities on Presidents’ Day.

PC: Chris Tanaka

Special thanks to Anchor Chris Tanaka, Acting News Director Brian Sinclair, Mel Watson, Assignment Editor Shelly Steinmetz, and Reporter Jennifer Picciano. Trust me – it’s great to have media partners working with the NEOhio PIOs!

I’m @rusnivek, reporting live from 19 News desk…..

@rusnivek

Supporting infrastructure today #NEORSD

Posted on July 18, 2017 by rusnivek

Slight change of PIO plans today as I was initially assigned to ESF-13 (Law Enforcement) – I have been reallocated to support infrastructure.

So today, I spent some time with the NorthEast Ohio Regional Sewer District, their PIO/Outreach team, and WallyWaterDrop.

WallyWaterDrop and Jessica from NEORSD sharing important safety tips and stickers with everyone..

Great outreach event with Parent Magazine and with so many from our local area.

Also had a chance to pop a quick Periscope live video too.

Nice work Jen Elting!

Here’s a behind the scenes action shot (aka “making the magic happen”).

PIOs in action! (L to R: K. Sur, WallyWaterDrop, and J. Elting) PC: Chief J. Brewington

Great day to support our partners in public safety esp our PIO pros at NEORSD are an invaluable resource.

Fortunately, there was a Starbucks close by…so you know. #hydration

PIO + Coffee = Happy! PC: Chief J. Brewington

Reporting live with some Starbucks…

@rusnivek

Did the USA Today just feature Jennifer and I for the SB Earthquake hiccup?

Posted on June 23, 2017 by rusnivek

Um, did the USA Today just feature Jennifer and I in the USGS earthquake hiccup?

#famous

Here’s the link to the full animation: https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2017/06/22/fake-earthquake-shakes-up-internet/103098496/

@rusnivek

Few PIO takeaways from yesterday’s #CLEStPats Parade Spoxing

Posted on March 18, 2017 by rusnivek

Few Public Information Officer (PIO) takeaways after yesterday’s #CLEStPats Parade.

#Spectacles are great for “hands-free” wearable technology…because its difficult to ride a bike and social media.

Duh! Hands free is great.

However, many people asked about my Spectacles which made it difficult to focus in on duty stuff.

The video activation on Spectacles was tough because I had/could only use my left hand only to start the video.

I wonder if those that have been following along on the SnapChat story, are disappointed when they see it’s only a “regular snap” vs “from Spectacles” in the top left identifier. I guess it’s the same viewer mindset as picture vs video because video appeals to more audiences with movement. Spectacles video is circular in nature, easy to expand view of scene. Here’s a quick example.

Here’s the view from a portrait style snap.

And here’s the same view bust just one of the possible views of a snap with viewer control of scene and framing.

Obv, lots more to see.

Additionally, I can see many of the viewers expecting video as they are getting the “behind the scenes” details with consistent narration. Which means – WE HAVE TO KEEP TALKING ALL THE TIME! Yikes.

As for Spectacles, you might want to consider your breathing as part of the “production” because my Spectacles picked up my breathing standing still and on the bike.

Wind blocking isn’t so great on them – so your “action” movement might be tough to record proper audio. There are no visible ports on SnapChat’s Spectales to attach an external mic.

Again, fun times yesterday with Cleveland Police and so many all-hazards partners in public safety.

If we consistently support each other, we will all succeed in our respective missions.

Be safe out there peeps!

@rusnivek

2017 #CLEStPats Parade and your favorite PIOs Spox on bikes!

Posted on March 17, 2017 by rusnivek

2017 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cleveland is in full swing today.

Always remember to check in at the start of your shift at the EOC!

As part of our all-hazards plan, we have coordinated services with so many other agencies. Obviously the Cleveland EOC Manager wrote an IAP for all of us (Incident Action Plan).

This coordinated document addresses issues that could/likely arise during the operational period. Briefings and discussion completed by leadership as well as the Incident Commander (IC) help all C&GSF successfully complete their tasks. Additionally, understanding each other’s roles as well as the overarching SMART objectives, mission, and goals contribute to the success of the event.

Reporting into my ESF-15: External Affairs – Spox work today!

Planned ESF-1 (Transportation) routes look fairly open so sharing this kind of info with the general public is important because the less impaired drivers we have on the roadways, the better.

That’s why we encourage building partnerships before an event or large disaster. In this case, partnerships between all providers and the Greater Cleveland Rapid Transit Authority (@GCRTA) was key in sharing the message.

Once we field deployed, we planned on a few specific events and locations. Showcasing the skills of local bomb teams and K9 teams is an important part to share with the general public. Security is always important as we must ensure that everyone has a safe St. Patrick’s Day.

We used both Facebook Live, Twitter, Facebook, and Periscope to broadcast directly from the parade staging area on Superior Ave.

To aid in movement, we opted for a few bikes courtesy of the Cleveland Police Bike Unit.

You may have seen these bikes deployed out before during the RNC – they are NICE!!! By being mobile, PIOs have the ability to get anywhere in the response area (Note: This was the first time we have deployed PIOs on bikes for an event).

We even saw many of the reporters we regularly work with – like Fox 8 Cleveland‘s Jessica Dill who decided to do a live spot with us.

Great to have great relationships with local media.

We were able to showcase a few behind the scenes things like the lineup and start of the parade and spot interviews with VIPs in the parade lineup.

Cold day, but it seems like everyone heeded our cold weather warnings. NICE!

We reported back to the EOC to reorient ourselves as the parade had over 120 vehicles/floats.

This gave us a chance to brief w/ leadership and Incident Command (IC). As we continued to push out critical messages, it was imperative that we confirm with the Incident Commander that we are pushing out the right information.

Salient ICS point of reference: PIOs do not operate independently from the IC – they work to push the coordinated messages/information that is approved by the Incident Commander.

As emergency calls come in, the spread of mis-information is rampant. We as PIOs and official Spokespersons (Spox) must ensure that we get the right message out.

As we head back out to into the field, we are able to share traffic patterns and push that information out to the general public. This will help them depart safely and quicker after the parade from downtown Cleveland.

Additionally, Cleveland Police was out ensuring peace for all who attended the parade.

Not only local, but there are so many partners involved like the Cuyahoga County Sheriff…