You want to be a Wildland Public Information Officer?

The Incident Command System (ICS): ICS is used to manage an emergency incident (like wildland fire, search and rescue, etc) or a non-emergency event.  The information officer reports to the Incident Commander, who in turn reports to the agency or jurisdictions responsible for the incident.  A good overview of ICS is provided in the independent study course titled Introduction to ICS (I-100) – go to http://training.nwcg.gov/classes/i100.htm to access this course.

What does a Public Information Officer (PIO) do? A PIO is responsible for the formulation and release of information about the incident to the news media, local communities, incident personnel, the incident management team, other agencies and organizations.  As you progress in your training and development, you may become a Lead Information Officer, responsible for the management of other PIOs assigned to the incident.

Who is eligible to be a PIO? Technically, anyone can become a PIO, but it does require good interpersonal communication skills and writing skills to meet the needs of the position. There is training as well as task books associated with the three levels of public information officers. You can begin locally as a Public Information Officer (PIOF); if you wish to work regionally or nationally, you can begin either as a PIOF or as a Public Information Officer Type 2 (PIOF2). After becoming a PIO2, you can advance in experience and training to become a Public Information Officer Type 1 (PIO1), which is the most advanced level. Note: The PIOF position is entry level, it is not a prerequisite for higher qualifications, and is not tied to the complexity of an incident.

What do I need to do to start the process and why do I need training? First, discuss your interest with your supervisor.  Then, contact your local Fire or Emergency Management Officer who can initiate your task book. PIOs (who work fire and other events) are certified through the completion of requirements listed in the Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide.  At first glance, the requirements may seem arduous, but the skills developed will serve you well on a daily basis. Training and qualifications are completed through four avenues: Training Courses, which provide specific background knowledge; Position Task Books, which contain tasks, required to perform the job; Job Aids, to provide ready reference; and finally Agency Certification, which provides the documentation certifying that the individual is qualified to perform in the specific job. (This is the responsibility of the employing agency.)

Information Officer Position Task Books: Your home unit must initiate the task book.  Position Task Books are available on the National Wildfire Coordinating Group website at http://www.nwcg.gov – Click on Publications, then Taskbooks.  Within Taskbooks, scroll down to Command and General Staff, to find the PIO task books. To begin as a PIOF, there is no required training. Prior to initiating the PIO2 task book, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior (S-190) must be completed.

Physical Fitness Requirements: Typically, a PIO has no physical fitness requirements to hold that position, UNLESS that PIO will be expected to visit the fireline with media, dignitaries, etc.  This would be a typical occurrence on most incidents; therefore, a light duty fitness test would be required – walking 1 mile in 16 minutes.

The Next Step: If you are working toward certification as a PIOF, you will receive a qualifications card that states you are a PIOF(t) (Public Information Officer Trainee); as a Type 2 trainee, your qualifications card would read PIO2(t). When any task book is completed, your home unit will finalize your certification.  You should receive an Incident Qualifications and Certification System card (IQCS card or Red Card) from your park or regional Fire Management Officer to state that you are qualified as a Public Information Officer – this will be required to go on the fireline on incidents.  You must also be registered in the ROSS (Resource Ordering and Status System). Check with your local unit protocol on how to be added to ROSS.

Reference: Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide PMS 310-1, NFES 1414.