State/HMA Public Information Coordinator
Role description, responsibilities, start-up, ongoing, and post-incident actions
Responsibilities State/HMA Public Information Coordinator
Your primary responsibility is to manage timely, accurate, and approved communications across all channels, through liaison with the State Emergency Public Information Coordinator (SEPIC).
Reporting line: You report to the State Incident Controller.
- COLLECTING any public information relating to the event and report to State Incident Controller
- IDENTIFYING emergency public information requirements
- RELAYING appropriate public information relating to the event as per State Incident Controller instructions
- ENSURING that relevant communications for different audiences and media issues are being considered in relevant Response and Recovery Strategies
- LIAISING with SEPIC to ensure alignment of messaging across all responding agencies
- CONFIRMING what information can be legally released
- ENSURING any website, social media, print, television or radio information is appropriate, factually correct, and fit-for-purpose
- CONTINUING to monitor and analyse the situation as it evolves
- MAINTAINING detailed records of all outgoing communications (including date and time, content of message, and authorisation)
- LIAISING and cooperating with relevant stakeholders involved in the resolution of the incident
Start-up Actions State/HMA Public Information Coordinator
- CONFIRM location of the IMT meeting room upon notification from the Incident Scribe
- PROCEED to the IMT meeting room. Bring your mobile phone, iPad/Tablet, laptop, chargers, staff access card and ensure you have access to relevant documentation
- LOCATE appropriate Communications and Media templates and have them ready for use
- REVIEW the IMT “Rules of Engagement” / Ground Rules and agreed behaviours
Within IMT we will (Rules of Engagement):
- Listen to others’ expertise – no one knows everything
- Speak up if the team seems to have overlooked a key issue
- Beware of tunnel vision, maintain situational awareness
- Delegate tasks rather than having the whole team focussed on a single issue
- Recognise that our immediate decisions should be informed by longer-term considerations
- Declare each decision being made and how it is being recorded, and its deadline for action
- PREPARE a message ready for distribution to all staff advising them that IMT has been invoked, new reporting lines are established, and precis of the known issues/event
- REQUEST the SEPIC to send the appropriately worded (pre-approved) holding statement to inform the state about the Emergency Situation, if required
- PREPARE media releases and speaking points for the spokesperson or Minister
- ARRANGE media presence as required
- SEND messages and updates once the State Incident Controller has approved content
Ongoing Actions State/HMA Public Information Coordinator
- MONITOR social and other media regularly
- REVIEW Communication logs to ensure comms matters are attended to
- REVIEW status of all releases (do amendments need to be made?)
- IDENTIFY future comms activities and assign responsibilities
- MAINTAIN a log of all your activities (particularly decisions)
- KEEP the Incident Scribe up to date regarding any significant issues
- KEEP the IMT briefed regarding any significant issues
- DEVELOP & DISTRIBUTE ongoing consistent messages as appropriate to IMT
- ENSURE copy, communications, and messages are made available in a timely manner
- RECOMMEND communication channels to stakeholders
- At the end of your shift/end of day, COMPLETE your Handover Sheet for your relief or the next day
Post-Incident Actions State/HMA Public Information Coordinator
- COMPILE & PRESERVE all information in your Events Tracking log, and hand it to the Incident Scribe for consolidation
- PARTICIPATE in post-incident review and debrief with the IMT
- CREATE or CONVERT communications into templates or boilerplates for future use