Role Summary

The successful applicant will be responsible for developing Public Relations Campaigns, writing press releases, conducting radio interviews, producing television programmes, developing and managing social media presence and other related functions to increase public awareness of disaster threats and the measures that should be adopted to cope with them.

Main Responsibilities

1. Develop, implement and maintain an outgoing Public Awareness and Education Programme designed to keep government agencies, private and voluntary organisations and members of the public fully informed on all aspects of disaster threats and the measures that should be taken to cope with them.
2. Maintain and update the Department’s website to ensure accurate information is available to the public.
3. Research, write, design, and edit communication materials for internal and external audiences, to ensure adequate coverage of communications via multiple media outlets. Persuade media to publish / broadcast information so that it reaches as wide an audience as possible.
4. Conduct periodic surveys and produce reports on activities and effectiveness of communications for the Director, making recommendations for improvements where possible.
5. Provide assistance to the Chairperson of the Public Information and Education subcommittee of the National Disaster Management Council as required.
6. Attend public participation consultation meetings and functions as necessary; coordinating all requests from the public for presentation, training, information and assisting in making presentations to the public on various hazards.
7. Collaborate with regional and international disaster management agencies on specific projects.
8. Maintain knowledge and understanding of key issues in disaster management through attendance at training courses so that the department is continually updated and expanded.
9. Liaise with government and non-government agencies, Deputy Governor’s Office’s Information Officer, and Government Information System (GIS) to ensure internal and external coverage of programmes, activities and press conferences.
10. Supervise the Assistant Information Officer to ensure all tasks are carried out as required.
11. Serve on the relevant National Disaster Management Council sub-committees.
12. Perform any other duties as required by the supervisor or senior officer in order to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the department.

EMERGENCY FUNCTIONS:

The Public Information Officer (PIO), a member of the Command Staff and assigned by the NEOC Director, is responsible for the formulation and release of information about the incident to the news media. Upon activation of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), the Information and Education Manager becomes the Public Information Officer. Duties include:

General Responsibilities:

• Represent the NEOC Director as required
• Act as liaison between NEOC and the Media
• Coordinate Press Conference where necessary

Alert Phase:

• Check in at designated Check-in location
• Have Information Plan handy during the event
• Receive briefing
• Acquire work materials
• Maintain accountability of assigned personnel as to exact location(s), personal safety, and welfare at all times, especially when working in or around incident operations
• Organize and brief subordinates and PIE Sub-committee chair
• Know assigned frequency(s) for your area of responsibility and ensure that communication equipment is operating properl   

Response Phase:

• Operations Centre (NEOC) as the lead Public Information Officer

• Ensure that the public receives complete, accurate, timely and officially sanctioned information about safety precautions and the arrangements being made to respond to the incident
• Assume the leadership role in preparing news releases and ensuring their dispatch
• Make administrative and logistical arrangements for the staging of news conferences and media briefings
• Implement the NEOC and National Disaster Management Plan procedures as they relate to information management
• Provide advice to the Director of the NEOC with regards to the management of public information in general and media relations in particular
• Develop and circulate a media briefing schedule on site if necessary
• Assume lead responsibility for the management of a media center if one is activated on site
• Ensure that relevant logs and files are maintained and relevant situation reports (SITREPS) are relayed to the NEOC
• Take action to correct inaccurate reports which appear in the media
• Recommend that urgent warnings are provided in Spanish as well as English
• Conduct briefings at the end of each shift
• Supervise “standing down” of media operations on site

Recovery Phase:

• Prepare reports for inclusion in After Action Report
•  Monitor media to follow up with updated reports

Unless otherwise assigned by the NEOC Director, the Public Information Officer position will be assigned to the DDM Information and Education Manager

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, Public Relations or in related area
• Five (5) years working experience in a related area
• Sound knowledge of the Government structure, policies and procedures
• Sound knowledge in the operation of computers, cameras, video cameras, recorders, the internet and other sources of information
• Sound knowledge of the use of standard office equipment and computer applications
• Sound supervisory and management skills
• Good interpersonal and organisational skills
• Sound oral and written communication skilll
• Ability to work well under pressure