Agency PR

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
12,097
6,845
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How often is your agency in the news? We send a press release out almost every week. We are on TV several times a month and the TV stations now know that that can always come to us for any thing that is first responder related. This week they did a whole piece on our new Zoll X series monitors. Everyone in the county can transmit 12 leads, but we look like the trendsetting agency.

Who does PR for your agency? Do you have a strategic plan to tell your story? Do you think its important or a waste of time?
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NPO

Forum Deputy Chief
1,831
897
113
We have a designated PIO, and he stays pretty busy with PR events and luncheons etc... But I think we could do more. We are in the news probably once or twice a month. The overall perception of my agency is very positive. I've literally never met anyone from the public who didn't like our agency.

PIO is something I'm interested in. I have IS-29/G289 and I'd like to get G290 sometime.
 
OP
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NomadicMedic

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
12,097
6,845
113
Working as a PIO is an interesting job. Its all about relationships. You need to be available to the media anytime they call. It'll really work to your advantage.
 

SandpitMedic

Crowd pleaser
2,309
1,260
113
In my opinion, this day in age PR is extremely important. If you don’t stay ahead of the game you’ll get ran in it with all of the social media out there.
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
Community Leader
7,843
2,794
113
We have a designated PIO, and he stays pretty busy with PR events and luncheons etc... But I think we could do more. We are in the news probably once or twice a month. The overall perception of my agency is very positive. I've literally never met anyone from the public who didn't like our agency.

PIO is something I'm interested in. I have IS-29/G289 and I'd like to get G290 sometime.
G290 is a worthy class.

I serve as our PIO and facebook person. I love telling our story and wish I had more time to do it. It takes a lot of effort to even have a decent facebook presence, much less traditional. I try to invite the media up once a quarter for an actual event and will also send them pressers on interesting calls. Throw in a couple pics and I can usually get a minute or two on the evening news. Not bad considering we're 30 miles outside the city.
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
6,196
2,052
113
I'm our department PIO. I maintain our website, Facebook, Twitter, and instagram accounts, and have made connections at all of the local news agencies. We include pictures at as many incidents as possible, try to include information about what we do, and are followed by several local reports.

Truth be told, I'm more liberal on what I want to share compared to my chief, and would love to post even more, but I do what my administration tells me to do. Having a proactive PIO is important, because it allows you to respond to a story before it turns disasterous (see the Denver area news report of the ambulance refusing to help the kid who got hit by a car I mean, the fact that the claims were completely wrong and inaccurate based on the actual fact have nothing to do with the story) as well as be proactive by inviting member of the media to show off what you have and do for your coverage area.

Larger agencies should have a full time PIO; there are a ton of stuff that can fall under the PIO's umbrella. Smaller agencies should have a part time one (20 hrs a week), because it gives them flexibility to do the work as well as another supervisor to handle administrative stuff. Too many agencies keep the doors closed, and think that if they don't contact the press, nothing bad will ever be written about them....
 

cruiseforever

Forum Asst. Chief
559
169
43
Our PR is mostly going to special events for show and tell. We are reminded often how we are a traveling billboard and will get a call from the director if there is a concern or complaint about us.
 
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