I picked up on this resource from an ad I saw in Emergency Management Magazine [my paper copy came yesterday]. The ad is for the AWR 209 Course, Dealing with the Media: A short Course for Rural Responders. The brief course description is below:
"AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders
Adapted from FEMA's IG-290 curriculum, this 6-hour course provides rural first responders with skills needed to communicate with the public through the media. Examines roles of the media and the rural first responder/public information officer. Participants learn how to give print/electronic media interviews, write news releases, provide information at the scene, and how they fit into the joint information system."
What got my attention about the training was the part that said "write news releases." I'm of the opinion that the news release writing of only a few years ago should die a natural death. Use them for trainings, celebrations, etc. But, for an incident what responders and emergency managers need to be learning about is how to use Twitter and Facebook to keep the general public and the media up-to-date on what is going on. It is the only way you are going to keep up with the situation and what the general public is saying about the event. Today a news release is like writing an after action report--it is old news by the time it is put out.
The above is just another example of how we need to adopt and use social media in all aspects of what we do as emergency managers. Times are a-changing and if you don't want to end up like Egyptian President Mubarak you need to change with them. Our training courses also need to reflect this new reality.
