PR Go Kit

You're at work or away from home when something happens. It sounds bad – very bad.  There is call up for amateur radio support in your community or section. You may not have a radio with you and yet as a PIO you are responsible for promoting amateur radio's role to the news media.

What tools should you have with you in a PIO Go-Kit?
What tools might be available to you?

The nice part about it is that most of a PIOs materials are able to be put into electronic form and there are now finger sized flash drives that plug into computer USB ports.  That makes it easy!  Add in a disposable or (better yet) digital camera and you’re in good shape.

Things to have On Hand 

BUSINESS CARDS!

Any credentials you may have been given or needed to enter JIC
      ( JIC = Joint Information Center)
Camera
Computer CD/Flash Drive pre-loaded with:
      Ham Radio background releases
      Business cards or similar to pass out
      List of key hams for your region with contact info,
       including Section Staff, DECs, ECs
      Sample photos –
      EOC, Ham with hand held radio, Field Day,
      ham working with served agency official
      List of ham radio media outlet email addresses such as:
      ARRL PR, ARRL News, CQ, Newsline, QRZ, etc
      List of local area public news media contacts and their emails/phone numbers.
    Pad & pens/pencils


Established once at a PC with Internet connections

Email links with key EPA amateur radio officials.
Began monitoring local email news groups for information and call ups.
Established online logging of events or stories on the ARRL EPA Section web page so all
news media could follow info. This reduced public news media inquiries. 



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Here is a form you should have already printed out.  The PIO or an EC can fill in the blanks and hand it to media as needed.  It saves a lot of time and has the critical information for reporters.





The _____________________ Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) has been activated to assist with primary/auxilliary emergency communications for this event.  The group is coordinated by _______________________(name of EC or acting EC).

_______________ ARES is working with the ______________ county/city/town Office of Emergency Management and the following agency(ies): _________________________
_________________________
_________________________

The group is providing communications links between: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Amateur Radio operators are stationed at the following locations to provide communications assistance:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

_____________(#) of Amateur Radio operators are at the sites
_____________(#) of additional Amateur Radio operators are on standby for additional communications needs.


Insert boilerplate paragraph about the local ARES group


For more information contact
________________________ (name of acting PIO)
________________________ (e-mail)
________________________ (phone and pager numbers)