GROVELAND – John Guilfoil Public Relations would like to congratulate two of its associates on their completion of advanced training in the field of public information and media relations.
Public Relations Associate Kayla Rochon recently completed the FEMA National Disaster & Emergency Management University’s L-0388 Advanced Public Information Officer (APIO) Training. Public Safety Liaison Robert Mills successfully completed the FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations Training program (MPR).
Robert Mills, Public Safety Liaison – FBI LEEDA, Media and Public Relations Training
Throughout his time at JGPR, Robert has worked on various aspects of public safety messaging and strategic communications, including critical incident and on-scene crisis response. When the scanner goes off, Rob is among the first people ready to deploy.
A long-time breaking news reporter and editor at The Sun of Lowell, Mills headed to Vermont last week, where he completed the five-day LEEDA MPR program.
The intensive training consisted of interactive individual and group training activities that covered speaking to reporters, collaborating with other public safety partners, interview skills, crisis communications, social media, and internal communications.
The skills developed and learned throughout the program can be applied in many ways across crisis communication and within public safety. Most notably, building a relationship between your department and the media, focusing on relaying accurate and timely information, and keeping their deadlines and the news cycle in mind.
One notable takeaway that stuck with Robert was the use of a CAP statement. This statement is a cornerstone for crafting and sharing information to the media and the public
“The FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations class was extremely useful, informative, and surprisingly, fun,” Mills said. “The concepts we learned for facing major crises and news events have expanded my skills and boosted my confidence in my ability to provide our clients with the best possible support when news breaks. I also made a few new friends who work at client agencies and neighboring agencies. It was a tremendous experience.”
Kayla Rochon, Public Relations/Digital Associate – FEMA Advanced Public Information Officer (APIO)
After completing FEMA’s 3-day Basic Public Information Officer training, Rochon set out to face a new challenge: Advanced Public Information Officer (APIO) training. Her journey started with many hours of prerequisite training through FEMA’s library of online, self-directed courses.
The five-day L-0388 APIO Training, hosted in New Hampshire, was an in-depth and interactive training exercise that brought together communications and public relations leaders from across the country. During the training, attendees practiced their PIO skills using a hands-on approach in a Joint Information Center (JIC). In the JIC, a mock scenario was created and participants had to collaborate with county, state, and federal counterparts to effectively disseminate information in a timely manner, with unforeseen challenges along the way.
The course also focused on the importance of S.M.A.R.T. Goals, and how to utilize your messaging to ensure that everyone who sees, reads, or hears it can understand it fully by creating goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
The training encouraged participants to utilize critical thinking, crisis management skills and informational judgment to further personal and professional development in a structured and creative way.
“FEMA’s hands-on learning experience inside a Joint Information Center was truly a great way to grow my knowledge of the subject and develop my skills as a PIO,” said Rochon, who also has completed the FBI-LEEDA MPR program. “The collaboration between public safety and communication professionals was a great way to strengthen relationships not only with my team during the exercise but also with communicators across the country. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to practice and expand their knowledge as public information officers.”
JGPR is staffed by communications and creative professionals who only serve clients on the public safety, education, public health, and government sectors. It has served public safety agencies in all 50 states during its 11-year history.
“We train the way our clients train, and we have to be ready to deploy within the rules, structures and confines of the national Incident Command System at a moment’s notice,” said company founder John Guilfoil, who has also completed the FEMA APIO program. “Every day is a training day, and by keeping our focus on honing our skills, JGPR is better positioned every day to provide the highest level of service to our government and emergency sector clients.”
About John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC:
With the philosophy that every police and fire department and government agency deserves effective communications and public relations on the same scale as major corporations, John Guilfoil Public Relations produces clear, concise written materials, communications strategy, website development, and crisis management services for our clients and responds to breaking news incidents for more than 500 police and fire departments, public schools, and municipal governments, and nonprofits throughout the U.S. The company is based in Massachusetts and was founded by John Guilfoil, a former Boston Globe staff reporter who served as deputy press secretary for the late Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. JGPR.net.
