Media training for first responders being offered in NKY | Environment

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS KY (FOX19) - The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) and Institute for Preventive Strategies (IPS) are bringing free Department of Homeland Security-certified course on media awareness and response to Highland Heights.

Whether it be roadside, at the scene of an emergency, or in a crisis situation, rural first responders are often thrust into the role of a public information officer fielding questions from the news media and working with media outlets to quickly and effectively communicate information to the public.

Campbell County emergency operations chief William Ray Turner says that homeland Security defines "rural" as having a population of fewer than 60 thousand people.

This six-hour instructor-led course, AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural First Responders, will be offered on August 17, 2011 from 9am to 4 pm at Campbell County Fire Training Center giving emergency responders the skills and knowledge they need to quickly adopt the role of a public information officer if and when needed and to communicate with the public through the news media.

Participants will learn both in a classroom-lecture setting and through group activities. Many rural first responder organizations do not have a full- or part-time public information officer on staff, therefore, making this training a valuable asset in learning more about building media relationships and effective communication skills in disseminating information to the news media.   

First responders of all sorts, which includes police, fire, and public works, should contact

Jurisdiction Name: Campbell County Officer of Emergency Management
Contact; William Ray Turner
Phone: 859-547-3150
Email:wturner@campbellcountyky.org

All training delivered by RDPC is certified by Department of Homeland Security and is offered tuition-free for a broad scope of stakeholders in qualifying jurisdictions, including the traditional emergency response disciplines, and other emergency response functions as defined by the National Response Framework, as well as critical infrastructure owners and operators.

RDPC is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Training and Education Integration Division partnership of academic institutions with a vision of creating an environment wherein rural communities across America will have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to enhance the safety, security and quality of life for their citizens.

Current members of the Consortium include East Tennessee State University, Eastern Kentucky University, The University of Findlay, Iowa Central Community College, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, and North Carolina Central University.  Each of these institutions possesses extensive and unique capabilities relating to rural emergency preparedness training.

For further information, visit the Consortium web site at www.ruraltraining.org.

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