November 2016
FireNuggets, Inc
Move up close to the microphones. Take a deep breath and relax.
Speak in a lively manner with plenty of interest in your voice. Your
*there is no “I” in team- department members work together to
accomplish multiple tasks at fire and emergency incidents. Use
tone should convey your expertise. Speak clearly and loud
enough for all in attendance to hear. Provide your name and rank.
the word “we” when describing operational activities. Don’t take
sole credit for a successful outcome.
Spell out your last name to ensure accuracy. Listen carefully to
each question and answer what is being asked. It is very easy to
be distracted by cameras as well as lights during nighttime hours.
Feel free to offer important information instead of waiting for
reporters to ask for it. When talking, avoid slang and firefighting
jargon (truckies, triple-deuce, on the knob, bus, etc.). This
verbiage can be confusing to the general public. Use “plain speak”
so all listening fully understand what you are saying, what
happened and how your department handled the situation. Your
answers need to be short and to the point. Avoid long run-on
sentences but understand that simple “yes” or “no” answers can
make you seem uninformed and closed minded. Remember, you
can be in front of the cameras for 2-3 minutes yet only 10-15
seconds of the interview may be used later that day. Above all
don’t guess. If needed, pause to gather your thoughts prior to
answering tough questions. If you do not know the answer to a
question don’t be afraid to just say so. The unknown information
can be gathered at a later time and provided during a subsequent
interview. Avoid saying, “no comment” to questions that you are
not authorized to discuss since it can imply that you are
attempting to hide something. Instead, explain why you cannot
talk about the issue. Moreover, don’t intentionally give false
information to the press in order to make your department look
good or to hide mistakes made on the fireground. As an official
spokesperson you must be ethical and accountable for the actions
of your department.
Recommendations
Additional suggestions to consider that may be helpful to you
when answering questions at a news conference include:
*don’t go it alone- bring with you press office personnel to the
news conference. If you forget anything they can be prompted to
supply the information required. Don’t feel obligated to answer a
question that should more correctly be asked of someone else.
Have the ranking officer from EMS close at hand also to provide
medical and transport information when needed.
By Firefighters, For Firefighters
*response time of first arriving unit – if the response time for the
first due company is well above normal, find out the reason before
the news conference from the company officer. Be prepared to
answer difficult questions in transparent fashion.
*building /emergency size-up- what were conditions like when
firefighters came on the scene? Was there heavy fire out three
second floor windows in the front of the building? What type
occupancy: residential, commercial, public assembly, etc. was the
structure? Was a propane tank leaking product from the bed of a
transport vehicle during a hazardous material emergency on a
roadway? If so, explain how your members mitigated the danger.
Be succinct, try to paint a vivid picture of the challenges faced
upon arrival. Mention the highlights of the operation (rescue, fire
extinguishment, medical treatment). Don’t get into the weeds,
however, in trying to explain everything that occurred. Basically, to
paraphrase the words of Julius Caesar: Venimus! Vidimus!
Vicimus! (We came, We saw, We conquered).
*building address/area location- if the address of the building has
not yet been ascertained, provide the neighborhood/section of
the city where operations are being conducted or name of the
facility/complex. Major transportation incidents require highway/
road identification, nearest exit and direction of traffic travel. For
example: Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, Hunts Point Terminal
Market, Citi Field, Long Island Expressway (eastbound-200 yards
from exit 19), etc.
*number of people killed and injured- no names are to be given.
Double check the information you have with the ranking medical
officer at the incident prior to meeting with the media. If unsure,
tell the press that the Department is still trying to confirm the
numbers prior to announcing them.
*nature of injuries- common injuries on the fireground include
trauma, burns and smoke inhalation. Verify this information with
EMS before offering it up to the media. Keep the information
general in all cases.
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