The Fort Bend County Public Information Officers Network is an open and inclusive network of individuals from Fort Bend County jurisdictions, agencies, and organizations who serve as official Public Information Officers, are tasked with public information responsibilities, or who serve as designated spokespersons for their jurisdictions. This network was developed as a means to share information and develop standard communication protocols that will be used to communicate to our community during an emergency.
Vision
The Fort Bend County Public Information Officers Network will provide the local community with vital information for survival, safety, and awareness in a crisis.
Mission
To provide a collaborative communications network in Fort Bend County in order to provide residents, guests, and our local, regional, state, and national partners with information and communication resources to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a crisis.
What can we do?
- Fortify the information plan/system
- Establish a Joint Information Center
- Share plans, expectations, and issues
- Maximize technology and embrace traditional measures
- Reach out to special needs populations
- Include the Media in Planning
Objectives
- Implement a well-organized, easy-to-use computer-based network that connects all stakeholders
- Provide first responder agencies with public information support in a crisis
- Collaboration within the network to develop consistent messages, i.e., “Speak with one voice.”
- Initiate a joint information center to facilitate timely communications in a crisis
- Collectively work in advance of an incident to educate the public about crises response
- Identify desired public action
- Provide reasonable knowledge of the situation
- Instill public reassurance
- Coordinate media response
- Implement emergency public information system
- Facilitate internal communications
Meetings
The Fort Bend County Public Information Officer Network meets on the first Friday of every even-numbered month:
- February
- April
- June
- August
- October
- December
We meet from 8:30 A.M. to 10:00 A.M in the main floor meeting room in the Travis Building located at 301 Jackson Street, Richmond, TX 77469. Coffee and light refreshments are provided.
Meetings consist of networking time, open discussion on Public Information issues, and usually a program or presentation from a member or a guest speaker. We have heard from speakers ranging from a police department’s social media officer, to the FBI’s cyber security division, to the Red Cross. The meetings are brief, but focused and beneficial to any emergency communicators within Fort Bend County,