The document outlines the operations and experiences of Colorado's Joint Information Center (JIC) during various emergencies in 2012, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and public information management. It details specific incidents like the Lower North Fork Fire, High Park Fire, and the Aurora Theater shooting, highlighting the roles of Public Information Officers (PIOs) and the use of social media for information dissemination. The document stresses the value of collaboration among agencies and the establishment of local public information groups to improve emergency response efforts.

1. Colorado 2012
Joint
Information
System
Joint
Information
Center
Micki Trost, PIO
Colorado Division of Homeland
Security & Emergency Management
www.COEmergency.com
micki.trost@state.co.us

2. Joint Information Center
Incident Commander
JIC Facilities Liaison Lead Public Information Officer
Information Gathering & Information Field Information Group
Production Group Dissemination Group
Gathering Unit Internal Unit Community Relations Unit
Research & Writing Unit Media & Rapid Response Unit Media Field Unit
Audio-Visual Support Unit Briefing Unit VIP Unit
Media Monitoring Unit Telephone Unit
Web-Net Unit

3. Joint Information System
• More Realistic
• Staffing ~ Resources
• Incident Needs
• Relationships and People
• “#smem makes JIS worldwide”
• Establish Communication Methods

4. Summer 2012 Incidents
• Lower North Fork Fire
• Elbert-Kiowa-Lamar County Tornadoes
• Hewlett Gulch Fire
• High Park Fire
• Summer Wildfires: Little Sand, Sunrise Mine, Last
Chance, 30+ more (17 wildfires on July 3 alone)
• Waldo Canyon Fire
• Aurora Theater Shooting
• Presidential Debate
• Jessica Ridgeway Abduction

5. Lower North Fork Fire
Jefferson County, March 26, 2012

6. Lower North Fork Fire

7. Lower North Fork Fire

8. Lower North Fork Fire
• Google Map: 2.7 million direct views
• Emergency Blog
• Press Conference
• Twitter
• Trap Line
• Community Meetings
• VIP Visits
• State PIO Liaison at ICP
• Communication and Social Media Plan at
www.jeffcoblogspot1.com

9. Lower North Fork Fire
Public Information Officer Workspace
• 8-10 PIOs from Jeffco IMT.
• Inside Incident Command Post utilizing four
middle school lab tables.
• Each PIO had a laptop, cellphone and their
GO-Kits. A couple of PIOs had cameras.
• As incident expanded the transition to a Type I
team included two additional Type I IMT PIOs.

10. Tornadoes:
Elbert – Kiowa – Lamar Colorado
• Early contact and information sharing
• PIO support sent to Kiowa County
• COEmergency retweeting and posting from
local jurisdiction
– Twitter
– Websites
– Faxes
– Assisted with local media interviews

11. High Park Fire:
Larimer County Sheriff, June 9, 2012

12. High Park Fire

13. High Park Fire
www.larimer.org/highparkfire

14. High Park
• Early communication and process for information
sharing established in Prior Hewlett Gulch Fire. State
PIO included on Larimer County Sheriff Press Release
email list and is subscribed to the county emergency
news website page.
• Tied into Larimer County Information and Social Media
Sites
• State PIO participation in Larimer’s first Disaster
Recovery Meeting to meet Community Relations and
PIO staff.
• VIP Visits
• State PIO Liaison for one week and visited:
• JIC
• ICP
• Disaster Recovery Center
• Community Meetings

15. High Park
• Public Information and Public Affairs Support
requested from the incident to the State EOC
• Colorado National Guard Public Affairs Team
• Photos
• Video
Public Information Mission Sets in
WebEOC available to any incident

16. High Park
Public Information Officer Workspace In JIC
• Conference room in the Larimer County Sheriff office
next to the dispatch center.
• 10-12 PIOs and county agency representatives in the
JIC.
• Three-four 2-1-1 representative taking phone calls for
volunteers and donations and inputting the data in the
web based system.
• One State field manager and PIO.
• County Emergency Manager was in the same room as
well as Ham Operators.
• Information received from the ICP from a sheriff
liaison and through media briefings.

17. Waldo Canyon Fire
El Paso County, June 23, 2012

18. Waldo Canyon Fire
Twitter Accounts Tied Together

19. Waldo Canyon Fire
www.elpasoco.com

20. Waldo Canyon Fire
• JIC – CSEPP PIO/ PAO
support
• Liaison between ICP and
EOC
• No State PIO Liaison
• PIO conference calls
regarding Recovery Center
and Information
• Request through SEOC for
PIO support in recovery
phase

21. State EOC ESF15 Support
• On July 3: 17 large fires in addition to High Park Fire and Waldo Canyon
Fire
• Tourism Questions
• National Media Questions
• PIO conference calls between counties, state and federal
• COEmergency sites used to push public and media to official agency
• WebEOC
• FEMA Incident Management Assistance Team deployed to SEOC
• Social Media Monitoring
• Media Monitoring and Daily Reports
• AIR Teams
• Disaster Declaration Information Assistance
• Factsheets
• Congressional Contacts and Visits
• VIP Visits
• Recovery Information and Preliminary Damage Assessments
• Photos
• 20+ people working

22. COEmergency Twitter Site
Hashtags: #COfire #COwx #COhealth: Situational Awareness

23. COEmergency Facebook

24. COEmergency Blogsite

25. State EOC ESF 15
Public Information Officer Workspace in the State EOC
• State EOC plus two FEMA IMAT public affairs
representatives in the EOC with an additional 20+ public
affairs staff in a conference room in the building.
• Each PIO had a computer, internet access and phone line.
• The FEMA public affairs lead and the State ESF 15 lead
attended all Command and General Staff meetings during
the day and coordinated ESF 15 activities.

26. Aurora Theater Shooting
Aurora PD, July 9, 2012
Primary source of
information coming
out was through
the Aurora PD
Facebook page and
through media
briefings.

27. Aurora Theater Shooting
Public Information Officer Liaison Program
• Utilized the local PIO group in Denver (ESPIOC) to support the
families of the 12 killed and some of those hospitalized for a
long period.
• Goal to support the families and remove the crush of media on
them, stop the phone calls, assist with funeral coverage and
court hearings, but never by caught in front of a camera or
quoted.
• Orientation provided by Aurora PD PIO, District Attorney, Victim
Advocates.
• Well received by media.
• Communication strategy
• Gmail Accounts – lastnameoffamily_familypio@gmail.com
• Google Voice - number given to media
• Google Alerts

28. Aurora Theater Shooting
Public Information Officer Workspace - observed
• Utilized a conference room at the Police
Department.
• Three – six PIOs in conference room with
laptops, phone lines, cell phones, white boards.
• Also used space in the PD PIO office.
• Called in assistance from ESPIOC (Emergency
Services Public Information Officers of Colorado).

29. Jessica Ridgeway Case:
Westminster PD, October 2012

30. Jessica Ridgeway Case

31. Jessica Ridgeway Case
ESPIOC Support to Westminster PD Public Information Officers

32. Jessica Ridgeway Case
Public Information Officer Workspace
• Utilized the ESPIOC network.
• Utilized the Westminster PD PIO office space
• Two – Three computers, land line phones and four tv
monitors.
• Communicated through social media and news
conferences.

33. Building Joint Information System
• Join or establish local Public Information Groups
• Ask for help
• ColoradoPIO Facebook Group
• Colorado/Utah Joint Information System Facebook Group
• Twitter #smemchats on Fridays
• State EOC Resource Request: PIO Mission Set
• Colorado National Guard Public Affairs Team (through State EOC resource request)
• Sent your press releases, information or let me know where it is located and I will
support your efforts to get it to the community and media.
• I’d love to visit your PIO group and get to know your teams.
Micki.Trost@state.co.us
Twitter: COEmergency
Facebook: COEmergency
www.COEmergency.com
The relationships are far more important than the technology.