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By Steve MacDonaldBoston Fire Department
The third Monday each April is a state holiday in Massachusetts. We call it Patriots Day. It is a day where the Revolutionary War battle at Lexington and Concord is remembered, where the Red Sox play the only morning game in the Major Leagues – an 11 a.m. start – and where, for 117 years, the Boston Marathon has been run.
This year started off no diff erent. Great weather with temperatures favorable to the 30,000 plus runners of the marathon. The Boston Marathon is considered one of the toughest courses there is. You start off running downhill and battle Heartbreak Hill around the 20-mile mark, all while running through eight cities and towns.
The last push is a straightaway down Boylston Street with the fi nish line at the Boston Public Library. Here, a bridge is built across the street for the media to cover the fi nish. Many photographers – both still and digital video – are on it. About 100 yards past the fi nish line is a massive medical tent with a couple of hundred cots, wheelchairs, backboards – just about everything you can imagine the medics need to treat hundreds. Out the back door, several ambulances are at the ready.
All the fi rst responders – fi re, police and EMS – have operations plans for this
event. They have been fi ne tuned over a period of many years. This is augmented by hundreds of volunteers including the military, doctors and nurses.
The Bombings
Nothing could prepare any of us for these terrorist bombings that happened around 2:50 p.m.
When it happened, there were fi reballs
that lasted a few seconds but no fi res. In the immediate aftermath, three people died instantly with 14 people suff ering amputations at the scene. These 14 were transported to area hospitals along with more than 100 other victims. All survived and that is an amazing rescue story in itself. In about 20 minutes, all the victims had been moved from the two bombsites, as the fear of secondary devices was very real.
At the scene, I tried calling the fi re commissioner but all cell phones were down. I was told later the sheer volume of calls basically crashed the system. No one could get a line out. I was able to get through to the mayor’s communications director and briefed her on what was happening. The fi nish line area was fl ooded with fi rst responders and, in short order, the police and fi re commissioners arrived from nearby locations.
I walked with the commissioners and other command staff over to the Westin Hotel about 30 minutes after the bombings. It is located at the backside of the medical tent. Here, a command center was being established. We took over a small ballroom on the third fl oor. My task was to plan for the media.
Logistics and dealing with breaking news incidents are what I deal with best. I told the police commissioner I would fi nd a suitable location for media briefi ngs. I tracked down a hotel manager and was able to secure a room used by the marathon staff that already had a podium, riser and chairs set up. It was about 3:30 p.m.
I went back to the police commissioner to tell him we have a room for the press conference and asked what time he wanted the fi rst one, sooner or later. He said sooner, 4:30 p.m., so we could start to tell the public the basic information we had.
Back on Boylston Street where the bombings had happened (approximately
The Newsletter of the National Information Offi cers Association
NEWSMay – June 2013 www.nioa.org Vol. 10, No. 3
Bombing in BostonMarathon puts fi rst responders to the test as world watches non-stop
Inside This Issue:
Fronimos: Prevent Harm ... And Be Nice
Boston PD PIO Added to Conference Lineup
2013 Training Conference At-A-Glance
Police line Boylston Street, near the fi nish of the Boston Marathon, in the wake of two explosions April 15. The author is visible in the lower right corner.
Candidates for VP Throw Hat in Ring
Career Got You Stressed? Most Likely.
See MARATHON, page 7
MacDonald
Another NIOA training conference is almost upon us and as always the executive board has worked hard to put together a great agenda. We have revised and added sessions, and I am certain every session will have something for everyone.
Recently, I was in Louisville, Ky., for a meeting and I had the opportunity to take in a movie, “BURN: One Year On The Front Lines In The Battle To Save Detroit” (actually it was my fourth time seeing it).
The documentary shows the lives of Detroit fi refi ghters, personal and professional and the struggles they have battled day in and day out to keep a department and a city afl oat.
While many cities across America have struggled recently due to the economy, Detroit
has struggled for generations. Whether it’s due to the development of interstate highways and suburbs in the 1950s, civil unrest in the ‘60s, “white fl ight” of the ‘70s; the declining American auto and steel industries in the ‘80s or the surge in outsourcing of American jobs overseas in the 1990s, we witnessed one of the greatest industrial cities in history decay into an abyss. The community’s perception of public safety is that it is non-existent. I know for a fact it exists and it is present in the movie showing how these fi refi ghters care about their city and the citizens they serve. Custom service by the law enforcement, EMS and fi re service professionals is alive and well within the City of Detroit.
While watching BURN, I began to think of all the departments, organizations and communities across the country that are suff ering because of the bad economy – fi re companies are closing, police offi cers are being laid off and public works downsized. With declining budgets and staffi ng how can we promote our agencies? The greatest resource we have in promoting our organizations, in good times and bad is always our people. Even though we may be faced with any one of these situations, we still have a job to do for our community, for our customers … and who are always the ones that represent us … our frontline providers.
Retired Phoenix Fire Chief and fi re service legend Alan Brunacini has been preaching “Take care of Mrs. Smith” for years. If we take care of our customers – “Mrs. Smith” on every routine call – it makes the job of community relations so much easier for the PIO and refl ects positively upon the organization, our elected offi cials and individuals themselves. Any time we can interact with “Mrs. Smith” and turn a bad situation into something positive, we have succeeded in marketing our organization.
For years, I have tried to promote the philosophy that even though we are our agencies offi cial PIO, we must train every member in our agencies to present themselves in a professional manner to the media, at community events and to every citizen – the “Mrs. Smith” we serve.
Take a moment to refl ect after reading this, and maybe tomorrow or the next day, make it a point to thank your people for the job they do. Make them feel appreciated, make them feel they’re doing a good job and recognize them for doing something simple and small – like being nice.
As Chief Brunacini has taught through the years, “Prevent harm. Survive. And be Nice.” If we can do that, then we will have accomplished something positive and successful. That’s a life lesson that we should all try to practice every day.
[ President’sView ]
‘Prevent harm. Survive. And be Nice.’Don Kelly
Editor
Baton Rouge PD(225) 389-3800
NIOA News is the offi cial newsletter of the National
Information Offi cers Association.
It is published six times annually.
Contact us at:P.O. Box 10125,
Knoxville, TN 37939 or, by email, at [email protected].
2 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
2012-13 NIOA Board
Executive Director Lisa McNeal
P.O. Box 10125Knoxville, TN 37939
(865) [email protected]
PresidentMike Fronimos
Hebron Fire Protection District
(859) 586-9009nkyfi [email protected]
Vice PresidentCharles Warner
Franklin Police Department(615) 550-6821
Secretary Lou ThurstonNewport News Police Dept.
(757) [email protected]
Immediate Past President Chuck AllenDPS – Nevada Highway
Patrol(775) 689-4680
Past President’s Council Representative
Don AaronMetro. Nashville Police Dept.
(615) [email protected]
Follow NIOA
The NIOA News welcomes the following members to its ranks:
■ Rich AloySanta Rosa Co. S.O., Milton, [email protected]
■ Carol BirdsongWilliams Co. S.O., Franklin, [email protected]
■ Tonya BormanVA Beach Police, VA Beach, [email protected]
■ Jerry BrewerNew Hanover Co. S.O., Castle Hayne, [email protected]
■ Andrea BrowningCity of Homer, Homer, [email protected]
■ Jason BurchCharlottesville Albemarle Airport Authority, Charlottesville, [email protected]
■ Sherylon CarrollTexas A&M University, College Station, [email protected]
■ Linda DeniroSarasota Police, Sarasota, [email protected]
■ Erica EstepEast TN Children’s Hospital, Knoxville, [email protected]
■ Jennie FlinnCharleston (SC) Co. Govt.jfl [email protected]
■ Nicole GuerrieroDelray Beach Police, Delray Beach, [email protected]
■ Dee Hawkins-GarlandCharlotte Co. Public Safety, Punta Gorda, FLdee.hawkins-garland@charlottefl .com
■ Patrick HoeyRockford Police, Rockford, [email protected]
■ Todd HutchinsonTitusville Police, Titusville, [email protected]
■ Tamra IngersollPinal Co. S.O., Florence, [email protected]
■ Elaine JonesCharlotte Co., Port Charlotte, FLelaine.jones@charlottefl .com
■ Mark KellerSavannah Fire, Savannah, [email protected]
■ Scott KolbSalisbury Police, Salisbury, [email protected]
■ Tracey KnightFt. Worth Police, Ft. Worth, [email protected]
■ Sharon Kraun
City of Sandy Springs, Sandy Springs, [email protected]
■ Ramona KuhnBeaufort Co. S.O., Beaufort, [email protected]
■ Sherry LangGBI, Decatur, [email protected]
■ Barry LiebowitzBig Corkscrew Island Fire Control, Naples, [email protected]
■ Elizabeth McGaugheyPinellas Co. Communications, Clearwater, [email protected]
■ Robin McIntoshBeaufort Co. S.O., Beaufort, [email protected]
See WELCOME, page 3
WELCOME
3 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
Exclusivity is a dangerous lure[ VicePresident’sMessage ]
Charles Warner
WELCOME
Exclusive story opportunities are a reporter’s best friend, but can be a source of avoidable trouble for the PIO.
Reporters, not much unlike us, are a competitive group of professionals. They want to be fi rst, they want to be exclusive, and they want to win.
Exclusive story opportunities have their place, on occasion; as PIOs, however, our focus should be reaching the masses with our agency’s message.
When we feed an inside story to a single reporter and station, we greatly narrow
our audience. Doesn’t our constituent public deserve to hear what we have to say, no matter what station they watch?
When reporters from competing news organizations perceive that we have slighted them by feeding one of their competitors a story that they too should have had an opportunity to tell, it can lead to hurt feelings.
Hurt feelings can end up leading to things like unfl attering close-ups and sound bites that make it into your next package.
Diane MillerCity of Havelock, Havelock, [email protected]
Stacie MillerKissimmee Police, Kissimmee, [email protected] Lisa MoscaCity of Sanford, Sanford, FLlisa.mosca@sanfordfl .gov
Kelly PeelFt. Worth Police, Ft. Worth, [email protected]
Mary PhelanHoward Co. Police, Baltimore, [email protected]
Martina PoundsColumbia/Boone Co. Emergency Mgmt., Columbia, [email protected]
Ronnie RobertsCharlottesville Police,Charlottesville, [email protected]
Michael RileyBeaufort Co. S.O., Beaufort, [email protected]
John RomeroWheat Ridge Police, Wheat Ridge, [email protected]
Jesse SanduskyAlachua Police, Alachua, [email protected]
Ravi ShethChesapeake Police, Chesapeake, [email protected]
Shawn SmetanaCharleston (SC) Co. [email protected]
Dionne WaughRichmond Police, Richmond, [email protected]
Tom WegerFishers Police, Fishers, INwegert@fi shers.in.us
Joan WallsCity of Champaign, Champaign, [email protected]
Kevin WilsonDelaware EMA, Smyrna, [email protected]
Heather YatesCitrus County S.O., Inverness, FLhyates@sheriff citrus.org
You know the old adage…never get into a p***ing contest with people who buy ink by the barrel. But times change, and so do strategies. Many law enforcement agencies are deciding to push back strongly against what they perceive as unfair stories or shoddy journalism. Will it work or backfi re? Only time will tell.
“What I sincerely believe here is…one of our news outlets is willfully misrepresenting the facts known to them. They’re maligning the reputation of one of our offi cers in front of the greater metropolitan area with absolutely no proof of wrongdoing...People deserve to know the truth. And I have no confi dence that that truth will be known watching this TV story’s coverage of its own sweeps story.”
– Milwaukee Chief of Police Ed Flynn at a news conference the agency called to criticize a WTMJ-TV promo for a “sweeps piece” that strongly implied an offi cer had done something wrong, even though he had been cleared long before the story aired.
“The erroneous television reports have led to false leads, public concern and have wasted valuable state resources…In addition, TBI is concerned that WSMV never confi rmed any facts reported in the stories with our
agency. Never have we seen such irresponsible and unprofessional journalism on an active and open TBI investigation that has been so harmful to the case.”
– Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn, in a written news release issued to local media to refute a “sweeps” series done by WSMV-TV in Nashville that used a group of private detectives to criticize TBI’s investigation of a missing person.
Fighting Back
FLYNN
GWYN
CareerCast.com has compiled its annual list of the most, and least, stressful occupations, along with their median salaries.
If you’re looking for a career change and want to relax, the least stressful are:
1. University Professor – $62,0502. Seamstress/Tailor – $25,8503. Medical Records Technician – $32,3504. Jeweler – $35,1705. Medical Laboratory Technician – $46,6806. Audiologist – $66,6607. Dietitian – $53,2508. Hair Stylist – $22,5009. Librarian – $54,50010. Drill Press Operator – $31,910
And the most stressful? Every NIOA member will see yourself on this list at least once, maybe more.
1. Enlisted Military Personnel – $45,5282. Military General – $196,3003. Firefi ghter – $42,2504. Commercial Airline Pilot – $92,0605. Public Relations Executive – $57,5506. Senior Corporate Executive – $101,2507. Photojournalist – $29,1308. Newspaper Reporter – $36,0009. Taxi Driver – $22,44010. Police Offi cer – $55,010
Career got you stressed? Most likely.
4 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
2013NIOA Training Conference is not to be missed
CBS News’ Miller, Boston PD PIO Fiandaca added to speaker lineup
By DON AARONPast President
For those who wondered how the NIOA would build on last year’s incredibly successful conference in Nashville, just take a look at this year’s mega impressive lineup slated for Clearwater, Fla. This conference is not to be missed!
Even though conference brochures with session topics were mailed out several weeks ago, talks have continued with additional potential speakers in an eff ort to further enhance what was already a tremendous training opportunity.
The NIOA Board of Directors is delighted to announce that CBS News Senior Correspondent and former FBI Assistant Director John Miller will join us in Clearwater on August 27 to deliver this year’s keynote address. John reports for all CBS News platforms and broadcasts. He brings to us a unique perspective, having served not only as a network correspondent for CBS and ABC, but also in top-level positions with the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department and New York City Police Department.
The Board is also pleased to announce the addition of Cheryl Fiandaca, Boston Police Department Bureau Chief of
Public Information, as a presenter in Clearwater. Cheryl will speak with us on Wednesday morning, August 28, on messaging to the media and the public in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
In reviewing this year’s conference as a whole, the Board thinks you will agree that each day is incredibly strong, particularly with the above two new additions. Lessons learned will abound from the meeting room. As you make your travel arrangements, we strongly encourage you to plan on staying for the entire conference.
For those who arrive by Sunday, Ronnie
Jones will lead a day-long class on The Art & Science of Being a Great PIO. We will start on Monday with a session on the Aurora movie theater shootings and then end on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Christopher Dorner case. Talented speakers will impart a wealth of knowledge throughout to help you in your jobs. And yes, as always, there will be networking opportunities to help in the formation of PIO friendships that will last long after we depart Clearwater.
I join my board colleagues in looking forward to seeing you in Florida for what promises to be one great conference that will signifi cantly add to your professional growth regardless of how long you have been on the job.
Safe travels!
AARON
Things to Know
For those making plans to attend the NIOA Annual Training Conference in Clearwater, please keep the following important deadlines and information in mind.
June 30thLast day to pre-register at the reduced
Early Bird rate of $495 for members, $595 for non-members. Starting July 1, the cost is $695 for both members and non-members. Waiting to register at the door is $795. (Remember, you don’t have to
actually pay by July 1st, you just have to send in your registration form.)
August 2ndPre-registration closes. All registration
forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. on this date or you will have to register at the door ($795). All fees must be paid by the time you check-in or you will not be allowed to attend.
The Hotel The beautiful Sheraton Sand Key in
Clearwater Beach, Fla., has a block of rooms reserved for NIOA attendees for $93/night (plus taxes). You must call the hotel directly at 800-456-7263 or 727-595-1611 before July 25th and let them know you’re with NIOA to receive the discounted conference rate.
Airports/Ground TransportationWe have two airports to choose from
for the 2013 NIOA conference: Tampa International is about 45 minutes away and St.Pete/Clearwater is about 30 minutes away. To view the many
options from Tampa International, visit http://www.tampaairport.com/ground_transportation/. For ground transportation options from St. Pete/Clearwater go to http://www.fl y2pie.com/ground_transportation/.
Dress Code Dress for all conference sessions is
professional business casual. Collared golf/Polo shirts are acceptable. Yes, it’s Florida, but save your beachwear for the beach – no shorts, T-shirts or sandals are permitted.
MILLER FIANDACA
5 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
Langley Productions, creators of the popular
television show COPS, has again signed on as our
major conference sponsor. The original “reality show”, COPS debuted on the Fox
Network in 1989 and recently moved to Spike TV.
Planned Agenda-at-a-Glance
Sunday, August 25
7:00am - 2:00pm – Conference Check-in 8:30am - 3:45pm – The Art & Science of Being a Great PIO5:00 - 5:30pm – New Member Orientation Meeting 5:30 - 6:15pm – Regional Meetings 6:30 - 7:30pm – President’s Reception
Monday, August 26
8:00 - 8:20am – Opening Ceremonies8:30 – 10:00am – The Aurora Movie
Theater Shootings10:15 - 11:45am – Massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary11:45am – 12:00pm – Candidate Intro12:00 - 1:30pm – Lunch on Your Own1:30 - 2:00pm – Columbine Revisited2:00pm – 3:00pm – Handling Global Incidents: A Panel Discussion3:00pm – 4:30pm – Networking Session
Tuesday, August 27
8:30 – 10:00am – Building and Marketing the Public Service Brand10:15 – 11:20am – Coordinating National Media Coverage11:30am – 12:00pm – Business Meeting12:00 - 1:30pm – Luncheon with Keynote Speaker John Miller
1:45 -3:00pm – Social Media 20133:15 - 4:15pm – Practical Communications & Information Technology
Wednesday, August 28
8:30 - 10:00am – The Boston Marathon Bombing10:10am - 11:30am – Making Your Social Media Policy Work11:30 am - 1:00pm – Lunch on Your Own1:00 - 2:30pm – The Good Friday Miracle2:45 - 4:00pm – Chasing One of Your Own: The LAPD Christopher Dorner case 6:30 - 8:30pm – Closing Banquet
For any changes or updates visit our website at NIOA.org, or address any questions to Lisa McNeal at [email protected] or 865-389-8736.
Candidates for NIOA 2013-14 Board to be electedTwo candidates have declared their intent to run for the position of Vice President. Members will elect one of them at the annual Training Conference in Clearwater.Meanwhile, incumbent Lou Thurston was the only candidate to declare for the position of Secretary, meaning he is re-elected to a two-year term.
When a crisis comes, there’s a group of public information offi cers who I always reach out to for advice. They’ve been through it. They know better than anyone how to handle it.
It is thanks to NIOA that I have developed these relationships with PIOs throughout the country. Now, I want to give back to the organization that has done so much to make me a better PIO for my agency.
It would be my honor to serve you and this tremendous association as vice president. I have been a member of NIOA since 2007, the same year I became the public information offi cer of the Boynton Beach (FL) Police Department. I have had the pleasure of sharing what I do in Boynton Beach with the NIOA
membership at previous conferences, and I look forward to speaking about our social media program again in Clearwater this year.
I am also a member of the Florida Law Enforcement Public Information Offi cers Association, and I have served on their Executive Board for four years. I graduated from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in print journalism.
Those who know me best can attest to these two truths – I always keep my word and I love my job. I have the utmost respect for this association and the vital role it plays in building relationships and providing outstanding training.
I hope you will consider placing your vote for me for vice president, and I look forward to seeing you in Clearwater.
I am in the 33rd year of my law enforcement career, 13 of which have been as a PIO. In 1998, after 20 years as a uniformed patrol offi cer for the Jeff erson County Sheriff ’s Offi ce in Colorado, I was selected as the department’s PIO. That same year, I became a member of the NIOA and attended the annual Training Conference in San Antonio, Texas. As a new PIO, I was amazed at the level of professionalism and the training opportunities, but even more so at the nationwide networking available to me as a NIOA member.
In April 1999, I learned just how important the training and networking was when I found myself acting as the lead PIO during the shootings at Columbine High School. That same year, I received the “PIO of Excellence” award from the National Press Photographers Association, the “PIO of the Year” from the Emergency Services Public Information Offi cers of Colorado (ESPIOC) and the “Communicator of the Year” from the National Association of Government Communicators.
After leaving the Sheriff ’s Offi ce in August 2000, I became director of security and safety for the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
I again called upon many of my NIOA contacts during those two years to assist me as we traveled through almost 2,500 jurisdictions with the Olympic Flame.
In early 2003, I returned to PIO work at the Lakewood Police Department in Colorado and quickly reestablished my NIOA membership. Lakewood is the third largest city in the Denver metropolitan area, and I have managed many large media events.
Over the years, my NIOA training and colleagues have been priceless to me. I have been an NIOA member for about 11 years. Additionally, I have been a member of the ESPIOC for the same amount of time.
Our last few NIOA conferences have been amazing examples of how far we have come in raising the level of professionalism as well as providing training and networking for those in our line of work. I have developed an enormous appreciation, respect and pride for the NIOA and its members. It has been my pleasure to serve as the Region 8 Director for the last two years. I will always appreciate what the organization and its members have done for me and will take every opportunity to promote the NIOA. You may hear it from candidates often, but I would truly consider it an honor to serve the NOIA members as their next vice president. See you in Clearwater.
DAVIS
Steve Davis Stephanie Slater
SLATER
The Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Fla., is the site of the NIOA Training Conference.
Blogger considered a journalist under Shield Law
NEW JERSEY – A New Jersey blogger qualifi es for protection under the state’s shield law and does not have to reveal the names of government offi cials she accused of wrongdoing, a judge ruled.
Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy quashed county prosecutors’ subpoena served on blogger Tina Renna, who runs the website The County Watchers. Prosecutors sought the names of 16 local government offi cials Renna accused of misusing county generators after Hurricane Sandy in a December blog post.
Cassidy ruled that Renna passed a three-part test that determines whether someone qualifi es as a journalist and should receive protection under the shield law.
In the opinion, Cassidy considered the three factors: whether Renna had a connection to news media, whether her purpose was to gather or disseminate news, and whether she obtained her information through professional newsgathering activities. “These original posts are arguably newsworthy and constitute ‘news’ under the Statute,” Cassidy wrote in her opinion. “In addition, her method of talking to sources, attending freeholder meetings, and using Open Public Records Act requests ... is suffi ciently similar to the methods used by traditional news media entities.”
Supreme Court: States can prohibit non-residents from using public records laws to
gather information
States do not violate the U.S. Constitution when their public records laws prevent out-of-state residents from accessing government records, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled.
The court in McBurney v. Young dismissed a challenge to Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act brought by two plaintiffs who argued in part that the ability of individuals to access state public records, regardless of whether they are citizens of that particular state, is a fundamental right protected by the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Constitution.
Although the Supreme Court’s decision was limited to affi rming Virginia’s citizens-only restriction in its public records law, the impact of the ruling extends to a handful of other states across the country that similarly restrict public records access to in-state residents, including Alabama, Arkansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Tennessee. Key to the high court’s ruling was its belief that the two out-of-state residents were able to access most, though not all, of the information they were seeking through other means.
Editor’s Note: The following are very simplistic synopses of recent reported court decisions and legal issues that may aff ect PIO’s and are presented for informational purposes only, courtesy of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. For more information on these cases, visit their web site at www.rcfp.org. Please consult your agency’s legal advisor to determine if any of these rulings may apply to you.
PRESSBENCH
6 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
From TVSPY.COM
Elle Duncan, morning traffi c reporter for Atlanta NBC affi liate WXIA was arrested recently for DUI.
“I am greatly embarrassed for my actions,” said Duncan in a statement posted to the station website. “I have been
reminded – in a very diffi cult way – that any amount of alcohol can impair us. I take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize to my fans, our community, and my 11Alive family.”
Scott Pickey, news director for Wilmington, N.C., ABC affi liate WWAY told the StarNews Online that he has
agreed to take a defensive driving class in hopes of ending the legal drama over his recent arrest.
Pickey was charged with failure to obey a traffi c offi cer and careless and reckless driving after attempting to drive through
the local Martin Luther King Jr. parade in January. Police were not allowing staff ers to leave the station’s lot during the parade.
Pickey asked offi cers to allow reporters to leave during what the station says were one of many breaks in the parade, but he was denied. Police arrested him when he got in a car and drove out of the parking lot during a break.
Veteran WDIV investigative reporter Kevin Dietz was recently released from jail after serving more than three weeks for DUI, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Dietz was jailed in April under Michigan’s “super drunk” law, which increases the
consequences for people convicted of driving with a blood alcohol content of .17 percent or higher.
“I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, WDIV and to the viewers,” Dietz said in a statement posted to the WDIV website. “I accept full responsibility and am taking the necessary steps to deal with this matter.”
Nathaniel “Zeke” Campfi eld, 31, a reporter for The Oklahoman newspaper, was arrested and charged with assault and battery after he allegedly bumped into several women while taking “upskirt” pictures under their dresses.
It happened at the combined graduation ceremonies for Moore’s three high schools just days after the town was devastated by tornado damage. Campfi eld was covering the event when police were called. Witnesses said Campfi eld tried to leave but they detained him until offi cers arrived. At least one caller told police Campfi eld appeared to be trying to delete photos from his camera before police got there. Campfi eld allowed offi cers to examine his camera and no photos were found on it, as there was no SD card inside.
Multiple witnesses told police Campfi eld repeatedly bumped into several high school age girls while taking photos under their dresses. Campfi eld was arrested and charged with assault and battery.
In the wake of Campfi eld’s arrest, other published reports indicated he had previously been arrested in 2003 in Montana for burglarizing a woman’s home and stealing her panties.
housesglass
200 yards apart), all the victims and the public were clear of the area. The massive task of processing the crime scene started. It would take a week to complete. The area was sealed off from media. In fact, those who vacated the fi nish line camera positions left their gear in place.
In the meantime, the Westin Hotel was being fl ooded with marathoners who were guests there, every public safety agency you can think of and the media. Out on the sidewalk, media covering the marathon had repositioned to the sidewalk around the Westin. Most had been evacuated from the media bridge at the fi nish line. I walked among them telling all the fi rst press briefi ng will be at 4:30 p.m. up on the hotel’s third fl oor. It was now around 3:45 p.m., just about an hour since the bombings.
We secured several breakout rooms on the third fl oor for the diff erent agencies to set up. Heavily armed law enforcement established a secure zone around our area of the third fl oor with the media starting to fi ll the briefi ng room.
The fi rst briefi ng around 4:45 p.m. had the governor, police commissioner, fi re commissioner, FBI SAC, EMS chief, head of the State Police, adjacent general of the National Guard and others. We limited the speakers to just a few. It did, however, set the stage for future briefi ngs with location and format established for the briefi ngs.
We pretty much just had Boston media at the fi rst briefi ng-about six cameras. After that briefi ng, I announced that the next one would be at 7 p.m. The media set up shop in this room.
The mayor had been in the hospital. He checked himself out and headed to the Westin Hotel. I got a call that he wanted to address the media. We settled on a time of 6 p.m. These briefi ngs were also being broadcast live on Boston stations. We decided before we started that this would be it for the night. I announced that the next briefi ng would be at 9:30 a.m. on the fourth fl oor in a bigger room.
It should be noted that I am a big believer in Twitter (@BostonFire). I post a lot of scene photos on the site and use it as my primary place to release information. I am the only one with access to the site, so the media knows all the posts come from me. I did not post one item on Twitter this day. First, I do not put photos of those receiving medical care and, second, I did
not have time. The bottom line is that there were thousands of photos available and information was rapidly being released by other government agencies via Twitter and Facebook.
TuesdayThe fi rst briefi ng on Tuesday morning
had 43 cameras at it. As we had the night before, all the principals for the press briefi ng met in a holding room to go over details. Speakers were coordinated and the press was briefed. I set the next briefi ng for 5 p.m. This would allow the agencies to get some work done.
The outside of the Westin Hotel was surrounded with satellite trucks. At the end of Boylston Street, about a half-mile from the fi nish line, about 30 additional sat trucks parked. A lot of foreign press was arriving in Boston to cover this.
As Boston Fire’s only PIO, I was getting swamped with requests for interviews with the many fi refi ghters that worked the marathon. My problem was that I was also running the press ops for the city at the Westin Hotel. It became a balancing act. I also had to be careful with not pushing the fi refi ghters too much. They treated many of the victims and it was a truly horrifi c scene. We activated our Critical Stress Management Team and our national
union, the IAFF sent in FDNY counselors to help.
Every national morning and evening news show was in Boston, with CNN going non-stop from the Westin sidewalk.
The Boston Police and State Police PIOs were on scene to help, but they also were getting requests non-stop, as this had become a criminal investigation of the highest order.
At the 5 p.m. briefi ng, the FBI SAC and police commissioner put out the call for video and still photos from the scene. We knew there were hundreds of people at the fi nish line area talking photos and law enforcement needed the public’s help to get these now. In addition, the governor announced that President Obama would come to Boston on Thursday for a prayer service. I announced after this briefi ng that the next one would not be until late Wednesday afternoon.
WednesdayOn Wednesday morning I was at the
Cathedral where the president would speak. I was the point person for the outside media with the governor’s offi ce dealing with the inside media.
We walked around fi guring out where to put 50 sat trucks and all the national morning shows that would be live. The
Boston Police sent out the instructions to the local media and we went from there. It was back to the Westin for a scheduled 5 p.m. briefi ng. There were now about 65 cameras set up in the Westin.
In conversations with the hotel, they could not have been more accommodating. They needed their rooms back, as they had a conference coming in and I had agreed that we would move out after the Wednesday afternoon briefi ng. The thinking was Thursday all the media would concentrate on the president’s visit. We would then transition to a new location run by the FBI.
We ended up postponing the Wednesday briefi ng until 8 p.m., and then canceled it completely. I was never told why and just told the media that no new briefi ngs had been scheduled at this time.
ThursdayThursday’s Presidential visit went
well. I estimate there were 30 media outlets broadcasting live from outside the Cathedral. My time as the PIO coordinating briefi ngs had ended at the Cathedral that day. The FBI called their fi rst briefi ng at the Sheraton Hotel late Thursday afternoon. Here, they released the photos of the two suspects.
What happened after is a separate story with the murder of a police offi cer, a car chase, a shootout and a successful manhunt.
AftermathMy next week was spent on making
fi refi ghters available for the media. There were also many demands for public appearances at Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics games.
The national media wanted more and more. Every human-interest story was there. It was like nothing I had ever worked before. You think of your training and some established procedures just went out the door. There was never any time to have a Joint Information Center. The media were moving at a pace no one had seen before. Bloggers, cell phone photos, Twitter, Facebook and You Tube – new information was surfacing by the hour.
The big question we face as PIOs is how do we plan for this instantaneous information that is released within minutes of a major incident. Discussing it is a start.
7 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
MARATHON: National media wanted more and more, even as manhunt for bombers continued to unfoldCont. from page 1
Media moved at pace PIO had never seen before
Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsamaev are seen on surveillance video shortly before planting two pressure-cooker bombs near the fi nish line of the Boston Marathon April 15. Tamerlan died during a
shootout with MBTA police, while Dzhokhar remains in jail awaiting trial.
P.O. Box 10125Knoxville, TN 37939
8 | May – June 2013 www.nioa.org
[ SayWhat? ]
Street’s injuries were incompatible with life.
