Unit 7

Instructions:

• 1. Use the following scenario to develop an information strategy for the next three days. There is no textbook solution.
     

Scenario:

A wildland fire in the Pitchfork Creek drainage is now in its second day. The fire has grown from 50 acres to 2,000 acres. News media and resident interest is increasing as rapidly as the acreage. You’ve been the only PIO and your phone has been busy all day. A thunder cell moved across the fire this afternoon and we have reports of half a dozen new smokes from spot fires. It has been hot and windy this afternoon. You can now see a large smoke column from town. It’s a nice area up there, with lots of fir and some pine, and overgrown in places. It’s steep, too. A couple of recreation sites and summer homes are in the path of the fire, and evacuations are a possibility in the next 24 hours. Several Type 1 crews are ordered and expected by nightfall. A fire camp is established at the Pitchfork School.

SAMPLE INFORMATION STRATEGY

Situation statement (who, what, where, why):

Concerns:

Communication Objectives:

Audiences: 

Internal:

External:

Methods:

Key Messages/Talking Points:

Monitoring Methods (How will you know you’re succeeding?):