Public relations training wraps up in Havre
Tim Leeds
A group of public relations and public information officers wrapped up three days of training in Havre with a series of mock news conferences, with critiques by members of the training session and members of the local media.
Fred Naeher, Montana Disaster and Emergency Training manager from Fort Harrison, worked with 20 public information officers from across the state, ranging from Kalispell to Wolf Point and including a number from the Havre area, in a workshop in effective communications. Blaine County’s information officer, Commissioner Vic Miller, assisted Naeher.
Increased need to use a central public information officer during an emergency situation has been a focus and requirement of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security in the post 9/11 era.
Naeher conducted the workshop in a space provided in the Havre patrol station of the U. S. Border Patrol. He worked with the groups in a variety of areas including teaching them effective ways to write initial information statements about incidents; how to integrate the work of the incident information center and the incident command center for an emergency situation; identifying and preparing spokespersons; and holding an initial news conference to provide information on an incident.
Officials from the region participating in the training included Gina Barker from Northern Montana Hospital, Doreen Bell from the Tribal Health Department at Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Jim Catt of the Havre-Hill County Planning Board, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Duff of Havre, Hill County Public Health Director Danielle Golie, Bonnie Harmon of the Blaine County Ambulance service, Christy Keto of Triangle Communications-Hill County Electric Cooperative, Denise Kovacich of Triangle Communications-Hill County Electric Cooperative, Kim Larson of the Hill County Health Department, and Tracy Spencer of the Fort Belknap Tobacco Use Prevention Program.
The participants broke into groups and presented news conferences on mock disaster situations, with dry runs held Wednesday and presentations Thursday participated in and critiqued by the news media representatives. The mock disaster scenarios covered in the news conferences were an Amtrak train wreck east of Havre; a winter storm warning predicting four days of snow, ice, wind and sub-zero temperatures in Havre; the apprehension of suspected illegal aliens near Havre with confirmed cases of tuberculosis found in the suspects; and another mock Amtrak train wreck, with that scenario taking place east of Browning.
A group of public relations and public information officers wrapped up three days of training in Havre with a series of mock news conferences, with critiques by members of the training session and members of the local media.
Fred Naeher, Montana Disaster and Emergency Training manager from Fort Harrison, worked with 20 public information officers from across the state, ranging from Kalispell to Wolf Point and including a number from the Havre area, in a workshop in effective communications. Blaine County’s information officer, Commissioner Vic Miller, assisted Naeher.
Increased need to use a central public information officer during an emergency situation has been a focus and requirement of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security in the post 9/11 era.
Naeher conducted the workshop in a space provided in the Havre patrol station of the U. S. Border Patrol. He worked with the groups in a variety of areas including teaching them effective ways to write initial information statements about incidents; how to integrate the work of the incident information center and the incident command center for an emergency situation; identifying and preparing spokespersons; and holding an initial news conference to provide information on an incident.
Officials from the region participating in the training included Gina Barker from Northern Montana Hospital, Doreen Bell from the Tribal Health Department at Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Jim Catt of the Havre-Hill County Planning Board, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Duff of Havre, Hill County Public Health Director Danielle Golie, Bonnie Harmon of the Blaine County Ambulance service, Christy Keto of Triangle Communications-Hill County Electric Cooperative, Denise Kovacich of Triangle Communications-Hill County Electric Cooperative, Kim Larson of the Hill County Health Department, and Tracy Spencer of the Fort Belknap Tobacco Use Prevention Program.
The participants broke into groups and presented news conferences on mock disaster situations, with dry runs held Wednesday and presentations Thursday participated in and critiqued by the news media representatives. The mock disaster scenarios covered in the news conferences were an Amtrak train wreck east of Havre; a winter storm warning predicting four days of snow, ice, wind and sub-zero temperatures in Havre; the apprehension of suspected illegal aliens near Havre with confirmed cases of tuberculosis found in the suspects; and another mock Amtrak train wreck, with that scenario taking place east of Browning.
