LAFD PIO Raises The Bar (Again!)

Just received a phone call from the Los Angeles Fire Department PIO (It 7:45 on a Saturday night). He called because he saw my post and wanted to personally thank me for the kind words. A personal call from Brian Humphrey on a Saturday evening means a lot! It raises the bar once again for other public safety PIOs across the country. Being a PIO has been the greatest job I ever had. I can't for the life of me understand why other agencies can't figure it out and do things as well as the LAFD PIO's.

I was recently out to dinner with a LAFD Captain and he told me that if he did his job half as well as Brian Humphrey did his, then he would perform 100 times better than he ever intended.

Brian, your work for the LAFD is a model for everyone!

Thanks for the call. I hope my rant will encourage at least one other PIO to be half as good as you!

What happened to good Public Information Officers?

I recently received a email from the Phoenix Police Department Public Affairs Bureau. In my 17 years of working on both sides of the camera, I've seen and heard a lot of crazy things, but today I must give the craziness award to the the fine folks at the PPD. In their most recent "media hot sheet", it clearly says to not call the on call PIO to confirm scanner traffic. I viewed this request as "Please don't ask us to do our job, because we really don't want to".

The request may be fine if the department would embrace the media policies of the Los Angeles Fire Department, where instant notification is made to all media anytime there is a newsworthy event taking place. Sadly thats not the case in Phoenix. You should also note the LAFD has one person for an entire 24-hour shift. The LAFD is clearly the leader in media relations

I've had many a conversation with the Phoenix public affairs staff, and all they can tell me is how busy they are. I agree. They are busy trying to find ways to not do the job of a PIO instead of doing the job that they are suppose to do.

To my friends at PPD ... Look a little north and west to the City of Peoria, Arizona. Or look 350 miles due west. The LONE City of Peoria PIO for both fire and police as well as the very small (1 per 24 hour shift) LAFD PIO works circles around you and brings pride to the profession of a PIO.

The role of the PIO is important. You should embrace the job, do the job and not treat it as a vacation post.

Completed Com-L Training

Its been a while since I last updated. The past few weeks have been quite busy.
Last week I was at the Grand Canyon participating in the Public Safety Communications Roundup. Prior to that I was in Yuma doing the wrap up of the OP-TTX.

This week I have been attending the first COM-L class to be offered in Arizona. The class was held at the Phoenix Fire Academy.
It was a good class and is a much needed element in the response to extended operations.

Going to Vegas

Headed to the International Wireless Communications Expo in Vegas for work.

Hope to find and learn about new technologies

This weekend

This weekend my grandparents visited me.  Grandpa and I spent most of the weekend working on my fire truck.  Its gone from being a bucket of bolts, with a great paint job, to half a bucket of bolts!  slowly but surely its coming together.  We put a charge on the batteries, and it started right up!  It hasn't been started in almost three years!   I was happy!