CSAR basic pio class
Presented By
The Colorado Search and Rescue Association
CSAR basic pio class 2022-23
A customized, hybrid course for current and aspiring BSAR team PIOs. The next available course will run monthly from October 11, 2022 - February 11, 2023. Registration fees: Virtual sessions are $50 each, and the final in-person session is $100. Discounted rate available to those that sign up for the full series.
Course Description
Virtual Session 1: October 11, 2022 - "So, I'm the PIO...Now What?"
This introductory session will be facilitated by Dave Arnett of DCSAR and Anna DeBattiste of CSAR/SCRG
The role of a backcountry SAR team PIO is critical to helping teams fundraise, recruit new members, educate the public to decrease the team’s mission load, and create general public awareness of what we do. They also help us advance our state-wide legislative agenda. While there are good courses available for emergency services PIOs from DHSEM and FEMA, they address a world quite different from ours. Fire, EMS and law enforcement PIOs focus most of their time on preventative activities rather than incident response, and when they do have an incident it tends to be large-scale rather than small-scale. Their world is also different because they are generally paid professionals, while most of us are volunteers juggling PIO duties with our rescue roles, day jobs and family responsibilities. These differences led CSAR’s Public Information and Education (PIE) committee to create our own customized, hybrid course for current and aspiring BSAR team PIOs.
You may sign up for one, several or all of these classes. Those who sign up for all of them will receive a discounted rate for the series and a certificate of completion from CSAR. You will have two years in which to complete the series, which we intend to offer again in 2023-24 on a similar schedule to this one.
If you can commit to attending all 5 PIO Sessions, this link is the opportunity to sign up once, for the entire seminar (virtual and in-person), instead of each individual session. There is a $100 discount for completing all 5 sessions.
All virtual sessions begin at 6:00 pm and end no later than 9:00 pm. The in-person final session will be a full-day workshop.
Virtual Session 2: November 10, 2022 - Strategic Communications Planning
Facilitated by Micki Trost of DHSEM and Anna DeBattiste
Virtual Session 3: December 13, 2022 - Working with the Media
Facilitated by Drew Hildner of CSAR/RMRG and Anna DeBattiste
Virtual Session 4: January 12, 2023 - Social Media
Facilitated by Jay Christianson of CSAR/EPCSAR and Anna DeBattiste
Full Day, In-Person Final Session: February 11, 2023, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Writing workshop, on-camera workshop and joint information center (JIC) training.
Location TBD based on class enrollment. Facilitated by several PIOs from the PIE committee and Micki Trost to lead the JIC training. We will announce the location no later than October 12, 2022.
Registration fees: Virtual sessions are $50 each, and the final in-person session is $100. Those who sign up for the full series will receive a discounted rate of $200 and have two years in which to finish the series (we will do this by refunding your $100 for the final in-person session after you register for and attend all five sessions).
We will announce the location of the final in-person session no later than October 12th.
We ask that no more than three people from one organization sign up for each session; however, we will consider requests for more than three if a class does not fill.
Questions?
Email: media@coloradosar.org