Emergency Management Public Information Officer

Job Description - Emergency Management Public Information Officer (260000QA) Job Description Emergency Management Public Information Officer - ( 260000QA ) Description Position Grade: 208G Department: City Emergency Management Agency Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent) Examination Number: EX1826 Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO The Emergency Management Public Information Officer develops and coordinates communications and public affairs efforts for the City Emergency Management Agency, a division of the Department of Public Safety. This includes written materials, media relations, social media, web content, and other internal and external means of communication. The position's work centers on emergency preparedness and emergency public information. Most of that work is done in advance: researching, drafting, and maintaining public education materials and pre-scripted emergency messages so the City can communicate quickly and accurately when an incident occurs. During emergencies, the incumbent supports the City's public information function in the Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center. Emergency Availability: 24/7/365 - Must respond within 60 minutes of notification during emergencies. Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Writing and Content Development Writes and edits press releases, news articles, features, speeches, talking points, and video and television scripts on emergency management, preparedness, and public safety topics. Develops and maintains a library of pre-scripted emergency messages for the City's most likely hazards, including press release templates, social media posts, talking points, and frequently asked questions, for review and approval by the Commissioner. Coordinates translation and accessible formats for public information materials, working with City language access and disability access resources. Prepares briefing materials, talking points, and anticipated questions and answers for the Commissioner and agency leadership ahead of press conferences, interviews, and community meetings. Acts as public information advisor to CEMA staff; reviews correspondence, presentations, and speeches proposed by others. Social Media, Web Content, and Public Education Manages CEMA's social media accounts, including content planning, posting, engagement, and basic performance reporting. Serves as CEMA's website content contact, coordinating with the City's web team and ITSA to keep agency pages current, accurate, and accessible. Develops and carries out seasonal public preparedness campaigns aligned to the City's hazards, including severe weather, extreme heat, flooding, and winter weather. Develops marketing and promotional materials such as brochures, publications, newsletters, videos, infographics, and web pages; originates ideas and develops design and layout. Records video and takes photographs for publications, presentations, special events, after-action documentation, and social media. Emergency Public Information Support Serves in the public information function during Emergency Operations Center activations, exercises, and planned events, under the direction of the Commissioner and in coordination with the Department of Public Safety PIO II. Supports the Joint Information Center when activated, including drafting and coordinating public information products, tracking media inquiries, and maintaining JIC checklists and contact lists. Monitors news and social media during incidents for inaccurate information and rumors and reports them for correction through the approval process. Drafts public information products during response and recovery, including protective action, disaster assistance, and recovery resource information, using pre-scripted content where available. Participates in after-action reviews of activations and exercises and helps update public information materials based on lessons learned. Media Relations and Liaison Coordinates and assists in coordinating public relations activities such as press conferences, public appearances, speaking engagements, interviews, and special events. Coordinates all interview requests and interview activity for CEMA, routing them through the Department of Public Safety PIO II as appropriate. Monitors media for coverage of CEMA activities and reports coverage to agency leadership. Acts as a liaison for CEMA, working with other departmental public information officers, the Department of Public Safety PIO II, and the Mayor's Office on collaborative projects and messaging. Maintains working relationships and contact lists for local media, partner agency PIOs, and community organizations that help share preparedness information. Spokesperson Duties (As Requested) Acts as CEMA spokesperson as requested; answers questions from the press; presents information to the news media and public. Gives preparedness presentations to community, civic, school, and professional groups. Performs other duties as assigned. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Strong writing and editing ability across formats, including news releases, social media content, talking points, and web copy, including under tight deadlines. Knowledge of social media platforms, content creation, and basic analytics, including basic graphic and video production. Knowledge of media operations, news cycles, and media relations practice. Ability to learn the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS), and Joint Information System concepts. Ability to work calmly and accurately under pressure and to exercise sound judgment on sensitive matters. Ability to build working relationships with media, partner agencies, and community organizations. Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform mid-level data analysis including the ability to audit, deduce, assess, conclude and appraise. Requires discretion in determining and referencing such to established criteria to define consequences and develop alternatives. Human Interaction: Requires the ability to persuade, convince, influence, train and monitor, in favor of a desired outcome. Requires the ability to sell. Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as a personal computer, fax machine and/or materials used in performing essential functions. Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a variety of reference, descriptive and advisory data and information such as media reports, historical sources, presentation materials, guidelines and non-routine correspondence. Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; calculate percentages, and decimals. Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form. Ability to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objective. Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable. Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed in safe and comfortable surroundings without exposure to adverse environmental conditions. Physical Requirements: Tasks involve the ability to exert very light physical effort in sedentary to light work, involving some reaching, handling, fingering and/or feeling of objects and materials. Tasks require the ability to perform prolonged visual concentration, such as performing research. Sensory Requirements: Ability to recognize and identify harmonious or contrasting combinations, as well as recognize individual characteristics of colors, shapes and sounds associated with job-related objects and materials, such as producing graphic designs. Working Conditions and Special Requirements: Work is performed primarily in an office setting, with periodic assignments in the Emergency Operations Center, Joint Information Center, and field. Subject to 24-hour emergency recall and extended operational periods during activations, exercises, and special events, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Field assignments may occasionally involve inclement weather, standing for extended periods, and carrying recording equipment. Qualifications A Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Public Relations, Communications, Emergency Management, Public Administration, or a closely related field; OR four (4) years of professional experience in public information, communications, journalism, media relations, or a closely related field. OR, an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Required Training and Certifications after Appointment: Within six (6) months of appointment: FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, and IS-29 (Public Information Officer Awareness), if not already completed. These are free, online, self-paced courses. Within twelve (12) months of appointment: FEMA E/L/K0105 Public Information Basics, if not already completed. License: Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license while employed by the City of St. Louis. Must possess a valid driver's license at the time of filing application and be able to present it upon request. Please note type of license, number, class and expiration date on the Employment Application. Only qualified applicants who provide proof of a valid driver’s license will be considered for this position. Preferences: Experience in public information or communications for a public safety, emergency management, or government agency. Experience managing social media accounts for an organization. Prior completion of FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, IS-29, or E/L/K0105 Public Information Basics. Experience supporting public information during an emergency, disaster, or large planned event. Experience producing multilingual or accessible communications. Experience with graphic design or video production. Scoring Components and Their Weights Experience and Training: 100% Subject to: Background Investigation: Pass/Fail Medical Examination: Pass/Fail As part of the background investigation, applicants must pass the minimum screening requirements as determined by CALEA in order to work in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters. Documentation of Academic Credentials must be Submitted Upon Request When completing the Employment History and the Educational/Training History sections of the Employment Application, please be as thorough as possible when describing your education, training and experience relating to this position. Applicants will only receive credit for their experience, training and education as shown on the application. Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute to a fully completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request. The Director of Personnel may, in their discretion, accept alternate documentation. City Residence Preference Points City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points. City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points. Accommodations If assistance with the job application is necessary based on a physical impairment, mental impairment, or otherwise, they should reach out to the Office on the Disabled with contact information. This office will not disclose any information that an applicant or employee has a disability or has discussed possible accommodations without the applicant's or employee's prior consent. City of St. Louis City Hall 1200 Market Street Saint Louis, MO 63103 #J-18808-Ljbffr City of St. Louis