Public Information and Media Contact

Section 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE

PURPOSE:

• To establish a policy which will facilitate the flow of information between the Maitland Fire Rescue Department, the media, and the general public.

GENERAL STATEMENTS:

Responsibility

All personnel within the Maitland Fire Rescue Department are committed to and recognize the right of the public and news media to be fully and accurately informed on matters concerning public safety. In order to maintain this philosophy, all members of this department will strive to maintain a relationship of trust; cooperation, mutual respect and a free flow of information with the public and news media without favoritism.

• The Incident Commander (IC) shall be responsible for the management of public information on the fire ground.
• Any major incident likely to attract news media attention shall be brought to the attention of the Deputy Fire Chief and/or the Fire Chief via pager, cell phone or the OC Communications Center.
• At multi-agency incidents, the agency having primary jurisdiction will be responsible for the coordination and release of information to the media.
• Members of the media will often respond to a scene that normally would not require the presence of Administrative personnel. In such cases, the IC or his/her designee should be prepared to provide a media briefing as soon as their command responsibilities permit.
• Any public records requests must be directed to the appropriate records custodian ie: City Clerk

Interview Guidelines

• Information released to the media should relate only to the facts of the incident.
• No determination as to the cause of an incident shall be released. Questions relating to the cause shall be referred to the appropriate investigative agency (i.e., Maitland’s Fire Marshal, State Fire Marshal, Florida Highway Patrol, Maitland P.D or Orange County Sheriff’s Office).

Under NO circumstance shall the names of fatalities or injured persons be released unless authorized by Fire Administration or the appropriate investigative agency.

• At no time shall Maitland Fire Rescue member’s personal information be provided to the news media. All requests for such information shall be immediately referred to Fire Administration via the chain of command.
• When, in the opinion of the IC, an incident results in what may be a potentially controversial situation, a Fire Administration representative shall be requested to respond immediately.
• When a representative of the news media requests interviews or information from department personnel at any time other than that described in the above section, the request shall be referred to Fire Administration via the chain of command.

Media Relations

• At the scene of any event of public interest, representatives of the news media will be permitted to conduct interviews, take photographs, and otherwise perform their assigned tasks provided their activity is not in violation of the guidelines established in this SOP, and provided such activity does not interfere with fire department operations.
• Photographs and videotape may be taken from any area where the news media representatives have been given access. Areas of access for news media representatives on scene of an incident will include:
  • Any areas open to the public
  • Any designated area set aside for news media briefings.
  • Any area to which the news media representatives are provided guided access to by the IC, or his/her designee.
• News media representatives shall be permitted to interview victims of an incident who have consented to such interviews providing:
  • The victim is not receiving medical attention.
  • The victim appears able to make sound decisions, is not visibly upset, severely injured or emotionally distraught.
  • Investigative personnel have completed their interviews.
  • If a victim desires not to be interviewed, the news media representatives will be so advised.