It’s a common scenario: “All media inquiries should be directed to the (insert chief, sheriff or agency head) at (insert an email address that will likely go unanswered during the height of a crisis).” It’s often the first message we see from an agency that has yet to plan and prepare for the unthinkable.

With all of the unfathomable shootings that have taken place in our schools across the U.S. over the past few decades, there have been dozens of after-action reviews and case studies forcing us to reflect on where we have gone wrong and how we can respond more effectively. Columbine highlighted the need for immediate action, showing us we could no longer wait for SWAT teams to address an active threat. More recently, the breakdown in communication during the Robb Elementary shooting underscored the importance of a structured, coordinated communications effort — an effort that must begin the moment we are made aware of a crisis, not hours later.

This is why we are having important conversations with law enforcement leaders everywhere, urging them to make sure every agency has a professional communicator, a subject-matter expert, as part of their close-knit command staff. The responsibility of being the immediate communicator should be taken away from the CEO and placed in the hands of trained professionals.

Now, if you are an agency CEO, and before you take offense to this suggestion, please understand that empowering a trusted, well-trained individual from your agency to play a key role in times of crisis doesn’t diminish your role as the leader. In fact, I encourage all agency heads to ensure that part of your crisis response plan is to be visible. The members of your organization, the victims and their families, and the public expect the leader to be the face of the agency during a crisis. However, that doesn’t mean you should take on the role of communications manager at ground zero during an event like a school shooting.

In the wake of a school massacre, the role of a public information officer (PIO) becomes absolutely critical. As a chief or sheriff managing one of the most intense and complex crime scenes of your career, your focus must be on coordinating the response, ensuring public safety and overseeing the investigation. You will be confronted with a chaotic environment that demands your full attention, making it nearly impossible to personally manage media inquiries and public communication.

This is why having a highly trained and prepared PIO is indispensable. The PIO acts as the bridge between law enforcement and the media, ensuring that accurate, timely and appropriate information is disseminated to the public. The media will be relentless in seeking updates, and without a dedicated, trained expert to manage these communications, misinformation and confusion can easily arise.

By entrusting this responsibility to your PIO, you ensure that crucial details are conveyed professionally, and that the community, media and stakeholders receive clear, coordinated updates. This relieves you of the burden of media management, allowing you to focus on the immediate task at hand — protecting lives, securing the scene and leading your team through the crisis. Properly empowering and trusting your PIO is not only necessary for clarity and transparency but also for the overall effectiveness of the entire response. As we have seen in countless crises, your communication response will be
judged just as critically as your operational response.

I understand that many of you in leadership roles may be thinking, “I know we need a PIO, but we can’t afford one.” This is a common issue for many smaller agencies across the country due to limited budgets. Need I remind you that most of our school shootings the last several decades have taken place in smaller communities? My advice: start small. If you, as a chief or sheriff, recognize the importance of having a PIO, you’re already on the right track. The good news is there are options. You may have a larger agency nearby with a PIO or public relations unit that can help you get started.

You don’t need to hire an award-winning journalist. While former reporters can be a huge asset, you can also find success by choosing one of your officers who is interested in the PIO role. Look for officers who are well-spoken, good at public relations, have creative ideas and are willing to take on extra responsibility. The person for the job doesn’t have to be the highest-ranking officer. Rank doesn’t always equal the best communicator, and higher-ranking officers may already have too many responsibilities during a crisis. Many agencies have excellent PIOs who don’t hold a high rank but do their job well.

When you find your PIO, don’t just throw them into the role without support — invest in their training. I hear FBI-LEEDA offers a great media and public relations course (insert wink face here). Once trained, allow them to continue growing. Many states have regional PIO groups, like the one I was part of in east Tennessee. We met monthly to network and build relationships. This became incredibly valuable when any of us faced a major crisis, including tragic line-of-duty deaths, where we could rely on each other for help with managing the media and messaging.

So the next time you put out that message, I hope it reads something like this: “All media inquiries should be directed to our highly trained and professional PIO/Communications Director at AgencyPIO@agency.com or by calling our dedicated PIO line at (865) Call-APIO. This ensures that all accurate information is provided by the right person at the right time, so our community can respond appropriately.”

If anyone reading this article is looking for more information on PIO training, or how to select a strong communicator for your agency, I would love to hear from you and help you be better prepared. Shoot me an email at golfvol214@gmail.com.