LDWF

1
LDWFS Public Informations Role During Crisis
Events

• Media Relations Hurricane Response Plan

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Hurricane Katrina - 2005

• Made landfall on Monday morning, Aug. 29.
• LDWF deploys Search and Rescue (SAR) units to New
  Orleans on Monday afternoon.
• No LDWF Public Information Officers or Media went
  with the SAR units.

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Hurricane Katrina - 2005

• LDWF Public Information wasnt utilized
  efficiently.
• LDWF didnt allow media on SAR boats first couple
  of days.
• Coast Guard has their own video people on
  helicopters.

4
Hurricane Katrina - 2005

• LDWF Public Information sends 1 videographer and
  1 camera guy with Enforcement SAR on Monday, Aug.
  30.
• Very little media coverage of the job our agents
  did.
• Public not confident in state or federal
  government to handle catastrophic events.

5
Hurricane Rita - 2005

• Made landfall on Saturday morning Sept. 24, 2005.
• LDWF deploys SAR units to Abbeyville, LA on the
  morning of landfall.
• LDWF Public Information sends one Videographer,
  one photographer and one media liaison with SAR
  units.

6
Hurricane Rita - 2005

• Media Liaison helps media into LDWF SAR boats
  morning of landfall.
• LDWF agents make local and national news.

7
2005 Hurricane Season Review

• Needed a LDWF Public Information plan to coincide
  with GOHSEPs.
• Needed to supply more information to the public
  on SAR efforts as well as the hurricanes effects
  on our natural resources.
• Needed to work more closely with our Enforcement
  Division on what they needed and wanted us to do.

8
Public Informations Hurricane Response Plan

• Developed to coincide with GOHSEPs ESF 15 Public
  Information Plan
• Places PIOs in strategic locations to be used
  effectively.
• Focuses on providing accurate, timely and
  coordinated information to the public, media and
  other agencies.
• Overall goal is to increase the publics
  confidence in the local, state and federal
  governments ability to render prompt, effective
  assistance in a crisis.

9
Public Informations Hurricane Response Plan

• Station one PIO at the JIC located at the OEP in
  Baton Rouge
• Duties include
• Handle Media Requests
• Gather departmental field reports for daily
  updates to Governors communications staff and
  GOHSEP
• Provides spokesperson for departmental updates in
  media briefing room

10
Public Informations Hurricane Response Plan

• Station one PIO at the LDWF SAR Command Center
  located at LDWF Headquarters.
• Duties include
• Gathers SAR information from Enforcement.
• Handles media requests and routes to appropriate
  LDWF spokesperson.
• Coordinates special assignments from the LDWF
  Secretary.
• Updates LDWF Web site with most current
  storm-related messages.

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Public Informations Hurricane Response Plan

• Station two to three PIOs at the Forward Command
  Center with Enforcement.
• Duties include
• Provides liaison support between news media and
  LDWF Enforcement.
• Arranges boat/vehicle access for media as
  available.
• continued

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Public Informations Hurricane Response Plan

• Provides spokesperson for departmental news
  briefings on site, cleared with JIC.
• Maintains contact with JIC at OEP for updates on
  news from the field.
• Gathers still photos and video images of LDWF
  personnel in recovery area.

13
Hurricane Gustav - 2008

• Prior to landfall, LDWF Public Information setup
  a Hurricane Information Web page.
• Web page included press releases, important
  links and numbers, closures and impact reports.
• GOHSEP also sends banner to include on LDWF Web
  site.

14
Hurricane Gustav - 2008

• Made landfall on the morning of Sept. 1.
• Public Information sends one PIO to JIC and one
  PIO to the Enforcement Command Center day of
  landfall.
• Media shows up at Enforcement Command Center.

15
Hurricane Gustav - 2008

• On the morning of Sept. 2, LDWF SAR units leave
  Baton Rouge.
• LDWF Public Information sends one photographer,
  one videographer and one media liaison with SAR
  convoy.
• Media also organized and invited to tag along
  with convoy.

16
Hurricane Gustav - 2008

• Not many SAR missions for media to report.
• The story quickly went from SAR and possible
  flooding to electricity outages.
• Public Information maintains position at the JIC
  feeding the media information about initial
  wildlife assessments.

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Hurricane Ike - 2008

• Made landfall on the morning of Sept. 13 in
  western Louisiana.
• Public Information has one PIO at the JIC, one
  PIO at the command center.
• Public Information also sends one photographer,
  one videographer and one media liaison with LDWF
  Enforcements forward command center on morning
  of landfall.

21
Hurricane Ike - 2008

• Media is directed to forward command center site.
• Enforcement deploys SAR units with embedded media
  and PIOs.
• Able to send photos from forward command center
  to media outlets.

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2008 Hurricane Season Review

• Things that worked well Having PIOs at each
  location, the forward command centers
  communications, embedding media and delivering
  timely information.
• Things that need work Ensuring all agents allow
  media and deciding if we need to allow media in
  convoys.