The PIO Podcast

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In this episode, we talk to FEMA trainer and retired PIO Mark Brady.

• Mark was quoted as saying, “Social Media has been the biggest game-changer for public information professionals...”, what do you mean by that?
• What social media platform do you think is the most important for a PIO to capitalize on?
• Let’s talk about the social media emergency management guidance tool, I do not think many of our listeners are familiar with it?
• Tell the listeners about your experience as a trainer for FEMA and as an instructor at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmetsburg.
• What type of PIO training are you handling?
• Where do you see the PIO training field going in the next 10 years?
• What is the challenge facing PIO’s in getting information out to the media?
• What is one thing you see lacking from PIO’s coming into the field today?
• Why is relationship building so important to the success of a PIO?

Bio of Mark Brady
Mark Brady is well known in the field of Public Safety Public Information and crisis communications. He has 45 years of public safety experience, most notably with fire and emergency medical services. Brady started his career with the Branchville Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Squad in College Park, MD, at 18 years of age and was soon employed by Prince George’s County in Maryland working with the 911 call center and police department before beginning a 40-year career with the fire/EMS department. The County Office of Emergency Management fell under the fire department and Brady worked closely with emergency managers on special projects and activations. He was also assigned to Public Safety Communications and Training Academy before being called upon to serve as the Department’s Public Information Officer. He started engaging on social media, primarily, Twitter and Facebook, soon after they became popular in 2008.

Brady’s work as a PIO began with the advent of flip cell phones and thermal paper fax machines and feels fortunate to have gained experience as a “traditional” PIO.

Mark Brady served as the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Fire/EMS Department’s Chief Spokesperson and Public Information Officer for 27 years before leaving in February of 2020 in order to expand his teaching and speaking availability on the subjects of social media, crisis communications, and public safety public information. He has spoken at many events across the country as a “subject matter expert” in the field of PIO and social media and has facilitated presentations at several FIREHOUSE EXPO’s, Fire Department Instructors Conference, and IAFC Officer Development and Command and General Staff courses.

Brady has served for 12 years as a contract instructor with FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in all PIO-related classes including All-Hazards Position Specific, Advanced, and Master PIO classes as well as Awareness, Public Information Basic and Joint Information System/ Joint Information Center courses.

Brady is currently part of a team revising the FEMA EMI’s Advanced PIO course and is also involved in ongoing curriculum review and development for FEMA’s Public Information Officer and Emergency Management Basic Academy training programs.

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Cynthia McLaughlin serves as the Public Information Officer for the Sarasota Police Department under the Office of the Chief of Police, a role she assumed later in 2023 after joining the department in January of the same year.
In this capacity, Cynthia develops, implements, and evaluates communication strategies and public information campaigns to inform Sarasota citizens about the department's services, programs, and initiatives. Her work is crucial in missing persons cases, crime prevention, and the identification of suspects.
Cynthia ensures that the department maintains a quality reputation by effectively communicating with a wide range of audiences, including organizations, neighborhood associations, employees, news media, and other community partners through both social and traditional media. She is passionate about humanizing the badge and maintaining transparency with the community.
Cynthia brings extensive experience in social media and reporting from television news stations across the country, including East Texas and Bismarck, North Dakota. She served as the evening news anchor at SNN, The Suncoast News Network, which brought her to the Suncoast. Her quick and concise ability to disseminate news has earned her numerous state-wide and multi-state Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) awards for Investigative and Spot News Reporting, competing among all market sizes, including major cities. She was also a Lone Star Emmy award finalist for her relentless coverage during a severe winter storm that knocked out power to most of the state.
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Cynthia graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in Journalism and Business.

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Sarah Boyd - Public Relations Specialist
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Sarah Boyd has been employed by the Kansas City Police Department for the past 12 years. At the beginning of her career, social media use in policing was uncommon; therefore, she was tasked with developing and building the social media presence of the agency. She has worked with platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Nextdoor, Chief’s Blog, and Instagram. Within 10 years, she built a Twitter following of 233,000 in a city of about 475,000 residents. Public Relations Specialist Boyd built this following through years of continued responsiveness and innovative engagement methods. Her development of the “tweet-along” program became a model for departments everywhere to use Twitter to engage with the community.
Recognized as a vice-chair on the Public Information Committee for the Major Cities Chiefs Association, she has been invited to share her knowledge and experience at conferences around the United States and to serve in a consulting role for other police departments. She also instructs weekly internal social media training in order to teach social media use and community engagement enhancement to nearly 1,400 sworn officers.
Originally a crime and education newspaper reporter, Public Relations Specialist Boyd was drawn to the law enforcement profession due to the observations and stories she received from the community’s officers while reporting. She believes that the foundation of trust the agency has built through efforts such as promoting events or posting on social media has prevented the dissension, violence, and rioting experienced in other cities, creating a safer environment for everyone to work, live, and play in.
Sgt. Jake Becchina - Public Information Officer
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Sgt Jake Becchina is a 17+ year veteran of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department. He is currently assigned to the Media Relations Unit, responsible for supervising public information regarding department activities to local, regional, and national media partners. Jake has been assigned to Patrol, Tactical Response, Training Academy, and Violent Crimes Enforcement as an officer, and Patrol, Real-Time Crime Center, and Media as a Sergeant. Jake is passionate about police/community relations and focuses his efforts to build trust through transparency. During his 2.5+ years in the Media Relations Unit he has managed public information for high profile events such as multiple officers involved in a shooting and being wounded, a critical incident during the Chief’s Superbowl parade, record numbers of homicides two consecutive years, and many others.
Police Chief Magazine Article - No More Rocks and Bottles: Lessons Learned in Crisis Communications

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Stephanie Slater became the Boynton Beach Police Department’s Public Information Officer in April 2007, following seven years as a newspaper reporter.
Slater serves as a strategic communications advisor and community engagement liaison, overseeing the agency’s branding and messaging. She is the agency spokeswoman, working closely with media partners to keep the community informed. She also manages the agency’s social media and website, video production, podcasts, and recruitment campaigns.
Slater is an instructor for FBI-LEEDA, teaching media and public relations to law enforcement executives across the country. She is the Immediate Past President of the National Information Officers Association and a member of the Florida Law Enforcement Public Information Officers Association.
Slater is a frequent guest speaker about law enforcement’s use of Social Media and has contributed to several textbooks about the topic. She also contributed to a Boston University journalism textbook on public affairs reporting and served on a panel that helped develop a model social media policy for the IACP.
She was honored as the Boynton Beach Police Department’s Civilian Employee of the Year in 2008; Civilian of the Quarter in July 2017 and received the International Association of Chiefs of Police 40 Under 40 award, which recognizes law enforcement professionals from around the world who demonstrate leadership and exemplify a commitment to their profession, in October 2017.
A New York native, Slater is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where she majored in print journalism. She previously worked as a breaking news and crime reporter for The Boca News and The Palm Beach Post.
She is the proud wife of a police officer and mother of a kindergartner!
You can contact Stephanie via Twitter @StrategicPIO or via email at [email protected].
If you are interested in listening to the Boynton Beach Police Department Podcast about Rosebud you can listen to it here.
Stephanie also talked about the training classes offered by FBI-LEETA, you can find out if a class is coming nearby by going to the training page for the Media and Public Relations Course. You can also find information about the Master PIO Course as well.

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