Building PIO capacity in Alaska

By Deborah Coble

A fire public information officer points to a recent fire map while explaining fire behavior to members of the public.

NPS photo/D. Coble

With the National Park Service lands in Alaska spanning millions of remote miles and many of the parks being accessible only by air, travel in and out of the parks is extremely expensive and difficult. The logistics of the Alaskan environment can make attending traditional brick and mortar training unfeasible.

In late 2018, the National Park Service, Alaska coordinated with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks to offer an online S-203, Introduction to Incident Information course, in February 2019, to 12 NPS Alaska staff members. This course is one of many required for all public information officers who wish to deploy on wildland fire and all hazard incidents. Additional benefits of this course offer employees who are willing to assist with NPS search and rescue efforts and serious accident investigations an opportunity to do so. At this time, the course offered through UAF is the only online S-203 course available in the nation.

A fire public information officer updates a fire information board on a trapline with the latest news on a fire.

NPS photo/D. Coble

Prior to the course, NPS, AK had four public information officers with varying skill levels. Two of which had moved either to another park outside the state or left the service altogether. That left two in Alaska ready and willing to assist with any wildland fires or all hazard incidents within the state or nationally.

To encourage participation and to build capacity within our parks, the Alaska Region Fire Communication and Education Specialist, Deborah Coble, applied for and received a National Park Service Fire Communication and Education Program grant for $5,000. This money covered a portion of the tuition and fees for each of the 12 staff members. The NPS AK Wildland Fire Management Program’s preparedness budget covered the remaining costs. Limited budgets, attrition and shifting priorities can leave park employees covering multiple roles with little opportunity for necessary training. The training funded is often mandatory and leaves little else for additional duties and employee development.

Some fire camp boards are used to display the outpouring of community support for the firefighters and fire staff.

NPS photo/D. Coble

With 12 new potential PIOs, the wildland fire communication and education program in Alaska may see a greater ability to help share the unique story of wildland fire in Alaska and highlight how fire is beneficial to the Alaskan ecosystems. Without public information officers, that story goes silent.