EP86 Orange County black swan incident with PIO Greg Barta, Part 2

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When a chemical incident triggers the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, communications stops being a “nice to have” and becomes operational. We’re back with Greg Barta, Public Information Officer for the Orange County Fire Authority, to dig into the nuts and bolts of crisis communication that most people never see: where to stage a press conference, how to set the tone, and the subtle skill of knowing when it’s time to end Q&A before it turns into a loop of repeats and rumors.

We also get candid about staffing and endurance. Greg walks through how his incident management team scaled PIO coverage with a 24/7 posture, including clear assignments for on-camera interviews, a dedicated media phone line, and a rover role to absorb surges. If you’ve ever wondered how agencies keep messaging consistent across multiple shifts and multiple partner agencies, this is a practical look at building a battle rhythm that holds up after the chaotic first 24 to 48 hours.

Then we zoom out to coordination: the interplay between the PIO shop and the liaison officer when elected officials are intensely engaged, and why a dedicated elected officials briefing can protect the core response while keeping leaders informed. On the public side, we talk community hotlines run through the Emergency Operations Center, the flood of social media comments and X direct messages, and what happens when “helpful suggestions” start clogging the system.

If crisis management, emergency communications, media relations, and incident command are part of your world, you’ll leave with tactics you can apply immediately. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more crisis leaders can find the show.

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