Brown Nelson’s model for Joint Information Centers is unique in that it was derived from actual experience instead of in an office. During the Mega Borg crisis of 1990, a rudimentary JIC was used for the first time by Brown Nelson and the US Coast Guard. The concept evolved by 1994 when Brown Nelson debuted this flexible, simple JIC model featuring maximum response but minimal structure. Since every incident is different, this model allows the JIC to size itself to the incident and, of special importance to the Responsible Party's (RP) accountants, its simplicity permits flexibility to easily shrink staff as the incident response slows. The Brown Nelson JIC model is integrated into the Brown Nelson Crisis Response Model and has been widely adopted in the US.

Under the National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS), a refined version of the familiar Incident Command System (ICS), the JIC is the mechanism through which the crisis response team comes in contact with the public and the media.

The JIC Concept

A crisis brings together many response elements and audiences with varying interests in what is going on. Two of the largest groups are the public and the media.

• The public includes political entities at the local, state and federal levels, environmental groups, volunteers, and other audiences who appear on-scene with an obvious or not-so-obvious reason. A call from the Governor’s office or from a concerned citizen are typical of the telephone traffic. Some members of the public may drive to the command site for answers.
• The media provides the communication channel through which most audiences are served in a crisis situation. Media includes local, regional, national, and international press and electronic reporters plus the trade press. Hundreds of media will arrive at a major event. Each of them will have one or more news “angles” to explore during their coverage. Some will want information in great depth and others need superficial one-liner facts.

The JIC is designed to be a “one stop service center” for both these audiences. Either a mayor or a TV reporter can call or come by the JIC for the latest informa tion or to file a request or complaint. The JIC’s basic role is to collect as much information as possible on the incident and coordinate its timely flow outward. Coordinated information means less confusion, inaccuracies and duplication of effort.

Who Runs It?

The JIC is operated by personnel from each major response organization, including the Federal On-Scene Coordinator’s (FOSC) Information Officer. Other members will include the State On-Scene Coordinator’s Information Officer and the Responsible Party's PR professionals, either contracted or staff. Local governments and other agencies may also have PR persons in the JIC to handle specific inquiries that affect their constituencies. The US Coast Guard may deploy its Public Information Assist Team to direct its media response. All persons active in a JIC must have a contractual reason to be there; otherwise, there are potentially damaging liability problems with each contact with media or public not to mention the sensitive information that may be heard behind the scenes as planning goes forward. A list of all JIC personnel will be posted in the Incident Command with duty hours, quarters and telephone numbers.

Releases of information are coordinated between JIC members periodically during the event and presented in writing and/or in a news briefing in the name of the Unified Command. News releases will carry a unique JIC letterhead. JIC releases do not preclude any responder from channeling its own information to the media or the public.

How to Set Up a JIC

The Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for the public affairs program. The IC will be the RP's representative in most incidents, but that person will understand that one of their political responsibilities is to gain real or tacit approval of the FOSC in all matters, including information flow. For that reason, leadership of the initial public affairs function will likely default to a Federal information officer but Brown Nelson believes the RP's public affairs representative, when the JIC is established, should manage it. This is a better approach since the RP has the distinct goal of mounting a response that will move the incident out of the news rather than sustain the story to enhance Federal or State promotion opportunities.

Although the JIC is a cooperative venture, it is supervised by a designated information officer. The JIC is organized by this person. It is the responsibility of each responding organization to voluntarily send personnel to the JIC and operate under its auspices.

There should be two distinct JIC operations: internal and external.

• Internal JIC — this larger arm of the JIC directly serves the IC and is not directly accessible by the public or media. This group creates the media response plan, monitors media coverage, tracks progress of the response, provides a research capability, creates news releases, coordinates all products, prints and distributes materials, provides audio-visual aids, answers telephone inquiries, plans and conducts news briefings and other meetings, coordinates news photogra phy and media transportation (if provided), maintains event logs, and operates “rumor lines”. It is located within or close to the Incident Command Center.

• External JIC — the “front end” of the JIC — is the face the outside world sees. This office has at least one senior PR practitioner from the three major responders: US Coast Guard/Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state, and the company. Other responders or participants can send personnel to this room as appropriate — especially when events bring visibility to their involvement (e.g., bird cleaning, weather). All releases, fact sheets, and statements are posted here; copies of all products are available. News clippings and video tapes are available for review. Event status boards are posted; media escorts, if provided, are assigned from this office. One-on-one media interviews can be conducted here. The principal spokesper sons operate from this JIC location and are available to meet with community leaders and media representatives. Visitors to this “external office” use a sign-in sheet.

Office Support

Both offices are supported with copying machines, telephones, fax machines, and word processors. At least one private communications line is maintained between the internal and external JIC func tions. Most outside lines are located in the internal JIC.

Personnel

The most skilled communicators are divided between the two JIC operations. Lesser skilled staff members are assigned to the internal JIC for clerical, coordination, and administrative tasks. At least one clerical person works in each location. At least one person will be responsible to keep current data boards in each location.

The expertise of JIC participants is determined quickly, and the appropriate inquiry may be directed to an “expert” on that subject. Each member of the JIC can respond to generic questions (e.g., size of spill, amount of boom deployed, status of vessel, etc.) but specific inquiries are directed to the appropriate representative.

Depending upon the extent of the geography involved, there may be JIC personnel assigned to additional locations (e.g., beach cleanup, at the harbor, at another headquarters). These persons provide a flow of intelligence from the site and can provide one-on-one media interviews.

The keys to the success of any Joint Information Center are cooperation and coordination among all members.

top