When we sit down as PIO’s to write at work we are confronted by a million distractions. Cell phones ringing and sending out a variety of tones to indicate emails, text messages etc., computers whistling out their own tones when Twitter posts are received, someone is IMing us or email has arrived. A lot to absorb simultaneously. No wonder many old starchy grammar police types bemoan the disappearance of sound standard writing styles and a good grasp of the gramatic. With all these distractions we can no longer pay as close attention to the importance of the standard rules of English and writing. Or should we throw away style books and concentrate on the present? With all the complaints that no one can “write” anymore, we might actually be living in an age of need for the greatest writing skills of all time.
Archives for pio-product-reviews
See all posts in the network tagged with pio-product-reviews
A few years back I had the opportunity to visit and tour the Microsoft House of the Future on their campus in Seattle. The house, which looks like the interior of a real house, thrusts you 20 years into the future to show you how Microsoft products in R&D will help enhance our lives. One of the recurring themes during the visit was how “smart phones” would become the virtual nerve center of our daily life. The phones would open our front door, scan merchandise in stores, act as the remote to our electronics and do all the functions of our PC’s. Sort of like the famous Honeymooners episode where Ralph is the Chef of the Future selling one kitchen gadget that does the work of many.
When I need to scour lists for media contacts I use Cision. At a cost of $3,000 per year it creates a perennial sweat for me worrying whether the funds will be in the budget to cover this relatively large expenditure the next fiscal year.
I’m always on the lookout for new ways to reach out to the media. A new FREE way to gather information comes from MBlast who this month introduced MediaSync. The website helps users find relevant journalists and outlets, keep current on editorial calendars, and organize media campaigns. Although geared for marketers I have been playing with the service and find it relevant for PR use.
It’s kind of strange. For all the technology I employ on the fire ground – digital SLR camera, Flip HD video recorder, Blackberry for contacting the media, Tweeting and having the media contact me, the one area I lack in is logging the written word with ease.
Currently I still rely on my old reporter’s notebook (often soggy) a pen (often lost or soggy) or notes scrawled on anything I can find that resembles paper to record what I will need to later address the press or write a release.
I noted a few posts back that I am leery of using advanced technology that can break unexpectedly on the fire ground from heat, water, debris and shock.
One area I have been researching is the possibility of purchasing a rugged convertible notebook to use on the fire ground to both record and send information about the incident I am working.
Getac just announced today that its new V200 rugged convertible notebook computer, the world’s most powerful fully rugged convertible notebook to date, coming in at just 6 pounds, will be released in October.
I do a lot of photography work for my Department and wish I had the budget to purchase a really good SLR digital like the Canon EOS 50D. Unfortunately two things are in my way. First is the price. At over $1,000 I would have to baby the camera at a scene which would not allow me to get the aggressive pictures I want. Secondly, with the dynamics of the fireground an “injury” to the camera must always be considered.
Last month we had a barn fire. It was muddy and smoky on the fireground. My poor Canon Powershot S90 got hammered with smoke and a shower of debris and water from a deuce and a half. I mourned this LODD because this camera had done me great service for more than a year.
As a volunteer fire department PIO, and not in house based, I have to be prepared to respond from wherever I am in the community when an alarm is toned out. Since my main PIO “toolbox” is located at the main house, I need a fully redundant system that can duplicate some of the items I keep in the firehouse.
At the firehouse I have a large camera bag that holds the following items –
Awhile back I came across a dozen tips for Google searches. The information has made my life easier as a PIO. Features I never knew existed such as Exclude Words, Specific Document Types and This OR That has helped me save valuable time when I need to refer to Google for a search.
The critical eye of the electronic media will view us in greater real time as more and more outlets start using the LiveU system. The system bridges the bandwidth gap needed for live video transmission by “bonding” together multiple cell phone circuits, and according to many news outlets, could substantially reduce the cost of newsgathering and increase their amount of live coverage at breaking scenes.
Believe me, I am not shilling for any business, but I find great value in a number of the free webinars that are held by Cision. I have used Cision services since they acquired Bacons.
I have posted about the logistical problems of occasionally getting transportation to a scene forthwith. How can I not envy the deluxe digs the PIO staff travels in when heading to a scene in Los Angeles.
FDNNTV did a video piece on this superb piece of equipment. Here is the skinny on the rig and a video tour of the layout.
Oh, by the way, if you have PIO wheels send me a picture we can post – jeff@thefirepio.org.
If you have not obtained Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for your Department due to cost, a free download is available that is equally as efficient. Gimp is a software photo editing tool that allows you to accomplish essential image workflow steps such as resizing, cropping, erasing, combining multiple images and converting between different image formats.
