RPIE /Strategic Planning Training
2026-03-26 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | City of Roseville – Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville, CA, 95661, United States
Public-sector communicators are often expected to move quickly, respond to competing requests, and deliver tactics on tight timelines. In that environment, planning is frequently compressed or skipped altogether, making communication decisions harder to explain, defend, and evaluate.
This in-depth, in-person CAPIO regional workshop focuses exclusively on the RPIE framework, Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation, a nationally recognized planning model and the gold standard used in the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) process. Rather than treating RPIE as a template or academic exercise, this session emphasizes how the framework functions as a practical decision-making tool for real-world public-sector communications.

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-03-30 00:00 - 2026-04-01 23:59 (America/New_York) | Ouray, CO, Ouray, CO, United States
To equip participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/ emergency response.

MGT-467 Sport and Special Event Public Information and Emergency Notification
2026-03-31 00:00 - 2026-04-01 23:59 (America/New_York) | Bastrop, TX, Bastrop, TX, United States
The Sport and Special Event Public Information and Emergency Notification course brings planners, operators, public information professionals, government, public safety, and marketing professionals together in an effort to prepare and/or enhance venue and event communication programs. The course prescribes best practices to common communication pitfalls and provides flexible and scalable solutions to a wide-range of scenarios. The training leverages a combination of exercises, discussions, and activities to optimize participant experience.

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-03-31 00:00 - 2026-04-02 23:59 (America/New_York) | McCook, NE, McCook, NE, United States

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-03-31 00:00 - 2026-04-02 23:59 (America/New_York) | Stillwater, OK, Stillwater, OK, United States

EMEAA: Q&A on Careers and Credentialing with Ashley McDonald
2026-03-31 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/emeaa-qa-on-careers-and-credentialing-with-ashley-mcdonald/
For EMEAA Members. To learn more about joining, click here.
Ashley McDonald is an internationally credentialed public information officer and seasoned media relations professional. She currently serves as PIO for the Emergency Management Association of Tennessee, supports the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Mutual Aid Section, and is a deployable PIO3 with the State of Tennessee’s All Hazards Incident Management Team. McDonald holds a B.S. in Public Relations from Middle Tennessee State University and has completed FEMA’s Executive PIO Program, FBI-LEEDA Master PIO, and UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) Master PIO. She also teaches PIO Essentials and Master PIO courses as a UT LEIC associate. As past president of the National Information Officers Association, she led the development of the CPSE’s professional PIO designation, earning NIOA’s “Leadership in Public Information Award” in 2023. She received the CPSE’s international PIO designation in 2022 and has served on the Commission on Professional Credentialing since that year. McDonald was awarded the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs’ prestigious President’s Award in both 2019 and 2025.

MGT-318 Public Information in an All-Hazards Incident
2026-04-01 00:00 - 2026-04-02 23:59 (America/New_York) | Johnson City, TN, Johnson City, TN, United States
This course examines the role of public information in all-hazards incident management and provides practical training in crisis communication techniques. In a major incident, it is of critical importance that community leaders, incident managers, and Public Information Officers (PIO) are prepared to communicate with the public through traditional and social media. This course focuses on the role of public information in all-hazards incident management; the information needs of the press and public in a crisis; and strategies for planning, conducting, and managing the public information effort during a crisis event.

Trustworthy: Navigating an Increasingly AI-Driven World for Police, Fire and Government Public Information Officers
2026-04-01 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/trustworthy-navigating-an-increasingly-ai-driven-world-for-police-fire-and-government-public-information-officers/
Trustworthy: Navigating an Increasingly AI-Driven World for Police, Fire and Government Public Information Officers is a practical course designed for public information officers, public affairs professionals, and agency leaders navigating an AI-influenced communications landscape.

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a productivity tool. It now plays a direct role in shaping narratives, influencing public opinion, and accelerating the spread of misinformation. Throughout this course, a detailed description of how Artificial Intelligence can be used to commit crimes, target officers, or the entire agency. Real-world case studies will be discussed and explored. This course explains how AI systems shape message framing, audience perception, and trust, often without the public realizing it.
Participants will learn that AI-driven manipulation is already influencing how incidents are perceived. The speed matters more than sophistication. Even poorly made content can spread fast enough to shape public opinion before facts are established
Participants will examine real-world examples of AI-driven narrative control, discuss the risks of unmanaged AI use, and explore how public agencies can set clear policies that balance innovation with transparency. The course also addresses when and how agencies should disclose AI use, and how proactive communication can strengthen credibility rather than erode it.
Through guided discussion and scenario-based exercises, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of AI’s influence on modern communications, along with practical steps they can apply immediately within their organization.

20th International Public Relations Congress
2026-04-06 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | The Dover Hotel (Nigeria), Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria
In today’s inter-dependent world, reputation is currency. Join communication leaders, policymakers, and PR professionals as we explore how public relations can drive trust, cooperation, investment, and sustainable prosperity.
🎯 Theme:The Inter-dependent World: Harnessing Public Relations Best Practices to Earn Stakeholders’ Goodwill and Co-operation, Create an Enabling Environment for Trade and Investment, Manage Reputation Risk, and Rebrand for Prosperity.
✨ What you’ll gain:• Global PR best practices for today’s interconnected world• Advanced leadership and strategic communication skills• Practical insights for managing reputation and public trust• Networking with top professionals across public & private sectors
📍 Venue: Dover Hotel, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos📅 Date: 11th – 14th August, 2026⏰ Time: 9AM – 5PM💲 Fee: $1950
🔔 Register now and position yourself at the forefront of strategic communication and reputation management.

FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations (MPR)
2026-04-06 00:00 - 2026-04-10 23:59 (America/New_York) | Caledonia, Wisconsin, Caledonia, WI, United States
The FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations (MPR) course is a 4 ½-day intense curriculum developed to assist law enforcement in communication with not only the media, but the communities they serve. The course is suitable for chiefs and commanders who may deal with the media on a regular or ad hoc basis and full-time/part-time Public Information Officers (PIOs). This class provides proven strategies and best-practices for media relations, crisis communications and social media. Students will learn to prepare and deliver messages. The session features numerous desktop and on-camera exercises. Participants are asked to bring a laptop or tablet to class.

FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations (MPR)
2026-04-06 00:00 - 2026-04-10 23:59 (America/New_York) | Golden, Colorado, Golden, CO, United States

FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations (MPR)
2026-04-06 00:00 - 2026-04-10 23:59 (America/New_York) | Irvine, CA, Irvine, CA, United States

EMEAA Webinar: Women in Crisis Management and Resilience with Amanda Coleman
2026-04-06 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://piocalendar.com/event/emeaa-webinar-women-in-crisis-management-and-resilience-with-amanda-coleman/
For EMEAA Memebers only. Learn about joining EMEAA here for $35 annually.
Amanda will talk about the findings from a recent survey on the role of women in crisis management and the importance of listening to unheard voices to build an inclusive response. She will look at what it means for the emergency planning profession and what steps need to be taken to start to turn things around.
Amanda is a crisis communication specialist and the director and founder of crisis communication consultancy Amanda Coleman Communication Ltd. Based in the UK, she has more than 25 years’ experience in crisis and emergency communication.

MGT-318 Public Information in an All-Hazards Incident
2026-04-07 00:00 - 2026-04-08 23:59 (America/New_York) | Mason City, IA, Mason City, IA, United States

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-04-07 00:00 - 2026-04-09 23:59 (America/New_York) | Hamburg, PA, Hamburg, PA, United States

2026 NC3C Annual Conference
2026-04-08 00:00 - 2026-04-10 23:59 (America/New_York) | Beaufort Hotel North Carolina, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
This year’s annual conference is in beautiful Beaufort, down along North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. We’re excited to have renowned speaker and author Michael Reddington, CFI, as this year’s keynote speaker for our three-day conference, happening April 8-10, 2026. The conference also includes our annual awards ceremony for the Excellence in Communications Awards.
Our theme for this year is “Coastal Currents. Statewide Impact.“

PER-344 Social Media Tools & Techniques
2026-04-09 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | Freehold, NJ, Freehold, NJ, United States
This performance-level web-based course is designed for individuals in the public and private sectors who are responsible for gathering and disseminating disaster-related information and who would like to increase their knowledge and understanding about social media and its uses during crisis communication to support organizational preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

AWR-209 Working with the Media: A Course for Rural First Responders
2026-04-09 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | Windham, ME, Windham, ME, United States
Adapted from FEMA’s IG-290 curriculum, this 8-hour course provides rural first responders with skills needed to communicate with the public through the media. Examines roles of the media and the rural first responder/public information officer. Participants learn how to give print/electronic media interviews, write news releases, provide information at the scene, and how they fit into the joint information system.
Imported Details
Registration: https://studentportal.ruraltraining.org/courses/display/313 | Location: A Course for Rural First Responders in Windham, ME

Yankee Chapter Membership Networking Coffee Meet-Up (Keene)
2026-04-09 08:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | Brewbakers Cafe, 48 Emerald Street, Keene, NH, 03431, United States
Join us for coffee and networking at Brewbakers in Keene. There will be no charge for this event, but please register by April 1 for planning purposes.

Yankee Chapter Membership Networking Coffee Meet-Up (Concord)
2026-04-09 08:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | Panera Bread (Concord, NH), 75 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, NH, 03301, United States
Join us for coffee and networking at Panera Bread on Concord. There will be no charge for this event, but please register by April 1 for planning purposes.

Yankee Chapter Membership Networking Coffee Meet-Up (Portsmouth)
2026-04-09 08:00 - 09:30 (America/New_York) | PlaneSense, 115 Flightline Road, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
Join us for coffee and networking in the lobby of PlaneSense in Portsmouth. There will be no charge for this event, but please register by April 1 for planning purposes.
Details: Park and go to the entrance closest to the runway (near the flagpoles). The entrance closest to the larger parking lot will be locked.

Social Media Principles for First Responders
2026-04-09 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | JGPR Academy (Canton), 719 Washington St, Lower Level, Canton, MA, 02021, United States
Proper social media utilization has proven to be a highly effective tool for first responder agencies when it comes to communicating and engaging directly with the community members you serve. Taught by Duxbury MA Fire Chief Rob Reardon, this course will provide you with the framework for how to build a successful social media program, teach you how to properly brand your department, and introduce ways to grow your social media audience.
How Social Media Can be Effective for Your Department
How to Develop the Framework for a Successful Social Media Program
How to Build Your Brand and Grow Your Audience
The Importance of Engaging with Your Audience​
Who is the course for?
Social media managers for first responder agencies, department administrators seeking to start using social media, any first responder who would like a better understanding about the importance of social media, any first responders who are looking to learn more about social media best practices.

L0105 Public Information Basics
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | Forsyth, GA, Forsyth, GA, United States

PRSA Counselors Academy 2026 Conference
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa, 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad, CA, 92008, United States
Presented by the PRSA Counselors Academy Section, the annual conference brings together PR Agency owners and executives to address the evolving changes in the public relations landscape.
The 2026 conference will be particularly relevant to the nation’s communicators with the opportunity to gather, reconnect, and seek timely strategies, resources, and diverse perspectives to thrive and excel in the industry.

LEMIT Public Information Officer
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | LEMIT Criminal Justice Center, 1600 Bobby K. Marks Blvd., Huntsville, TX, 77341, United States
The Public Information Officer (PIO) course is designed for public safety personnel responsible for managing, disseminating, and overseeing information on behalf of their departments or organizations. Open to potential, newly assigned, and experienced PIOs—as well as administrative executives involved in public communication—the program equips participants with the essential skills and “tools of the trade” needed to handle both routine operations and community crises effectively. Through interactive, hands-on exercises, participants learn to write media releases, conduct interviews and on-camera briefings, and engage with social media and other communication platforms. The course emphasizes situational awareness, public relations strategies, and evaluation of public information campaigns, preparing attendees to serve as confident, credible, and effective voices for their agencies in any circumstance. (****Course mandated to meet requirements of SB33; the Uvalde Strong Act.)

Preparedness Summit
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-16 23:59 (America/New_York) | Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
The Preparedness Summit is the first and longest-running national conference on public health preparedness. Since its beginning in 2007, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has taken a leadership role in convening a wide array of partners to participate in the Summit; presenting new research findings, sharing tools and resources, and providing a variety of opportunities for attendees to learn how to implement model practices that enhance the nation’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and other emergencies.
Over the last decade, the nature of threats to our national health security have changed significantly. As professionals in the public health preparedness space, we can expect these threats to continue to evolve. It is imperative that we adapt our public health practices to meet the demands of an ever-evolving threat environment. But how do we, as preparedness leaders, help our communities become more prepared to respond to and recover from uncharted catastrophic events? We can start doing so by discovering new and creative solutions to address events like pandemic diseases, the opioid crisis, active shooter emergencies, and cybersecurity threats.
Each year, the Preparedness Summit features experts from the healthcare and emergency management fields in addition to public health preparedness professionals to address the gaps between these life-saving industries in an effort to work more collaboratively and efficiently in the face of emerging threats. Reaching across these sectors leverages diversity of thought and advances the capacity of our communities to respond to and recover from emergency events. We hope that this conference will provide an opportunity to build stronger partnerships and encourage us to find innovative solutions with our allies.

FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations (MPR)
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-17 23:59 (America/New_York) | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States

FEMA E/L0388 Advanced Public Information Officer
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-17 23:59 (America/New_York) | Wake County (NC) 911 Center, 2320 Westinghouse Boulevard, Raleigh, NC, 27604, United States
The National Response Framework (NRF) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) devote significant attention to the importance of emergency public information. Public Information Officers are key members of the ICS and EOC organizations, and work closely with officials who are part of Multiagency Coordination Groups. PIOs advise the Incident Commander, Unified Command, and EOC director on public information relating to incident management.
With public information included as a function within NIMS and within ICS, it is critical to address and provide training for this important element of Emergency Management.
The National Disaster & Emergency Management University (NDEMU) Public Information Officer (PIO) training curriculum includes courses delivered at the awareness, basic, advanced and master levels. The basic level course was developed by NDEMU and is managed by NDEMU or state emergency management trainers who teach basic skills and techniques for use during small, localized, single-agency responses; preparedness campaigns; and escalating localized responses.
The advanced level course teaches participants additional skills for use during escalating incidents, including strategic communications and incident action planning as it relates to Joint Information Center (JIC) operations.

E/L0952 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Public Information Officer
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-17 23:59 (America/New_York) | Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
This course is designed for a Public Information Officer (PIO) assigned to an incident as a member of an All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) and local IMTs, as well as for the PIO assigned to an incident as an Assistant PIO in a variety of capacities.

FBI-LEEDA Master Public Information Officer (MPO)
2026-04-13 00:00 - 2026-04-17 23:59 (America/New_York) | Isle of Palms (SC) Police Department, 30 JC Long Blvd, Isle of Palms, SC, 29541, United States
Building off of the FBI-LEEDA Media & Public Relations course, the Master Public Information Officer course moves the participant from the tactical to the strategic level of media and brand management. Participants will spend 4 ½ days exploring; the business model of media engagement, take a deeper dive into cultivating a brand image through internal and external communications, and learn how to proactively pitch stories in today’s 24/7 news environment. Students will learn the advanced means of creating high-quality in-house videos for social media, develop messaging calendars, and learn the art of being a strategic advisor. This course will build on crisis management skills in tabletop exercises designed to build the framework for a crisis communication manual. Participants spend an immersive 4-1/2 days refining skills in:

Cultivating and refining your Brand and Image
Internal and External Communications Strategies
Proactively Pitching Stories to a 24/7 News Environment
Business Model of Media Engagement
Crisis Management Planning
Interactive Tabletop Exercises
Producing High Quality Video for Social Media

Prerequisite: This class builds on concepts learned in the FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations class, therefore, students must have completed the MPR class prior to enrolling in the Master PIO class.
