Covering FEMA from the Inside
Dear Media,
We welcome each of you to the experience of seeing the work of response and recovery teams first hand.
We appreciate your interest and willingness to live and work alongside response and recovery professionals from across the United States as they help those affected by disasters. For us, it gives an opportunity to demonstrate the service provided by these outstanding individuals. For you, it provides a unique vantage point from which to tell the story of these brave and proud Americans - from behind the yellow caution tape and in the midst of the disaster scene -- as they serve their neighbors.
Depending on the type of disaster and the unit you might be deploying with, you'll see the finest emergency response professionals America has to offer - from doctors and nurses setting up hospital emergency rooms in tents to brave search and rescue professionals climbing into the depths of mangled buildings with their search animals or wading through high water in an effort to ensure that no one is left behind.
A media escort will deploy with you during your media access and be your guide along the way. Their job is to ensure you the best access possible to get a good story, while also looking out for your safety and enforcing some modest rules so that your stay with a unit goes well and that our operational teams keep inviting media back on future disaster deployments.
Access with a federal government response team does have certain constraints. As an enclosure to this letter you will find a list of ground rules we must ask you to agree to follow. Please understand that agreement to these rules is necessary to protect you as well as the units you will work with. Failure to comply with these rules may result in termination of a news media representative's access.
In addition to ground rules, we ask that you come prepared to operate safely in a complex environment. This includes, but is not limited to, coming prepared with appropriate gear such as work boots, long pants and extreme weather gear. A gear list is included for your use. Being properly outfitted and obeying the orders of operational unit leaders will go a long way to keeping you safe and comfortable during your embed.
Speaking of comfort, remember that disaster situations are not pleasant places. You may experience sights, smells and sounds that are highly unpleasant and need to be prepared for that. You may also have very limited access to basic services which we all rely upon. You may go for several days without water, food, electricity, or a warm bed. Pack what you'll need to sustain yourself and stay modestly comfortable. Obviously you'll need clean water and food, but also bring along your toiletries, sunscreen, extra clothing, sleeping bag, camping gear and anything else you can think that will be required in a very primitive environment for up to a week or more, depending on your team assignment.
FEMA's Office of Public Affairs (FEMA OPA) will be the final authority on access and will limit, restrict or terminate access whenever necessary, and solely at the discretion of the office, for safety and security reasons, or to ensure the overall viability of the program.
FEMA OPA will serve as your final stop before you leave, during your access and when you return. In the field, the team leader has the ultimate authority as to where you go and how you access the team. Your public affairs officer will work with the team leader to ensure the greatest accessibility possible within the confines of keeping you and our team members safe. If you have questions, concerns or a problem which cannot be solved within your access, contact the FEMA OPA office (202-646-4600).
For more information, or if you are interested in access but have not yet coordinated with FEMA OPA, please contact the office at 202-646-4600 and be ready to provide your full name, media organization you represent, phone number, fax number, email address and best way to reach you.
Thank you again for your interest in the media access program and we look forward to working with you soon.
FEMA's Office of Public Affairs
Last Modified: Tuesday, 21-Oct-2008 13:37:17 EDT