Public Relations for Professional and Volunteer Fire Departments

Media Relations Training for Professional and Volunteer Fire Departments

Individuals responsible for public relations within a fire department are no longer solely focused on traditional press relations. This area of responsibility has expanded significantly in recent times due to the rapid proliferation of social media. Furthermore, proper engagement with members of the press remains crucial and requires realistic practice.

We provide an overview of the press and media landscape in Germany, explaining the legal prerequisites and requirements that press offices of authorities and aid organizations face in an emergency. Those inexperienced in this field will gain a solid foundation for their future work through our seminar. Even in established press offices, the demands that arise during a major incident or disaster are often underestimated. Work in such cases fundamentally differs from daily routine within authorities or during minor incidents.

Due to the positioning of the digital media landscape, established media such as newspapers, radio, and TV broadcasters must also react more quickly to such events. The dependence on information and images originating from social media has increasingly grown.

Using current examples, we demonstrate how you can calmly and professionally manage such an operational situation in the field of press relations. The mutual exchange of experiences among participants has significantly advanced them in past events.

In this seminar, you will gain a comprehensive overview of various communication channels, learn how to use them correctly and securely, and can practice how to effectively present your topics both in front of the camera and microphone.

Request a date via the seminar office

02162 436940

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Target Group:

Press offices of volunteer fire departments, as well as professional, company, and plant fire departments.

Learning Objectives:

Providing an overview of direct and indirect public relations in operations. Confident appearance in front of microphone and camera.

Period & Location:

In-house event at your premises or as an open seminar

Course Program:

Day 1

Importance of Public Relations
Direct and Indirect Communication
Current Media Landscape
Dealing with the media

Day 2

Coordination of Press Relations in Major Incidents
Interview instruction and training

Our Experts

Jan Müller-Tischer

Senior Consultant and Senior Lecturer

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Jan Müller-Tischer heads our Lülf+ Academy. He is an expert in staff training and crisis communication in civil protection, and is a visiting lecturer at institutions including Akkon University of Applied Sciences, the University of Bonn (KaVoMa), state fire service schools, and the Federal Academy for Civil Protection and Civil Defense (BABZ). Previously, he worked for many years as a journalist and social media editor and produces our podcast on civil protection. He supports our team from our Hamburg office. Jan Müller-Tischer is active in a voluntary capacity as a trained unit leader in the Mobile Command Staff of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, in the disaster control staff of his home district, and in the fire department. In recent years, he also helped to establish the THW’s Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST).