NOTICE: Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed. This website was last updated on February 13, 2026, and will not be updated until after funding is enacted. As such, information on this website may not be up to date. Transactions submitted through this website might not be processed and we will not be able to respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted.

Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Public Information Awareness Courses

The Public Information Officer (PIO) awareness courses are designed to introduce new emergency managers from State, local, tribal, territorial, and Federal emergency management agencies to the concepts underlying the PIO role. They also build a foundational knowledge of 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.

The PIO beginning/awareness courses consist of an Independent Study course (IS-29) covering Public Information Officer Awareness, and a classroom course (E0105) covering Public Information Basics.

Both of the PIO awareness courses below also comprise a portion of the National Emergency Management Basic Academy (NEMBA) curriculum.

  • IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness

    • Course Overview

      The Public Information Officer Awareness Course (IS0029) is designed to familiarize participants with the concepts underlying the PIO role. This course can provide a basic understanding of the PIO function for those new to the position. Additionally, it can provide those in executive level roles the necessary knowledge of PIO roles and responsibilities during an emergency.

    • Complete Independently

      Independent Study (IS)

    • Prerequisites

      The participant will benefit from participating in entry-level incident command system training prior to taking this course.

    • Course Length

      7 hours

    IS-29 Course Details

  • E0105: Public Information Basics

    • Course Overview

      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.

    • Classroom Delivery

      Resident (E), Local (L), Virtual (K)

    • Prerequisites

      IS-29: Public Information Officer Awareness

    • Course Length

      3 days (24 hours)

    E0105 Course Details

training.fema.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security