On Friday, April 20, the region’s Public Information Officer (PIO) Committee will be holding a press conference on tornado preparedness at 9:45 a.m. at AMT, 1718 N. Sterling Ave. in Peoria. Jason Marks, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Peoria City/County Health Department, and Jill Peterson, Public Relations Coordinator with the City of East Peoria, will describe preparations that individuals and families can – and should – take in advance of disaster, particularly a tornado. A sample emergency supply kit will be available for viewing.
Immediately following the press conference on tornado preparedness, the PIO Committee will demonstrate the CodeRed Emergency Notification System to our media partners. This system is used to alert all 55 members of the PIO Committee simultaneously to a large scale disaster in the five county region of Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, and Stark. This same system is used to notify local first responders to emergencies, as well as affected residents when necessary.
The PIO Committee is responsible for working with media partners to release accurate, timely information to the public during and after disaster strikes. The committee was formed in 2007 as a sub-committee of Homeland Security Region 10. The committee is comprised of public information/communications professionals from all levels of government and emergency response, public health, health care, education, private business, and emergency service agencies from all five counties.
For more information on the PIO Committee, please contact Jenny Fulton, committee chair and Director of Strategic Communications for the County of Peoria, at (309) 672-6918.
