Abstract
Public information officers (PIOs) are tasked with a broad, difficult job. Pertaining, but not limited to, law enforcement, PIO’s job can involve disseminating life threatening information. In times such as these where the information being transferred can affect the community’s wellbeing, it is important to have a well-trained PIO. Training PIOs is overlooked in some agencies and it can lead to ineffective communication. Creating the proper tools to ensure that an agencies PIO is ready and able to successfully carry out their job is crucial. Currently the Placer County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has no handbook to guide their PIO in their line of work. This project will create a handbook for the PCSO to issue to their PIOs, ensuring that they are better equipped to do their job successfully.