in Washington, must know what is going on so that we can respond promptly and 

 accurately to inquiries. 



For those of you who are not familiar with the FWS Public Affairs Office, 

 I would like to describe our operation so that you will understand the types 

 of constraints we work under and the types of assistance we can offer you in 

 pollution response. 



The Washington Public Affairs Office has three staff groups, all of which 

 could be involved in a given situation. The Current Information Staff deals 

 primarily with the print media. The broadcast media are handled by the Radio 

 and TV Coordination Staff. Often, both operate at the same time and exchange 

 contacts and inquiries. The Audio-Visual Staff handles the logistical support 

 for photography, filming, and possible videotaping of an incident. 



We also have Public Affairs Offices in the six Regional Offices and 

 Alaska, whose responsibilities parallel and reinforce those of the Washington 

 Office. These offices generally are staffed by a Public Affairs Officer (PAO) 

 and, in some cases, an Assistant Public Affairs Officer as well. Presently, we 

 have one PAO at an Area Office (Bismarck). We hope to have additional staff 

 at Area Offices soon to add to the professional public affairs capability of 

 FWS as a whole and support for the Service's pollution response in particular. 



The Public Affairs Office in Washington also is directly responsible for 

 keeping other facets of the Administration informed. We not only keep the 

 Secretary and his staff abreast of events, but, if needed, call matters to the 

 attention of the White House. The latter happens more frequently than you 

 might think, especially if the President, the Vice President, or the 

 Secretary happens to be traveling to the affected area. 



The telephones in the FWS Public Affairs Office in Washington and at the 

 various field offices begin ringing, literally, the minute news of an oil 

 spill or other pollution problem is made public. Calls come in from private 

 conservation groups, news agencies, and individuals eager to help. The 

 public and the news media continue to call until the story of the spill fades 

 to the back section of metropolitan newspapers in the vicinity of the inci- 

 dent. 



Imagine us, if you will, far from the spill scene, scrambling around 

 for information to give to CBS, the New York Times, and other news media 

 representatives. At the same time, we need to keep information flowing to 

 the Secretary's Public Affairs Office. Because of the demand on us to get 

 news out, we need your cooperation. 



Of greater direct impact to you are the television crews and the radio 

 and newspaper reporters who, more often than not, descend upon the FWS spill 

 coordinator on the scene. And this person already has his hands full. 



The objectiv: of the Public Affairs function is not only to provide 

 facts to the public, but to relieve unnecessary pressure on the personnel 



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