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Candidates push proactive social-media briefings, PIO planning and multi-agency drills for crises
Summary
Candidates told forum attendees they would expand proactive public communication — regular social-media updates, PIO briefings and pre-recorded vehicle messages — and reinforced the need for preexisting mutual-aid relationships with state and federal partners in emergencies.
When asked how the sheriff should communicate during emergencies, candidates emphasized regular public engagement and robust multi-channel crisis messaging.
Panelists said the sheriff should not wait until an incident to build public trust: they advocated regular social-media posts, weekly or monthly public check-ins and a visible public-information officer (PIO). For acute incidents, candidates suggested immediate social-media statements, coordinated press briefings, and pre-recorded loudspeaker messages routed from patrol vehicles to reach residents who may not see near-real-time web posts.
Candidates also emphasized pre-crisis preparedness — maintaining mutual-aid agreements with county, state and federal partners (including Hill Air Force Base where appropriate), training together and exercising communication plans so that phone trees, siren/vehicle messaging and social-media updates can be synchronized in a crisis.
All candidates stressed that clear, frequent and honest public messaging is the quickest way to keep citizens safe and reduce rumor and confusion during emergencies.
