PSS 11.6 Dissemination of Information

Purpose

To outline the final process in information management – dissemination.

Policy

Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) provides the following guidelines regarding dissemination of information.

Procedure

The final process in information management is to ensure effective declaration of the results and actions. Information flow must be upwards to supervisors, downwards to personnel/services and outward to other agencies and the community.

This is achieved by the following:

• Orders (written or verbally).
• Situation Reports (SITREPS) – They may be formal written communications or telephone messages. Controversial issues should be advised to the next higher level (or as per the SOPs) as soon as possible, rather than waiting to be included in the next routine situation report.
• Public Warnings – A number of methods of distribution may need to be used at the same time to make sure that everyone who needs to be warned is warned. One method is to use the media (all public warnings must be logged).
• Media Releases – These are designed to ensure that the public is properly informed of the current situation and the organisations involvement (see the media section of this manual).
• Briefings – these give an overview of the situation and may contain operational, administrative, communications and media information.
• Debriefings – these are to be conducted at the level appropriate for the incident and given the suitable level of importance.
  

Outgoing Information

Ideally all outgoing information should be written and a copy of the information filed digitally (and in hard copy if such exists).