FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2019
Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management Honored
by Government Communication Professionals
The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) was recognized at the annual Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) conference in Denton, Texas. HCOHSEM received the TAMIO Award of Honor for its 2018 Public Service Announcement (PSA) - Prepare Together.
“We are grateful and honored to be recognized by communication professionals for a job well done,” said Harris County Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Sloan. “We do our best to keep our residents informed when disaster strikes, and work year-round to promote emergency preparedness.”
With the devastation of Hurricane Harvey still on everyone’s mind, it was crucial to continue to educate residents about the importance of disaster preparedness and community resilience. HCOHSEM, in recognition of National Preparedness Month last September, launched the PSA to encourage disaster preparedness.
The PSA, produced by Newman & Newman, used images from Harvey to remind the public of the “neighbor helping neighbor” spirit that helped Harris County residents recover. It was produced in 15 and 30-second spots in English and Spanish. HCOHSEM distributed the PSA to local media, emergency management partners, and to the public through social media.
More than 230 public information officers from across the state attended the 2019 TAMIO conference that promotes new initiatives in communications, and the exchange of information and ideas among its members.
This year, TAMIO received more than 400 award entries. The awards recognize outstanding communication products in various categories including, website, social media, video production and publications. Judging is conducted by non-TAMIO members with expertise in communications and local government.
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