The Public Information Officer (PIO) and Joint Information Center (JIC) are two supporting elements of the JIS.

The PIO is a key member of ICS and EOC organizations, though they might go by a different title in EOCs. PIO functions include:

• Advising the Incident Commander, Unified Command or EOC director on public information matters
• Gathering, verifying, coordinating, and disseminating accurate, accessible, and timely information
• Handling inquiries from the media, public and elected officials
• Providing emergency public information and warnings
• Conducting rumor monitoring and response

The JIC is a central location that houses JIS operations and where public information staff perform essential information and public affairs functions.

Normally, an incident should have a single JIC, but the JIS is flexible and can accommodate multiple JICs if necessary.