Communicating with the media during Operations
Page updated: 30 November 2020
The media may be interested in what is happening in a SAR operation. If you are the Incident Controller, you need to be ready to share information.
Prepare information to share with the media
If you're the Incident Controller, you should make sure you have information you can share with the media. You can ask someone involved in the SAR operation to prepare this. However, you'll need to check and approve the information before it is passed on to media. You can share press releases through the New Zealand Police media centre.
Communicate facts only
Only share facts that are known. Do not speculate about what may or may not have happened.
Be available for interviews
As Incident Controller, you're best placed to speak about the SAR operation. Try to make yourself available for interviews within reason. You may be able to get more information to help with the operation by doing this.
Consider sharing approved safety messages
You’ll find these on the AdventureSmart website (see the link below).