S5 - E18: Dawn Small, Strategic Communications Manager, Aurora Fire Rescue, Aurora, CO

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Summary: In this episode of the PIO podcast, host Robert Tornabene interviews Dawn Small, the strategic communications manager for Aurora Fire Rescue. Dawn shares her journey from public relations agencies to the fire service, highlighting her experiences and the changes she aims to implement in communications. The conversation delves into the importance of community engagement, the role of social media, and the daily responsibilities of a PIO in a busy fire department. Dawn emphasizes the need for strategic planning and collaboration with media to communicate safety messages and improve public education effectively. In this conversation, Robert Tornabene and Dawn Small discuss the importance of strategic communication planning, particularly in the context of public safety and fire departments. They explore how engaging with firefighters can enhance communication effectiveness, the role of AI in streamlining communication efforts, and the significance of having a cohesive plan that aligns with leadership. The discussion also touches on personal insights and rapid-fire questions that reveal more about Dawn's perspectives and experiences.

Dawn's BIO: With nearly three decades of broad-based communications expertise spanning the public and private sectors, Dawn Small serves as strategic communications manager for Aurora Fire Rescue, an all-hazards fire department with 17 fire stations and nearly 500 firefighters/paramedics serving the city of Aurora, Colo.

Dawn leads the Public Information Office for AFR, overseeing internal and external communications, emergency communications, media relations, and community engagement for the department.

 During the first decade of her career, Dawn cut her teeth in communications at international public relations firms such as Fleishman-Hillard and Weber Shandwick Worldwide. She managed and implemented public relations programs for various public and corporate affairs clients. While working with public-sector agencies such as the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Office of International Trade, and Los Angeles World Airports, she became exposed to the sense of fulfillment that comes with strengthening the community and impacting individual lives through public education, community relations, and effective communications outreach.

After spending the next decade of her career in global external communications, internal communications, and content marketing leadership roles for Arrow Electronics Inc., a Fortune 150 technology firm, and full-stack technology solutions provider Flexential, she felt the call to shift back to the public sector. She led communications and marketing for the Colorado Retirement Association, a quasi-governmental organization providing retirement plans for Colorado city and county employees, followed by two years as a communications strategist for the City of Centennial, Colo., before joining AFR.

 Dawn holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of South Dakota and Advanced Public Information Officer certification from the Federal Emergency Management Association.

Dawn Smalls LinkedIn

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