"This is the worst fire fatality that we’ve had in the city of Las Vegas since the inception of the fire department," city spokesman Tim Szymanski said in a press conference. "We’ve never had ...

After 23 years informing the public for the Las Vegas Fire Department and a nearly 50-year career in firefighting, it’s fair to say that Tim Szymanski knows a lot about fire. What the department ...

Timothy R. Szymanski is a Master Public Information Officer who is the fire public education & information officer for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue. He has been in the fire service for 51 years and has ...

Tim Szymanski explains how he got his start as a public information officer and how this work later became a Firehouse column. Tim Szymanski on the job. I started my fire service career 46 years ...

Tim Szymanski explains why it's key to adjust your approach to respect all forms of media, even nontraditional outlets. Thirty years ago, when I was first asked to be the public information ...

Tim Szymanski explains why today’s world requires a dedicated PIO. Many times I am asked how a department can justify a public information officer (PIO). My reply is to ask how you can operate w ...

Tim Szymanski shares how social media can expand the reach of your fire safety messages to thousands—without much effort. One of the many duties the fire public information officer (PIO ...

Tim Szymanski, a spokesman and 23-year veteran of the department, memorialized the rescue by posting a picture the next day to Twitter. “Some people want to burn our flag, WE save it,” he ...

Timothy Szymanski identifies the methods and tools that can be used to spread the word to civilians in the event that electronic devices and other systems are made inoperable by a catastrophe of ...

Tim Szymanski reviews the variety of departmental responsibilities handled by PIOs. I am often asked, “How important is it to have a designated public information officer (PIO)?” After doing ...

Tim Szymanski underscores that accuracy of information is most critical with cases involving fire-related crimes. First things first, who should draft and disseminate the media release?