l l l Maintaining  the  CIB  for  safety,  health  and comfort Getting  additional  information  about  the  event that may or may not have news potential Assisting  the  news  media  as  directed  by  the officer in charge of the CIB CIB  Site  Selection  and  Configuration Consider  the  following  when  selecting  the  location of the CIB: .    Security  and  defense.  With  the  aid  of  the security officer, secure the facility so access is limited   to   media   members   and   authorized military  personnel.  As  appropriate,  consider whether the facility can be adequately defended against enemy attack .  Exterior. Plan for a driver or escort outside the CIB assembly area. Be sure there is enough space for  parking,  to  include  any  vehicles  the  civilian media may bring. If the CIB is inaccessible to vehicles driven by the civilian media, you may need to setup a staging area where the media can park and be picked up by military vehicles. Select possible CIB sites early, preferably during the  initial  drafting  of  the  CIB  establishment  plan. Identify several locations for contingency purposes and make sure they are dispersed throughout the command. When  you  are  identifying  prospective  sites,  remember that the CIB could be in operation 24 hours a day for several days, depending on the severity of the event. During exercises, consider locating your CIB away from  tall  buildings  and  radio  or  microwaves  so  the media  can  set  up  satellite  dishes.  (Avoid  direct  satellite transmission   in   wartime   situations.   The   direct transmission  of  information  without  the  PAO  screening it  could  compromise  operational  security.  Additionaly, aircraft  carriers  and  SSBNs  can  play  havoc  with commercial  media  transmissions.) ACCESS   TO   SERVICES.—   Take  a  look  at billeting,  messing,  equipment  and  communications needs when selecting a facility. Plan your CIB so it is accessible to the media. The CIB could be in a hotel, motel, club, recreation center or even a Quonset hut, as long  as  it  provides  room  for  the  following: l   Separate work areas for public affairs personnel and  media  members Briefing area large enough for briefers to be seen and  heard Power  sources  for  electronic  news  media Separate rooms for private interviews Adequate work space away from classified areas Adequate  power  supply  to  handle  electronic news  gathering  equipment Public address system Public affairs staff telephones CIVILIAN WORK SPACE.—  Plan  to  separate  the public affairs work area from the civilian media work area. Except when on official business, CIB prsonnel should stay out of the media work area to maintain privacy.  Conversely,  media  members  should  understand that  the  pubic  affairs  office  areas  are  open  only  to command  personnel. Coordinate   the   installation   of   pay   or   charge telephones  with  the  command  and  the  local  telephone company if they are not already on location. Make sure there  is  electricity  to  run  media  equipment.  Provide  a light-tight room with running water for them to use as a darkroom. Plan for a briefing room that includes a map of the exercise or incident area and update the map at least daily. Include space for a common area and a lounge, and locate a bulletin board for messages near the lounge. PUBLIC AFFAIRS WORK SPACE.—  Within  the public affairs work space of the CIB, plan areas for administrative   support,   public   information   and command information. Include a supply closet that can be secured and a darkroom for PAO use. Figure 3-1 is a diagram of a CIB layout. MEDIA EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS.—  In a wartime   situation,   the   amount   of   public   affairs equipment  available  is  limited  by  vehicle  assets. Therefore, when searching for a CIB location, make sure  the  following  equipment  is  available  at  the  site: . Desks or tables .  Chairs . Trash cans l Ash trays l Adequate lighting .  Adequate  heating  or  cooling,  as  required 3-4