The problem was that the Raleigh Fire Department did not have a public information officer standard operating guideline. The purpose of this research was to develop a public information officer standard operating guideline to qualify and give direction to the public information officer in performing his basic duties. Action research methodology was used to answer three research questions: I) what are the primary responsibilities of the public information officer? 2) What qualifications and training should the public information officer possess? 3) What are the desirable characteristics of the public information officer? The methods used to complete this research were a literature review, personal interviews and a survey of departments similar in size to the Raleigh Fire Department. The research results were sufficient to produce a standard operating guideline for the public information officer that addresses the three research questions. Recommendations included developing a committee to review the new guideline to recommend any addenda beneficial to the public information officer position not addressed by the new guideline, seeking an individual to fill the public information officer position that meets the qualifications and characteristics set forth in the new guideline, the establishment or updating and regular monitoring of the department's social media sites, the allotment of monies in the next budget year for training and certification classes and requiring the public information officer attend quarterly meetings with the city and other departmental public information officers to ensure a common city message.