the presser, handled
Press-conference sign-in, check-in, audio capture, and transcription.
built for PIOs · private beta
every position on scene has a tool.
now the PIO does too.
you've been the only PIO long enough.
Hey Cass is the all-in-one command center for Public Information Officers, and the first AI built for PIOs, grounded entirely in incident-command doctrine. Cass drafts the statement, tracks the reporters, keeps your ICS-214 log, and writes the after-action. And between calls, she works the other 80% of the job: the community calendar, the awareness campaigns, the records requests, even the fun posts. Built for your phone. Built for the scene. You approve every word.
AI · disclosed
who carries this
you're the only PIO, and the calls don't stop.
Fire's still moving. The chief wants a statement. Three reporters are calling, one's already live. You've got photos to pull, a post to write, and a log nobody's keeping but you. Most agencies have one PIO, or someone who got handed the hat on the way out the door. The tools were built for big rooms with big staff. Cass was built for the one person doing all of it from a phone on scene.
Blank-page paralysis at 2am, with a deadline already past.
Press calls stacking up while the chief wants a statement.
A log nobody is keeping, and an after-action due in the morning.
the part nobody else does
the log keeps itself. the after-action writes itself.
While you work, Cass time-stamps every action into your ICS-214 activity log. When it's over, your after-action report (AAR) is already drafted. No midnight catch-up. No blank page the next morning. This is the work every other tool leaves on your desk.
the difference
Free AI writes a post. Cass runs your whole incident.
After-Action Report
Riverside Structure Fire
Overview
Structure fire, 1400 block of Riverside. First units on scene 02:14.
No civilian injuries. One firefighter evaluated and released.
Objectives
Keep residents and reporters informed on a 30-minute cycle.
Coordinate every release through the IC before it went public.
Timeline
02:31 first hold statement released. 03:05 update with road closures.
04:20 all-clear posted to channels and media list.
Lessons Learned
The hold statement bought time and cut repeat press calls.
Map graphic was requested twice before it went out.
Recommendations
Pre-stage a closure-map template for the next callout.
Drafted by Cass from your ICS-214 log. You review every line.
the command center
open one incident.everything's in one place.
From the first call to the after-action, the whole job lives on one screen. Built mobile-first, because that's where the work happens.
2-Alarm Apartment Fire — Harbor Blvd
active incidentop period 75:56:34
cass
Good evening — you're hour 75 into this one. No public update in 70h 41m. Where I'd go next: push the next one.
3 ready2 released0 media
next steps
No public update in 70h 41m — push the next one before the info vacuum opens
3 drafts ready to review & release
19 doctrine checklist steps to go
Hey Cass
draft a statement · ask anything
Incident info
scene map · 2 on roster
overviewcassstatementslog
2-Alarm Apartment Fire — Harbor Blvd
active incidentop period 75:56:34
statements · ready to release
public statement
Riverbend Fire Rescue is responding to a 2-alarm apartment fire on Harbor Boulevard.
Two residents have been displaced — no injuries reported.
The building is being assessed for structural safety. Cause is under investigation.
Avoid the area if possible to keep access open for emergency crews.
mark releasedIC sign-off required
up next · WEA alert
Avoid Harbor Blvd btwn 3rd–7th. Fire activity. Use Bay Ave.
58/90 · both lengths drafted
overviewcassstatementslog
2-Alarm Apartment Fire — Harbor Blvd
active incidentop period 75:56:34
activity log · feeds your ICS-214
09:12Hold statement released — public
09:40Briefed IC — next update 10:00
09:52Media staging set up on Harbor & 5th
10:04Social post published — road closure
10:31Media inquiry received — Channel 7
10:48Press release drafted — pending IC
11:02IC sign-off — press release
11:05Press release released — public
every action time-stamped — the 214 and the after-action write themselves
overviewcassstatementslog
no request falls through
Media, records, and speaker requests in one Request Center, with press contacts and response-time (SLA) timers.
a copilot who's read the file
Doctrine and incident questions answered from your incident and FEMA guidance, not the open web.
the quiet-season calendar
Community events, awareness observances, and scheduled posts on one content calendar, so the in-between weeks run themselves.
graphics without a designer
Pick a template, type your text, and get a finished social graphic in your agency's colors with your logo on it.
know when you make the news
Cass watches headlines that mention your agency and surfaces the coverage, so the story never gets ahead of you.
who it's for
your discipline, spoken fluently.
Cass sets up discipline-aware — the scenarios, the authorities you defer to, the headlines worth watching. See how she works your side of the street.
Fire
structure fire · wildfire or brush fire · hazmat release
see it for the fire service →Law Enforcement
officer-involved incident · active threat · major crash or pursuit
see it for law enforcement →Emergency Mgmt
severe weather · evacuation and sheltering · widespread power or water outage
see it for emergency management →Schools
lockdown or active threat · reunification · bus crash
see it for school districts →how it works
three steps.that's the whole job.
1
open the incident
Start it from your phone in seconds. Cass sets up the workspace and pulls in what it already knows.
2
work the scene
Draft statements, track reporters, send the release. Cass logs every move into your ICS-214 as you go.
3
approve, and it's documented
Every word is yours to approve. When it's over, the after-action report is already written.
try cass
see Cass work the incident.
Tap a scenario. Watch Cass draft the hold statement, build the message map, and prep the Q&A the way it does on a real call. Fast, doctrine-grounded, yours to approve.
cass · online
6 of dozens, shaped by FEMA doctrine, NIMS/ICS, and decades of AAR libraries. See them all in beta →
you've been the only PIO long enough.
Request early access →news alerts
now availablesend the release. to your reporters. from your agency.
Build your media list once. When you've got something to put out, send it by email to the journalists who cover you, under your agency's name. Cass handles the send. You own the words.
It's available now — Cass sends from your agency's name, with your mailing address and a one-click unsubscribe added automatically. Have your reporters add alerts@newsalert.tv as a safe sender so your releases land in their inbox.
This is press distribution. It reaches the reporters on your list. It is not a public-warning system. For wireless and broadcast alerts to the public, use FEMA IPAWS and your WEA/EAS channels.
- From
- Riverside Fire Dept · PIO
- To
- Newsroom media list
Subject
Road Closure: Riverside Bridge, Eastbound Lanes
The eastbound lanes of the Riverside Bridge are closed after a two-vehicle crash near the 4th Street on-ramp.
Crews are on scene. Drivers should use the Market Street detour. We expect the lanes to reopen by 6 p.m.
Media contact: the on-call PIO at the agency line listed below.
Delivered to 24 reporters on your list. You approve every word.
after the call
the debrief that helps, not the one that blames.
When it's over, Cass walks the after-action with you. What worked, what to tighten, what the next one needs. A missed deadline is a system to fix, not a person to call out. The debrief stays candid, so you can be honest about what happened. The after-action report it produces is written for the official record: clear, professional, and focused on the fix.
Debrief with Cass
I'm ready to work through this incident with you. But first, I can see it involved kids. How are you holding up?
Been better, honestly.
That's fair. Take the time you need. The report can wait until you're ready.
Okay. I'm good to walk it.
What worked out there?
The hold statement bought us time.
It did. Anything you'd tighten?
The map went out late.
Logged as a system fix, not a callout. I'll fold it into the after-action when you're ready.
Supportive. A debrief that helps you learn, not a callout.
before the next one
keep your reps up.
PIO career tracks on the FEMA spine, courses, flashcards, and quizzes. With training now mandated in states like Texas and FEMA's own courses backed up, Cass keeps you current without waiting for a seat to open.
PIO career track
L-0105 Public Information Basics
Course progress48%
Flashcard
Which course replaced G-290 as the entry PIO course on January 1, 2025?
Tap to flip
Answer
L-0105 Public Information Basics. Pair it with ICS-300 and ICS-400 for the NIMS foundation.
Got it
Quick quiz: 5 questionsStart
how Cass works
Cass drafts.
you approve.
Cass keeps the log, drafts the statement, tracks the reporter, and reads back where things stand. It does not make command decisions, it does not speak for you, and it does not invent facts. Every release, every post, every word that leaves your agency is yours to approve. Cass grounds its work in your incident and in PIO doctrine, and it flags what it doesn't know.
where Cass stops
Command and operational decisions
Substitute for a credentialed PIO
Public emergency warnings (use IPAWS / WEA / EAS)
Breaking-news source
Legal, medical, or engineering advice
Partisan or political content
grounded in the doctrine
grounded entirely in the doctrine, not the open web.
Other AI guesses from the open web. Cass answers from the doctrine (FEMA, NIMS/ICS, CDC CERC, the USCG Incident Management Handbook, and decades of after-action reports), and links you to the source. A human stays in the loop. Every reference below points to the actual document, so you can check the work. No PII or PHI is stored.
USCG IMH
Incident Management Handbook · §11 PIO doctrine
FEMA NIMS
National Incident Management System Doctrine
CDC CERC
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (Reynolds)
EPA · 7 Rules
Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication
L-0105 / E-0388
FEMA PIO Basic + Advanced curriculum
Also referenced: NIMS PIO Basic Guidance (Dec 2020), NRC NUREG/BR-0308, FDA risk-and-benefits communication, NIMS social-media integration guidance, NAGC code of ethics, and the IAEM body of knowledge.
MPIO
who built this
built by PIOs, for PIOs.
Hey Cass is built by a team of working public information officers, led by Corey Dierdorff. Corey built his career in the fire service, including years as a county fire-rescue public information officer, and he's still deeply involved in the fire service today. He's a Master PIO who serves on boards in the profession, and an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist before the badge. He started Cass because he kept showing up to incidents as the only PIO, with no tool made for the job. The team carried it from there.
And it stays built by PIOs. An ideas board and feature voting are on the way, so the people who do the work decide what Cass does next. The tool the field has needed, shaped by the field.
why “Cass”
“...told the eoc three days ago.
anyway.”
She's named after Cassandra, the figure in Greek mythology who saw what was coming and was never believed. Every PIO who has ever briefed a chief, drafted a hold statement, or watched their messaging get overruled in the EOC knows the feeling.
Hey Cass AI is a product of ThinkBOLD Solutions, built on the simple observation that the people who carry the public's trust during the worst days of their community's life have almost no tooling built for them.
PIOs from 31 agencies across 7 states are already working in the beta — and counting.
founding PIO program
request early access.
Cass is in private beta with a small, hand-selected group of working PIOs. Request access with your work email and agency. We review every request personally and reach out when you're approved. Beta is free, and the founding group locks in founding pricing when paid plans land.
the founding offer
Premium for lifeGet in now and lock the full premium tool for life. Everything Cass does, including the multi-agency features as they ship, at a rate that holds below launch price for good.
First 25
Beta contributors
$11 / mo for life
Next 25
Founding members
$24.97 / mo for life
Beta is free today — no card, no commitment. Premium lists at $49.97 a month when plans land on September 14. Founding PIOs stay locked below that, for good: help us build it, keep the founder rate.
The PIO command center, built by a PIO. By requesting access, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
FAQ
questions PIOs actually ask.
What is Hey Cass AI?
Hey Cass is the all-in-one command center for Public Information Officers. It runs the whole PIO job from your phone: draft the statement, track the reporters, keep the ICS-214 log, send the release to your media list, and write the after-action report.
There's a learning side too, with FEMA-doctrine career tracks and a copilot that's read the file. A credentialed PIO approves every word that leaves the agency. Built by ThinkBOLD Solutions.
Is this like Everbridge, ChatGPT, or a training course?
None of them.
- Not an alerting platform. Everbridge and the notification vendors broadcast to the public. Cass helps the PIO do the writing, tracking, logging, and after-action, and stays out of the IPAWS/WEA lane on purpose.
- Not free AI. Free ChatGPT writes a post. Cass runs your whole incident and grounds its work in doctrine, not the open web.
- More than a course. It started as a training tool, and the learning side is still there, but the product now carries the live job too.
Does Cass replace the PIO or make decisions?
No. Cass drafts, tracks, logs, and reads back where things stand. The credentialed PIO makes the command and messaging decisions and approves every release, post, and word that leaves the agency. Cass grounds its work in your incident and in PIO doctrine, and it flags what it doesn't know. It never auto-fires and it never invents facts. The full list of limits is in our Acceptable Use Policy.
Are the News Alerts a public warning system?
No. News Alerts reach the journalists on your own media list, under your agency's name. That is press distribution, not public warning. For wireless and broadcast alerts to the public, use FEMA IPAWS and your established Wireless Emergency Alert / Emergency Alert System channels.
Can Cass write our fun community posts, or only emergencies?
Both. Community content is fully in scope: fun and creative posts, awareness campaigns like the 9 PM Routine, community events, recruiting, and thank-you posts. Ask for clever and she writes clever; memorial and line-of-duty posts always stay serious. Two things stay out on purpose: promoting private businesses and anything partisan.
Is my incident data safe, and is it used to train AI?
Customer inputs are not used to train the underlying AI models. The after-action record is written for the public record, and no PII or PHI is stored. Conversations are kept to operate the service, support safety, and improve reliability, never resold and never used for model training. See our Privacy Policy and Sub-processor list for the full data flow.
What does it cost, and how do I get in?
Cass is in private beta with a small, hand-selected group of working PIOs, and beta is free. Request access with your name, work email, and agency in the form above. We review every request personally and bring founding PIOs on deliberately; the founding group locks in founding pricing when paid plans land. See our Terms of Service for the framework.
social center
keep the community posted. without juggling five dashboards.
During an incident you don't have time to log into one account, then the next, then the next. Connect the channels your agency already runs, and the same doctrine-grounded assistant posts to all of them from a single screen, so your residents get the same facts at the same time.
Compose
Write it once.
Draft the update in one place. Cass posts it to every channel you've connected, so a road closure or a shelter location goes out the same way everywhere. And she writes more than emergencies: ask for a clever seatbelt reminder, a recruiting post, or a thank-you to last night's crew, and she matches the tone you ask for.
Schedule
Line up what's next.
Plan posts on a calendar and set them to publish on a schedule. Queue the recovery updates while the incident is still active, then watch them go out on time.
Track
See what landed.
Reach, engagement, and reactions per channel after you post. You learn which message moved and which one needs a follow-up.
Channels