One of the real challenges for an organization as large as the PBA is getting important information out to the members as quickly and efficiently as possible. The first and often best way to get good information is through your delegates or board members. But when there is a lot of specific or complex information to communicate, the PBA relies on two methods that are accessible 24/7 — the PBA Website, www.nycpba.org, and the PBA Hotline, 212-298-9191.

The hotline provides information on a wide variety of issues and events — everything from contract updates to line-of-duty-funeral times and places. Using the hotline means learning about time-sensitive benefits and opportunities soon enough for them to do you some good. In addition, the hotline is a great place to check the facts. During last year’s binding arbitration proceedings, the hotline became a rumor-control tool, with Pat Lynch providing regular updates about what was really going on. When PBA-related scuttlebutt is circulating — especially in times of labor negotiations — the PBA Hotline is one of the best places to get the real lowdown.

The hotline is updated every week to ten days. Sometimes — because of their importance — certain messages remain longer than that, and we recommend that you check the hotline regularly, especially when something major is breaking.

NYCPBA.org is another important resource for keeping current on PBA news. Click on “What’s New” at the top of the site’s left hand column for a list of the PBA’s most recent important developments as well as links to other items of interest to you.

No time to read or watch the news? No problem. Click on “PBA in the News” for a chronological rundown of major TV reports and newspaper articles about the PBA and the job. Scroll down the list of newspapers or television stations printed in blue and select the one that interests you. In many cases, you will be able to view video of the actual television news story as it aired.

You can also search the “PBA in the News” section by news organization. Suppose you’re looking for a piece that you know appeared in the New York Post. Click on the blue box on the screen’s upper-right-hand corner that says, “Click here to see stories by news organizations,” and then click on the New York Post icon — a chronological list of PBA- or job-related stories from the Post will appear. To review stories from last year or even earlier, click on “archives.”

NYCPBA.org is a storehouse of information about a host of subjects. Through the General Counsel’s office, it provides you with various documents and services from complaint forms to will-preparation counsel. The website also provides a virtual tour of The PBA Store, where authentic NYPD and PBA caps, shirts and other clothing, cups, cufflinks and other paraphernalia are available for purchase. And don’t forget the “Offers and Discounts” section, where members of the service can find bargains on everything from exotic vacations to household appliances. There’s even a section on educational opportunities for those wanting to continue to train their brains.

Another feature to click on is the “PBA Press Release” icon for the latest information released by the PBA to the news media (which is the same link reporters are referred to for the PBA’s reaction to breaking news).

This PBA administration is providing its members with an unprecedented degree of access to information presented in a useful, efficient and sophisticated manner, unparalleled by any other union — including newsletters, The PBA Magazine and other direct mailings. And when you need information as quickly as possible, the PBA Hotline and NYCPBA.org are a touch-pad or mouse-click away. Keep up to date. Use these two resources frequently.