The FEMA 95/5 Rule refers to a principle in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) public information framework, taught in the FEMA Basic and Advanced Public Information Officer (PIO) courses.
At JGPR we also teach the concept to all of our employees and in all of our media training classes.
The concept shows us that 95% of what a public information officer or press secretary does occurs during “blue sky days.” The other 5% is crisis or incident response.
“The 95/5 concept directly correlates to the non-emergency and emergency ratio of PIO activities. Inevitably, about 95% of the work PIOs perform will be completed in non-emergency times, while typically about 5% directly related to incident response or recovery,” FEMA offers on its training website.
Real Benefits, Dual Benefits
There are two reasons why all government and public safety agencies should practice the 95/5 rule in comms and public information.
First, it raises expectations and creates an audience. If you follow the 95/5 rule, you’ll be posting a lot more content to social media, more blog posts will appear on your website, and you’ll be sending more news releases and pitches to the news media. This creates a following. Your agency will have more social media followers, more website hits, more email subscribers, etc. As an added benefit, you’ll be more familiar with news reporters — and they with you. This feeds benefit #2.
Second you’ll be more practiced and prepared when a 5% event DOES strike.
For chiefs, superintendents, and municipal managers: If you’re not treating daily communications like mission-critical infrastructure, you’re underinvesting in your own emergency readiness. Effective public relations is not a luxury.
PIOs who don’t have muscle memory — templates, systems, trusted media relationships, and public trust — will freeze or flail when the 5% shows up. Schools are especially vulnerable.
Put bluntly: School superintendents shouldn’t be scrambling to figure out how to issue a news releases after a threat is received or after a tragedy strikes. Town managers: You don’t want to meet a TV reporter for the first time when the roof collapses or the water is contaminated.
Build On Your Infrastructure
During 95% times, you should be building the tools and techniques that will benefit you when a crisis or emergency strikes.
Press lists, email templates, social media graphics, video reel intros — that’s your daily 95%. And when a bus crash, threat, flood or — yes — a death strikes, you don’t have to scramble. You just have to activate your existing systems.
Your daily comms effort is your emergency playbook in disguise. If you haven’t built your communications system in the 95%, don’t expect it to hold up during the 5%.
Examples
So what are some examples of work PIOs can be doing 95% of the time, when crises are not ongoing?
- Promoting positive news stories about your agency
- New hires
- Promotions
- Training
- Academy graduates
- Work in the community
- Grants
- Fundraising efforts
- Highlighting employees and staff
- Implementing new programs
- Participating in community events
Use This in Your Evaluations
Don’t evaluate your PIO simply by how they communicate arrests, threats and fires — judge them by how they prep before these events strike.
We Can Help YOu
This is how we work at JGPR with most of our clients. JGPR clients generally don’t hire us in lieu of a comms pro or comms team. We conduct training and drills. We write media and social media policies. We design websites and newsletters. Some clients need 5% help. Some need 95%. Some need 100%. Which can JGPR do for you? Contact us today!
AI was used to help create the 95/5 pie graph graphic.