The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for communicating with the public, media, and/or coordinating with other agencies, as necessary, with incident related information requirements. The PIO is responsible for developing and releasing information about the incident to the news media, incident personnel, and other agencies and organizations. During an incident or planned event, coordinated and timely communication is critical to effectively help the community. Effective and accurate communication can save lives and property, and helps ensure credibility and public trust. This Basic Guidance for Public Information Officers provides fundamental guidance for those designated Public Information Officer (PIO) responsibilities when informing the public is necessary. The guide addresses actions by PIOs for preparedness, incident response, JICs incident recovery, and Federal public information support. The ICS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management by integrating facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure. The goal of this guide is to provide operational practices for performing PIO duties with the ICS. Figures, tables