From FEMA to FOIA: What You’re Allowed to Know (and What You’re Not) About Emergency Preparedness
In a country built on the promise of transparency, the question of who gets access to lifesaving preparedness information remains murky. While the U.S. government invests billions in emergency planning, only a fraction of that knowledge is accessible to the public.
From declassified field manuals to hidden federal protocols, the boundary between what citizens can learn — and what remains buried — is at the heart of a growing debate on government transparency, civilian rights, and national security.
The Preparedness Divide
Federal agencies like FEMA, DHS, and CISA all produce public-facing documents. These include:
The FEMA Emergency Supply Checklist
Ready.gov’s community planning guides
CDC’s shelter-in-place advisories
But these represent less than 5% of the federal government's emergency planning documents. Behind the scenes lie thousands of classified or restricted-use resources, often marked FOUO (For Official Use Only) or TS (Top Secret).
These include:
Continuity of Government (COG) playbooks
Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs)
Strategic relocation plans for high-level officials
National grid restoration strategies
According to the National Archives and FOIA Tracker, more than 1,700 preparedness-related documents have been requested since 2020 — and over 60% remain fully or partially redacted.
Why the Secrecy?
Government agencies cite several reasons:
OPSEC: Releasing response protocols could expose vulnerabilities
Resource Scarcity: Some plans rely on limited assets (shelters, food stores)
Panic Avoidance: Disclosing worst-case scenarios may spark unrest
Still, critics argue that public resilience requires public knowledge.
"We’re not asking for missile codes," says Danielle Cross, director of the Civil Info Network. "We’re asking for flood maps, evacuation protocols, and grid data we can act on."
How FOIA Works — And Where It Fails
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows citizens to request access to unreleased federal records. But in practice, FOIA is often slow, incomplete, and heavily redacted.
Examples:
A 2023 request for a FEMA regional blackout protocol returned 87% redacted
PEADs remain exempt from FOIA entirely
Civilian emergency drills conducted with military units often go unreported
What You Can Access
Despite the red tape, many valuable resources are publicly available:
Declassified military manuals (FM 3-05.70, etc.)
State-level continuity plans (varies by state)
Historical FEMA documents from the 1970s–1990s
NGO guides (Red Cross, CrisisReady)
Public domain preparedness packs (e.g. The Complete Survival Blueprint)
Websites like the Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) and Archive.org host dozens of original source documents — but few Americans know they exist.
The Future of Civil Access
Some lawmakers are pushing for greater transparency. In 2024, the Preparedness Information Act was introduced to mandate the publication of non-sensitive DHS and FEMA documents within 60 days of their creation.
However, opposition from intelligence and defense officials has stalled the bill.
Meanwhile, grassroots organizations are stepping up — creating mirrored archives, translating complex manuals, and even launching apps that localize readiness strategies for ordinary citizens.
Final Thoughts
In an era of escalating threats — from grid failures to cyberattacks — information is power. And yet, too much of that power remains hidden behind classified stamps and bureaucratic firewalls.
The future of preparedness may not just depend on what we store… but on what we’re allowed to know.
Sources:
National Archives FOIA Logs, 2020–2024
Interviews with Danielle Cross (Civil Info Network), March 2025
Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL)
Preparedness Information Act, 2024
FEMA.gov, Ready.gov, CDC.gov – public guidance archives
