As Niki Jones Agency is thrilled to announce that we have been named a finalist in the PRNEWS Platinum Awards 2026! These awards are one of the most prestigious competitions in the PR and communications world, and we are honored and humbled for our team’s work to be named a finalist. Our work was recognized in the Reputation, Purpose & Public Affairs – Community Resilience or Disaster Relief Initiative category for the Mass Decontamination Field Manual for our client NYU Langone Health.
The Mass Decontamination Field Manual is a detailed operations guide on how NYU Langone Health teams should respond in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) incident. It contains detailed, step-by-step instructions, organizational charts, and checklists for everything their Mass Decontamination Team would need to know, presented in a visually engaging and well-communicated manner.
An Award-Worthy Design Journey
The design journey began with creating graphics for decontamination directions and hospital donning and doffing procedures. By collaborating closely with the client, we were able to develop clear, easy-to-follow visuals that were later incorporated into the handbook. Reviewing the assets provided by the client, along with researching how other organizations approached similar materials, helped guide the design process and ensure the final handbook was both informative and beneficial for hospital staff.
“Making sure the information and the graphics provided a clear directive on what steps a medical professional will need to do during a decontamination emergency to ensure everyone stays safe was the main challenge we had to overcome,” explained Senior Graphic Designer Harley Lake. “I learned a lot about what a hospital needs to go through during an emergency like this, and it makes me appreciate all the steps they have to take to make sure someone is safe on one of the most unexpected, difficult days of their lives.”
The NYU Langone staff found the manuals an effective and efficient training guide: “Our Decon Champions and trainers have consistently highlighted the effectiveness of the materials during hands-on training. The posters provide clear visual reinforcement of critical steps, reduce reliance on memory alone, and support standardized performance across team members with varying levels of experience. From an Emergency Management perspective, the project has successfully transformed complex mass decontamination procedures into accessible, operational tools that support responder performance, patient communication, and overall readiness.”
The PRNEWS Platinum Award Gala
Our team is excited for Harley, our emergency management partners Zach Goldfarb and Louis Cook of Incident Management Solutions, and the medical professionals at NYU Langone whose tremendous work on this project made this nomination possible. The well-deserved PRNEWS announcement comes on the heels of the agency’s win at the 2026 Muse Creative Awards, Season 1 for an online advertising campaign developed for Springvale Inn. Our team is hopeful this will be our second major award win of the year.
The winners will be announced at the Platinum Award Gala at The Lighthouse, Pier 61, Chelsea Piers, New York, NY 10011 on October 6, 2026. Tickets are now available. We hope to see you there!