Building an Emergency Plan

A Guide for Museums

and Other Cultural Institutions

Building an

Emergency Plan

THE GET

C ONSER

TION

I NS

TITUTE

Building an

Emergency Plan

A Guide for Museums

and Other Cultural Institutions

Compiled by

Valerie Dorge and Sharon L. Jones

The Getty Conservation Institute Los Angeles

1999 by the J. Paul Getty Trust

The Getty Conservation Institute

1200 Getty Center Drive

Suite 700

Los Angeles, California 90049-1684

Dinah Berland,

Managing Editor

Nomi Kleinmuntz, Manuscript Editor

Anita Keys, Production Coordinator

Jeffrey Cohen, Designer

Printed in the United States

of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress

Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Building an emergency plan : a guide for

museums and other cultural institutions /

compiled by Valerie Dorge and Sharon L. Jones.

cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-89236-529-3 (alk. p

er)

1. Museums—Management—Planning—

Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Emergency

management—Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Cul

tur

al pr

ty—Protection—Handbooks,

manuals, etc.

I. Dorge, Valerie, 1946 – .

II. Jones, Sharon L., 1961– . III. Getty

Conser

ation Institute.

AM121.B85 1999 98-55487

069

9.2

—

dc21

CIP

r99

The Getty Conservation Institute works

ternationally to further the appreciation

and preservation of the world’s cultural heritage

for the enrichment and use of present and

future generations. The Institute is an operating

program of the J. Paul Getty Trust.

Contents

Foreword Timothy P. Whalen

Preface Valerie Dorge

Introduction

How to Use This Book

erms to Know

Part I For the Director

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Emergency Preparedness and

Response Planning

Facing the Facts

The Emergency Preparedness and Response

Planning Process

Devising the Emergency Plan

Taking a Cue from Other Institutions

Case 1: Barbados Museum and Historical Society

Case 2: Museo de Arte Popular Americano

Case 3: Mystic Seaport Museum

Case 4: Seattle Art Museum

apter 2

The Role of the Director

Creating an Emergency Plan

A Team Effort

Imm

te Steps to T

ake

vii

Part II For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Chapter 3 The Role of the Emergency Preparedness Manager

d the Emergency Preparedness Committee

Making Emergency Preparedness Happen

The Role of the Emergency Preparedness Manager

The Role of the Emergency Preparedness Committee

Chapter 4 Communications

Why Communication Is Important

veloping an Effective Communications Program

Chapter 5 Training

Why Training Is Important

Who Should Be Trained?

Where to Start?

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Training Suggestions

Part III For the Departmental Team Leaders

Chapter 6 The Safety and Security Team

our Role in the Process

ing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedures and Techniques

Chapter 7 The Collections Team

Your Role in the Process

Preparing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

Preparing Report 2:

Outline o

f R

esponse Procedures and Techniques

106

109

111

114

120

139

154

Chapter 8 The Buildings and Maintenance Team

our Role in the Process

Preparing Report 1:

ulnerability and Asset Analysis

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedures and Techniques

Chapter 9 The Administration and Records Team

Your Role in the Process

Preparing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedures and Techniques

Appendixes

A: Emergency Teams at the Barbados Museum

B: Tables of Contents from Emergency Planning Manuals

C: Evacuation Procedures for Staff and the Public

D: Safety and Welfare Supervisor Job Description

E: Emergency Response Supply Lists

F: Collection Safety Manager Job Description

G: Evacuation Procedures for Collections

H: Fact Sheet List

I: Procedures for Handling Art in an Emergency

J: Building Systems Supervisor Job Description

Human Resources Manager Job Description

Directory of Selected Organizations

Index

About the Compilers

173

177

188

203

215

229

230

231

237

240

242

246

248

249

252

257

259

261

265

272

Hardly a week goes by without a story

in the news about the destruction and

havoc caused by a natural disaster strik-

ing some populated area of the world. If

we also take into account the destructive

events caused by human beings—war,

terrorism, arson— disasters become an

almost daily item in newspapers and on

television. What is often omitted from

reports detailing loss of life and prop-

ty, however, is the all-too-frequent fact

that cultural institutions and sites are

affected and valuable cultural heritage

damaged or destroyed.

Perhaps because Los Angeles is

an area that is always “between two earth-

quakes,” and every year we also run the

risk of ﬁres and mud slides, preparation

for emergencies is taken very seriously

at the Getty. The emergency plan of the

J. Paul Getty Museum has served as a

model for many other museums in the

United States. The Getty Conservation

Institute has also been involved in train-

ing and education of museum profes-

sionals on this topic.

It is impossible to eliminate natu-

ral disasters, and no one can reasonably

expect that all damage can be avoided.

Much can be done, however, to mitigate

the effects of destructive natural events

d to r

educe t

he risk of damage or loss

in other types of emergency situations.

his book is a complete gui

de to

elopin

g an em

ergen

cy preparedness

and response plan tailored to the spe-

ciﬁc needs of your institution. Its aim

is to h

elp you to become better prepared

and to respond appropriately to protect

your staff, visitors, and collections in the

event of an emergency. Although you may

assume that such a planning process will

be formidable and complicated—and

therefore expensive—this need not be

the case. The success of the emergency

planning process requires a strong com-

mitment from the director and the partic-

ipation of all staff, but the process is not

complicated. Once undertaken, it can be a

very positive learning and team-building

exp

erience for the institution. Many of the

steps suggested here require minimal or

no ﬁnancial resources, while the return

on time invested is immediate.

Thankfully, the majority of institu-

tions will never have to face a major

disaster. What a price to pay, however, if

the unthinkable happens and you are

not prepared! Years of conservation, care,

and investment can be reversed in a few

hours or even a few minutes. It is on those

occasions that the time spent developing

a preparedness and response plan will

be fully rewarded.

The Getty Conservation Institute

is grateful to the many individuals and

institutions that contributed their exper-

tise and experiences to this publication.

I would like to especially acknowledge

the work of Valerie Dorge, whose com-

mitment to this effort has resulted in

a publi

ion that we hope will be a valu-

able guide in the development of your

ergen

cy plan.

Timothy P. Whalen

Director

he Getty Conservation Institute

Foreword

vii

December 1999 will bring to an end the

International Decade for Natural Disaster

Reduction. This designation was made

by the United Nations General Assembly

to raise global awareness about the need

for preventing, or at least mitigating, the

destruction that natural disasters—such

as ﬂoods and earthquakes— can cause

to cultural heritage. During this decade,

great advances have been made at the

egional, national, and international lev-

els to protect cultural heritage not only

against natural disasters but against dis-

asters that are caused by human activ-

ity—including wars, bomb threats, and

ﬁres, the last of which often occur during

building renovations.

Since the mid-1980s, the Getty

Conservation Institute (GCI) has worked

actively as an advocate for the protection

of cultural property and toward the devel-

opment of practical solutions to technical

problems faced in protecting collections

and buildings in emergency situations.

Many of the GCI activities in this area

have been carried out in collaboration

with our colleagues at the J. Paul Getty

Museum. Director John Walsh and his

staff have long been committed to emer-

gency preparedness and response plan-

ning, and to sharing this knowledge

ough p

articipation in research, con-

ferences, and emergency missions.

e Museum’s “Emergency Planning

Han

dbook” h

as been t

e model for t

emergency plans of many cultural institu-

tions in the United States.

One such collabor

ation with the

Museum took place in January 1992,

when we jointly organized a workshop,

“Emergency Planning in Museums,” for

museum directors and their senior staff.

Its objective was to communicate the

importance of emergency planning and

to emphasize the need for involvement at

the highest level of the institution’s orga-

nization in order to facilitate the develop-

ment and implementation of successful

emergency plans.

Building an Emergency Plan is the

esult of a GCI project that began in

1995 as a proposed series of training

workshops to follow the 1992 workshop.

However, in the process of identifying

written material to support these activi-

ties, we recognized the lack of a clear,

step-by-step guide to developing emer-

gency plans tailored to meet the speciﬁc

needs of museums and other cultural

institutions. With that realization, we

focused our efforts on creating a pub-

lication that would ﬁll this need.

The publication started as a draft

document compiled by Elisabeth Cornu,

head of objects conservation at the Fine

Arts Museums of San Francisco, and

myself, with input from our colleagues

at the J. Paul Getty Museum: Jerry Podany,

head of antiquities conservation; and

Brian Considine, conservator of decora-

tive arts and sculpture. Wilbur Faulk,

e d

irector of Getty Center Security, pro-

vided advice at speciﬁc stages of manu-

scr

ipt de

velopment.

e or

igin

al m

aterial was transformed

into a working tool for professionals by

Sharon Jones, an education technologist

d a professional writer. The ﬁnal pub-

lication is a practical guide that walks the

users, step-by-step, through their respec-

tive responsibilities in the planning

process. Jones also gathered additional

information through interviews with

ﬁve colleagues in the cultural community

who had experience in emergency pre-

paredness and/or response. The following

is a brief summary of the relevant experi-

ence of these advisers.

Barbara Roberts was head of decora-

tive arts conservation at the J. Paul Getty

Museum dur

ing the early stages of the

Museum’s emergency preparedness and

response process. Since 1988, as a haz-

ard mitigation consultant, she has partici-

pated at an international level in advocacy,

training, and response activities, as well

as in emergency missions.

Gail Joice is senior deputy director

and registrar of the Seattle Art Museum.

She was instrumental in developing and

implementing the Museum’s emergency

plan. She chaired the American Associa-

tion of Museums’ Risk Management and

Insurance committee from 1990 to 1995,

and authored the committee document,

“Questions to Ask Yourself When Prepar-

ing a Disaster Plan,” a reference source

for the “Questions to Consider” sections

of this publication.

As director of the Barbados Museum

and Historical Society, Alissandra Cum-

mins gui

ded h

er s

taff through the process

of developing a written emergency plan

at is regularly practiced, reviewed, and

upd

ted. Cummins also con

ibutes to

the efforts of the Museums Association of

the Caribbean and other organizations

to cr

eate a regional preparedness network

to address the many hazards faced by

cultural institutions in the Caribbean.

Preface

who assisted Sharon Jones in developing

the ﬁrst draft of chapters 1–3; Canadian

Conservation Institute colleagues Deborah

Stewart, David Tremain, and Paul Baril;

Ann Blaschke and Tom Osborn of Getty

Center Security; Peggy Tate Smith of

rights and reproductions at the Mystic

Seaport Museum; Shelley Bennet and

Joe Shuster of the Huntington Library;

and GCI colleagues Sheri Saperstein and

Lor

ena Barros, who provided project

assistance.

The publication would not exist with-

out then-Director Miguel Angel Corzo’s

commitment to GCI’s advocacy for the

protection of cultural property, and

without the commitment of Marta de la

Torre, director of the Agora program and

former director of the training program,

who patiently guided this project through

its winding evolution from course to

publication.

Grateful acknowledgment is also

extended to Dinah Berland, who ably

managed the editorial production of this

publication at the Getty Conservation

Institute with the valuable assistance of

editorial consultants Dianne Woo,

developmental editor; Nomi Kleinmuntz,

copy editor; and Scott Patrick Wagner,

reference editor and electronic ﬁle man-

ager

. T

anks are due also to GCI staff

members Valerie Greathouse for biblio-

aphi

c veriﬁcation, and Fiona Klonarides,

who ser

ed as p

missi

ons editor. Special

thanks to Jeffrey Cohen of Trust Publi-

cation Services for his very clear and use-

ul design, and to Anita Keys, production

coordinator, who shepherded the book

into print.

Valerie Dorge

Conservator Johanna Maria Theile

Bruhns participated in the salvage and

recovery of collection items from the

Museo de Arte Popular Americano in

Santiago, Chile, damaged in the 1985

earthquake that destroyed the museum

building. She also participated in the sub-

sequent development of the museum’s

emergency plan, which aimed at avoiding

a potential repeat of the 1985 devastation.

vid Mathieson is supervisor of con-

servation at the Mystic Seaport Museum.

He plays an important role in the regu-

lar review and practice of the emergency

plan, and he promotes the importance of

emergency preparedness through confer-

ence presentations, articles, and now this

publication.

The emergency plans from each of

the institutions represented in this proj-

ect were used as background information;

Figure 1 and the appendixes at the back

of this book provide examples of format

and content of speciﬁc sections of these

emergency plans. You will note extensive

differences (as evident in the tables of

contents in appendix B). You will also

see the similarities (for example, the job

descriptions of the Seattle Art Museum

emergency plan clearly are similar to

those of the 1997 Getty Center “Emer-

gen

cy Plannin

g Han

dbook”—a slightly

revised version of the J. Paul Getty

Museum’

s 1988 h

andbook, which was

used as a gui

de). While i

t is v

y use

ful

to beneﬁt from the experience of col-

leagues who have been through the lengthy

d somewhat complex emergency

preparedness and response process, all

the advisers stress the importance

f de

elopin

g a plan to m

eet t

e sp

eciﬁc

needs of the institution.

Publications that were consulted

for additional information include

Steal

This Handbook! A Template for Creating

a Museum’s Emergency Preparedness Plan

by Allyn Lord, Carolyn Reno, and Marie

Demeroukas, published in 1994 by the

Southeastern Registrars Association;

Maritime Museum Emergency and Disas-

ter Preparedness and Recovery Manual

published in 1995 by the Council of

erican Maritime Museums; and two

publications through the International

Council of Museums (ICOM) and the

International Committee on Museum

Security,

A Manual of Basic Security—

by Robert B. Burke and Sam Adeloye,

1986—and

Museum Security Survey,

published in 1981.

Building an Emergency Plan is unique

in a number of ways. First, it has a

user-friendly format, which includes such

tools as “Questions to Consider” and

“Suggested Exercises” to help you address

your institution’s speciﬁc needs during

the process. Second, the material has

been organized into three parts that reﬂect

the three main staff responsibilities

in the emergency preparedness and

response planning process: the director,

the emergency preparedness manager,

and the leaders of the departmental teams.

hir

d, t

he responsibilities for prepared-

ness and response activities have been

assigned to d

ferent teams. This organi-

al s

tructure is based on the experi-

ence of the advisers.

Acknowledgments

This publication is the culmination of

e work of many people. In addition to

e in

ividuals already named, other

contributors include John DiFrancesca,

viii P

reface

Unfortunately, most people in the world view natural disasters with fatalism.

They think that nothing can be done about them. This attitude is under-

standable but wrong. We have to try to change it. There is, in fact, a great

deal that can be done to save lives and limit the damage.

—Olavi Elo

Director secretariat

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

On March 3, 1985, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck

Santiago, Chile. At least 146 people were killed, and more than one million

others were injured. The quake destroyed the museum building belonging to

the Museo de Arte Popular Americano in Santiago, along with many of the

artifacts, including a major collection of Chilean folklore ceramics. The collection

had to be moved to another museum so that a new facility could be built.

Earthquakes, ﬁres, ﬂoods, hurricanes, and other displays of nature’s

ath present a common and continual threat to cultural institutions all over

the globe, which house a majority of the world’s invaluable artifacts, historical

documentation, and works of art, including sculptures, paintings, books, and

hnogr

aphi

c objec

ts. Threats also can be a result of human activity, such as

vandalism and terrorist bombings. Whereas many of these disasters remain out

of our control, the ability to prepare and respond to them properly and effec-

y is

hin

our con

ol.

Table 1 is a sampling of emergency situations and the cultural property

that was either destroyed or seriously affected. Few institutions are willing to

ake publi

c t

he damage caused by disasters, particularly those caused by elec-

trical ﬁres or other internal problems that might have been the result of neglect.

The importance of emergency preparedness and planning cannot be

emph

asized enough, not onl

y to t

he population at large, but to an institution’s

f, adminis

ation, and board of trustees.

Build

g an Em

ergen

cy Plan

designed to guide the director and staff of any cultural institution through the

lon

g but essen

ial process of creating an emergency plan. In addition to

descr

ibin

g t

e team appr

oach in t

he planning process—from the emergency

Introduction

preparedness manager to the departmental teams—this book provides useful

ips to h

elp in assessin

g your institution’s vulnerabilities, developing strategies

for e

acua

g p

eople an

d collections, and organizing a response and recovery

plan that returns operations to normal. Ways to generate and maintain enthusi-

asm an

d to ch

ge fatalistic attitudes toward emergency preparedness are also

addr

essed.

How to Use This Book

Building an Emergency Plan is designed to guide an institution and its staff

ough the process of developing a team-based emergency preparedness and

esp

onse pr

ogr

am, whi

ch r

esults in the creation of an emergency preparedness

and response plan. The book is organized into three parts.

2 In

troduction

Table 1 Some Recent Disasters Affecting Cultural Institutions Around the World

Ear

thquake

1997

Basilica of St. Francis Assisi, Italy

1995 Kobe City Museum, Museum of Modern Art Kobe, Japan

1989 Asian Art Museum San Francisco, California

Cooper House, other historic buildings Santa Cruz, California

1985 Museo de Arte Popular Americano Santiago, Chile

Terrorist Bombing 1994 Argentine Israeli Mutual Association, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Archives

1993 Galleria degli Ufﬁzi Florence, Italy

Flood 1997 Numerous museums, libraries, Southern Poland

archi

ves, historic buildings

1995

Museu Nacional Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1995 Santa Barbara Museum of Art Santa Barbara, California

1993 Casa de la Cultura Portoviejo City, Ecuador

1988 Carillo Gil Museum Mexico City, Mexico

1986 Museo Colchagua Colchagua Province, Chile

Fire 1997 Thomas Wolfe Historic Site Asheville, North Carolina

1996 La Compañía de Jesús Quito, Ecuador

1993 Yuma Arizona Art Center Yuma, Arizona

1992 Windsor Castle Berkshire, England

1988 The Cabildo, Louisian State Museum New Orleans, Louisiana

1988 Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leningrad, USSR

1986 Hampton Court Apartments London, England

1985 Huntington Library/Gallery San Marino, California

1985 York Minster York, England

1981 Stanford Library Stanford, California

Hurricane 1989 City Hall, other historic buildings Charleston, South Carolina

1989 More than 200 historic buildings Charlotte, North Carolina

War 1993 National Museum of Afghanistan Kabul, Afganistan

1991–93 Zemaljski Muzej Sarajevo, Bosnia

Numerous other historic buildings Bosnia

1991–93 Gradski Muzej Vukovar, Croatia

Numerous other historic buildings Croatia

1990 Kuwait National Museum Safat, Kuwait

Volcanic Eruption 1995 Montserrat National Trust Museum Richmond Hill, Montserrat

troduction

Part I (chapters 1–2) is designed as a resource for the director of the institution.

It provides an introduction to the emergency planning process and describes

the director’s responsibilities, which include setting a policy, establishing a bud-

get, and communicating with the board of trustees.

Part II (chapters 3–5) is intended as a resource for the emergency preparedness

manager (EPM). The EPM is designated by the institution’s director to oversee

the development and implementation of the emergency preparedness and

response program and to head the emergency preparedness committee (EPC).

Part III (chapters 6–9) is to be used as a resource for four departmental pre-

paredness teams—safety and security, collections, buildings and maintenance,

and administration and records—that work in conjunction with the EPC.

A copy of each chapter should be distributed to the appropriate departmental

team leaders and representatives of those departments who are on the EPC.

Chapter 6 is for the safety and security team, chapter 7 for the collections team,

and so forth. Each chapter outlines what team members need to consider in

researching issues related to the emergency plan. If your institution does not

have all these departments, staff members should divide the duties and respon-

sibilities among themselves.

Located throughout this book are a series of “Suggested Exercises” and a series

of “Questions to Consider.” These elements provide brainstorming ideas

and data-gathering tips to assist you in relating the information to your speciﬁc

institution.

Emergency preparedness materials from other institutions, including

evacuation procedures, supply and equipment lists, and action checklists, are

provided in appendixes at the end of the book. The following “Terms to Know”

section deﬁnes and clariﬁes the various terms used throughout. Variations of

these terms can be found in related literature.

Terms to Know

Communications coordinator: Works closely with the director and the emergency

response coordinator during an emergency situation.

Departmental preparedness team: Assists the emergency preparedness man-

ager and the emergency preparedness committee in the emergency prepared-

ness an

d r

esp

onse pr

ocess. Each team provides input as appropriate for the

function, or department, each represents.

Disas

ter:

An e

vent that results in signiﬁcant loss, damage, or destruction.

An emergency can become a disaster if immediate action is not taken to protect

staff, visitors, and the collection.

Emergency: An unanticipated event or series of events that requires immediate

action.

Emergency plan handbook: Describes staff response for all potential emergen-

cies, chains of command during an emergency, and recovery procedures. Con-

tains fact sheets, supply lists, and contact lists. The handbook is distributed to

all staff.

Emergency preparedness and response plan (a.k.a. the emergency plan or “the

plan”): Identiﬁes an institution’s vulnerabilities to emergency situations; indi-

cates how to prevent or mitigate potential effects; describes staff response; and

provides a blueprint toward recovery. The plan eventually should be condensed

into an emergency plan handbook.

Emergency preparedness and response process: A structured, ongoing effort to

build an emergency preparedness and response program that includes creation

d maintenance of a written plan, as well as an emergency plan handbook.

Emergency preparedness and response program: A systematic, multidepart-

mental program that guides staff through the emergency preparedness

process and leads to the development and maintenance of a comprehensive

emergency plan.

Emergency preparedness committee (EPC): Oversees the development and

implementation of the emergency preparedness and response program. Led

by the emergency preparedness manager, the committee should include senior

administrators and representatives—appointed by the director—from each

of the institution’s key functions.

Emergency preparedness manager (EPM): Leads the emergency preparedness

committee through the preparedness and response program. The director may

assume this responsibility or assign it to a senior staff member. In either case,

alternates should be selected.

Emergency response coordinator (ERC): Coordinates all response and recovery

activities during an emergency.

Hazard: A natural or human-caused phenomenon that may occur in or near

the institution and may threaten human life and well-being or cause physical

damage and economic loss.

edness:

es that prepare and equip personnel to handle an emer-

gency, such as training staff in evacuation procedures, compiling and maintain-

g up-to-d

te contact information, and stockpiling supplies.

Prevention: Activities, such as eliminating hazards, that focus on preventing

an emergency from occurring and on reducing harm to people, collections,

and property in the event of unavoidable emergencies.

Recovery: Actions taken following an emergency in order to return operations

to normal. Depending on the type and extent of the emergency, this can be a

long-term process.

4 In

troduction

Recovery plan: Part of the overall emergency plan, the recovery plan outlines

what steps to take to restore normal operations.

Response: Activities that provide temporary care and relief for victims of emer-

gencies and prevent avoidable casualties and property damage.

Response plan: Part of the overall emergency plan, the response plan includes

procedures to be taken in response to any emergency.

Risk: The possible injury or loss of life, or damage to property from the

identiﬁed hazard or hazards.

Staff emergency procedures: Concise, step-by-step descriptions of what should

be the staff’s ﬁrst response in the event of an emergency—usually published

as a handout.

Threat: An indication of imminent danger.

Vulnerability: The extent to which geographic region, community, services,

collections, and structure(s) are likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impact

of a hazard.

We found that the process of planning

for disasters has some surprising

side beneﬁts. The working groups who

develop the plan learn a lot about

each other’s work. You get real soli-

darity out of the process. There’s the

important subliminal message for

the staff that the museum is making

a conscientious effort to care for

its visitors, its collection—and them.

— John Walsh

Dir

tor

The J. Paul Getty Museum

For the Director

Part I

CHAPTER ONE

An Introduction to

Emergency Preparedness

and Response Planning

C HAPTER TWO

The Role of the Director

8 P

art 1: For the Director

The two chapters that follow are designed to serve as a resource for you, the

director, in developing and guiding the emergency preparedness and response

program for your institution.

Chapter 1 introduces the general requirements of an emergency plan, lists the

beneﬁts of an emergency preparedness and response program, and explores

four case histories of museums that have developed plans and reﬁned them

following either a real emergency or a practice drill. This chapter also discusses

the reality of emergencies and the threat they pose not only to your institution,

but also to you, your staff, and those who visit your institution. Advice is pro-

vided from administrators who have experienced emergencies ﬁrsthand and

have initiated preparedness and response programs as a result, or who have

recognized a need for and developed such a program, perhaps based on the

experience of others.

Chapter 2 provides an overview of the director’s responsibilities in the program.

Also covered are the roles of the emergency preparedness manager (EPM),

the emergency preparedness committee (EPC), the emergency response

coor

dinator (ERC), and the departmental planning teams; the tasks that your

staff will need to perform to build an effective emergency preparedness and

response program; and what can be done without spending an excessive amount

of money to reduce immediately the risk faced by your institution. Depending

on the size of your institution, you may wish to become more involved in the

planning process beyond the tasks outlined in this chapter. In this case, you

should also read the chapters in Part II, which are designed for use by the EPM

and the EPC.

Overview

HAPTER ONE

An Introduction to

Emergency Preparedness

and Response Planning

It is Thursday night, and you are alone in your ofﬁce, working late. Deep in

thought, you sit at your desk, surrounded by documents concerning next year’s

budget. Most of the staff has left for the day. The maintenance crew is working

in another wing of the museum. The silence is broken by a mufﬂed popping

noise, but you do not think anything of it. Unbeknownst to you, an electrical

wire has shorted out inside a wall near the main exhibit hall. As you continue

preparing the budget report, sparks lead to ﬂames. One wall is soon engulfed.

The collections—and your life—are at risk.

Your institution is equipped with smoke alarms, of course. But have

the batteries been checked and replaced recently? How long will it take before

smoke from the ﬁre triggers an alarm? If ﬂames block a hallway or stairway

near your ofﬁce, how will you escape? Do you have a mask to wear to protect

your lungs from the smoke? Is a ﬂashlight at hand? Where are the emergency

telephone numbers? Does the maintenance crew know what to do or whom

to call? Do local ﬁreﬁghters know what special techniques to use to protect the

collection? Are up-to-date copies of institution records stored off-site? Who is

going to handle the news media?

ou know what the answers to these questions should be, but are they

in fact true for your facility? In recent years, there has been much discussion

of emergency preparedness and response. The 1990s have been designated the

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) by the United

Nations General Assembly. Has all this talk, though, made a difference to you,

the director, and your institution? How much planning have you and your staff

actually done?

Unfortunately, the answer from most directors is very little. Too much

competition for staff time, energy, and resources is a common explanation given.

Emergency preparedness often is not at the top of the list of priorities—until it

is too la

te. T

e threat to an institution can be drastically reduced by launching

and maintaining an effective preparedness and response program. Doing so is

easier than you think, and more valuable than you realize.

10 P

art I: For the Director

August 9, 1993 Museum Oakland Museum, Oakland, California

Cause defective exhibit motor in storage room

Protection system smoke detectors, but no sprinklers

Loss gallery and some loaned items, estimated at $1 million

June 2, 1993 Museum Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Cause welding ignited interior roof space during renovations

Protection system smoke detectors in the museum, but none in the area, no sprinklers

Loss 10% of the collection and collection records, estimated at $2 million

Apr

il 19, 1993

Museum Y

uma Arizona Art Center, Yuma, Arizona

Cause electrical (suspected)

Protection system smoke detectors, but no sprinklers

Loss historic building and 39 objects, with some smoke and water damage, estimated at $1.5 million

ovember 20, 1992

Museum W

indsor Castle, Berkshire, England

Cause blow torch used during renovations (suspected)

Protection system no smoke detectors or sprinklers

Loss tower, several rooms, tapestries, and minor paintings, estimated at $90 million

May 11, 1988 Museum The Cabildo, Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana

Cause spark from welding equipment during renovations

Protection system smoke detectors, but none in the area, no sprinklers

Loss furniture collections in the attic, roof, structural damage, estimated at $5 million

February 14, 1988 Museum Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leningrad, USSR

Cause electrical (suspected)

Protection system no smoke detectors or sprinklers

Loss building, 400,000 volumes, water damage to 3.6 million volumes , no loss value given

March 31, 1986 Museum Hampton Court Apartments, London, England

Cause candle in private apartment

Protection system no smoke detectors or sprinklers

Loss one life (a resident), upper ﬂoors, roof, two paintings, and period furniture,

estimated at $6 million

October 17, 1985 Museum Huntington Gallery, San Marino, California

Cause electrical, in the elevator

Protection system smoke detectors in the gallery, but none in the elevator or elevator shaft, no sprinklers

Loss elevator and elevator shaft, one minor painting, extensive smoke damage, estimated

t $1.5 milli

Table 2 Twenty-four Years of Museum Fires Resulting in Losses of More Than US$1 Million

Facing the Facts

The reasons for preparedness are self-evident, but resistance to emer-

gency plans in museums—including drills, practice sessions, and staff

ainin

—has remained. It’s that familiar combination of avoidance

d denial. N

eless, em

ergency planning is a matter of common

sense and responsibility.

— John Walsh

Director

The J. Paul Getty Museum

An em

ergen

cy m

y com

e in t

e form of a natural disaster, such as an earth-

quake, a hurricane, a forest ﬁre, a volcanic eruption, or a ﬂood. It is more

April 29, 1985 Museum Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, California

Cause arson (an employee)

Protection system smoke detectors, but no sprinklers in the open stacks

Loss building interior, roof, and 70% of the collection, estimated at $24 million

December 31, 1984 Museum Byer Museum of Art, Evanston, Illinois

Cause electrical (suspected)

Protection system smoke detectors, but no sprinklers

Loss upper two floors and roof, with extensive water damage, estimated at $3 million

anuary 23, 1982

Museum F

ranklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Hyde Park, New York

Cause faulty electrical wiring

Protection system smoke detection system, but not in the attic

Loss attic, 30% of the furnishings in three rooms, major smoke and water damage

to the central portion of the house, estimated at over $2 million

July 8, 1978 Museum Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cause smoking or defective wiring (suspected)

Protection system no smoke dectectors or sprinklers

Loss most of the interior, the roof, and 90% of the collection, estimated at $50 million

February 22, 1978 Museum San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego, California

Cause arson

Protection system no smoke detectors or sprinklers

Loss building and entire collection, including 40 planes and library, estimated at $16 million

September 30, 1970 Museum National Museum of American History (Smithsonian Institution), Washington, D.C.

Cause electrical short in an exhibit

Protection system smoke detectors, but no sprinklers

Loss two galleries with their exhibits, some water damage, estimated at $1 million

August 9, 1970 Museum The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan

Cause electrical

Protection system smoke detectors, but no sprinklers in the area

Loss several historic displays of shops and equipment, estimated at $2 million

All monetary values shown are in U.S. dollars.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness 11

Table 2, continued

likely, however, that the threat will be localized and caused by human activity.

Fir

e is the most common cause of damage to cultural property. Table 2 shows

a sampling of institutions that have suffered ﬁre-related losses of more than

US$1 million between 1970 and 1993.

Each day, television news broadcasts show graphic images of ﬂoods,

ﬁres, civil disturbances, and other emergencies around the world. In the last

thirty years, economic losses from natural disasters have tripled, rising to more

than US$120 billion during the 1980s. That ﬁgure does not include the losses

from human-caused disasters, such as civil unrest, military coups or invasions,

arson ﬁres, and burst dams.

Awareness of these and other threats to our cultural heritage is grow-

g r

api

dly. In addition to the declaration of IDNDR by the United Nations,

many countries have ratiﬁed the 1972 United Nations Convention for the Pro-

tection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Furthermore, many nations

12 P

art I: For the Director

have signed the 1954 United Nations Convention for the Protection of Cultural

Property in the Event of Armed Conﬂict.

The expanding global and regional interest in emergency preparedness

and response can work to your advantage. You can capitalize on this concern

as y

ou solicit support for your emergency preparedness and response efforts.

“If a disaster happens, it happens,” you may say to yourself. “There’s

little I can do to prevent it.” That is a common belief. True, you cannot prevent a

natural disaster, but you can drastically reduce its effect on human life and prop-

erty. You also can take on a major role in safety and prevention efforts to elimi-

nate the more common threats of ﬁre caused by poor wiring or old plumbing

and damage caused through lack of supervision during renovation work.

Or you may say, “I don’t have the time to make emergency prepared-

ness and response a priority.” Consider the implications of that attitude. What

would you say to the community after a ﬁre ravages the collection? Would you

speak of the wiring that needed to be replaced, or the roof that you knew was

not ﬁre-resistant?

You may be thinking, “We cannot afford emergency preparedness. We

are a small museum, and I am pushing my staff and budget as hard as I can.”

In reality, considering the value of the collection and/or your building, what you

cannot afford is to ignore the need for an emergency preparedness and response

program. Staff members will understand that they have a personal stake in this

effort, and they will appreciate your concern about their safety and that of visi-

tors and the collection.

In 1985, at the Huntington Library Art Collections and Botanical

Gardens in San Marino, California (in the Los Angeles area), ﬁre broke out at

night in the electrical wiring of a gallery elevator. The 1777

Portrait of Mrs. Edwin

Lascelles by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which hung on a gallery wall on the ground

ﬂoor opposite the elevator, was destroyed when the heat caused the elevator

doors to burst open. At the time, the institution did not have an emergency

plan. Today it does, and it has been put to the test more often than Shelley

Bennett, curator of British and Continental art at the Huntington, cares to

ecall. “We have had every disaster you can think of,” she says, referring to

earthquakes, ﬂooding, and other emergencies that have plagued Los Angeles in

recent years. “The only thing I do not have to talk about are locusts!”

By outlining what employees should do, what their priorities for action

should be, and where to turn for help, the Huntington Library’s emergency pre-

paredness and response plan has made a tremendous difference in the institu-

tion’s ability to cope with a crisis. “In the immediate response to a disaster, you

are often frozen,” adds Bennett.

A well-thought-out emergency plan quickly

remedies that.

As the director, you may be conﬁdent that you will not “freeze” in a

crisis. Bear in mind, however, that in all likelihood you will not be there when

an emergency strikes your institution. Nevertheless, having an emergency

preparedness and response plan in place will enable those who are present to

t r

esp

onsibly.

At your next management meet-

ing, take a moment to discuss

a scenario in which a ﬁre breaks

out in y

our mos

t highl

y v

alued

galler

. In

te wh

e t

he ﬁre

begins

and at what time. Brain-

tor

m who

might be pr

esen

t and

w lon

g i

t might t

ake be

for

the ﬁre is discovered. What kind

f d

age w

ould be caused by

ﬂam

es or by smoke? Wh

t em

gency procedures should be

follo

ed? Is y

our f

acility both

equipp

ed an

d pr

ed to follo

such procedures? Identify

our ins

itution’s strengths and

eaknesses.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

The Emergency Preparedness and Response

Planning Process

One of the secret ingredients that will contribute toward your being able

to sustain the energy and attention needed to devise one of these plans—

and it is not glamorous work—is the understanding that, yes, the ﬁnal

report is signiﬁcant, but the process is equally important. The remarkable

things that one learns about the institution’s strengths, to some extent,

but about its weaknesses, more so, are as valuable as the ﬁnal plan.

— Robert Bergman

Director

Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland

In setting up an emergency preparedness and response program, the goal is

to make the process of planning, assessment, and review of the emergency plan

part of a regular routine. Launch the program by announcing an institutionwide

emergency preparedness policy and appointing an emergency preparedness

manager (EPM). This notiﬁes the staff, from the beginning, of the importance

of emergency preparedness and response. From there, the program produces

a written emergency plan that is tested regularly and adjusted as needed.

A successful program requires commitment, patience, teamwork, and

an annual budget. The most time-consuming and costly requirement is staff

participation. The beneﬁts of staff involvement, however, are numerous and

extend far beyond the main goal of saving lives and collections in the event of

a crisis. “Staff bonding is one of the great beneﬁts,” remarks Gail Joice, senior

deputy director and registrar of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington.

“We joke about it because of our preparation work; if an earthquake is going

to hit, we’d like it to be while we are at the museum. There is a sense of well-

being in that.”

“

e’v

e learned the power of acting as a group,” Alissandra Cummins,

director of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, says. “We’ve learned

e importance of continual dialogue and working together on general issues

such as pr

edness.

”

Other beneﬁts that have been identiﬁed through the emergency pre-

edness and response process are

•

greater potential for protecting human lives and property;

•

ter safety awareness and preservation of assets;

•

educa

on an

d h

eightened staff awareness on professional and personal

levels, leading to employee empowerment and higher staff morale;

•

eightened security;

•

high

er r

gs for risk management/insurance, which can lower

premium costs;

•

creased community recognition and outreach, including increased

olun

teer p

icipation;

14 P

art I: For the Director

•

eater community support, such as fund-raising, for capital

improvements;

•

collaboration and stronger relationships with peers at other

institutions;

•

two-way exchange of information with the media, resulting in more

accurate reporting; and

•

fulﬁllment of ﬁduciary responsibilities for board members, director,

and staff.

Table 3 shows a breakdown of the responsibilities involved in the emergency

preparedness and response program.

Table 3 Individual Duties and Responsibilities in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Program

Director

Emergency preparedness manager (EPM)

ergency preparedness committee (EPC)

ergency response coordinator (ERC)

Dep

al pr

aredness teams

•

Sets emergency program policy

•

Appoints EPM, EPC, ERC

•

Appoints communications coordinator, if necessary

•

With EPC, does initial vulnerability assessment

•

Presents assessment to board to secure board’s commitment

•

Establishes budget for program

•

Continues to act as liaison between EPM and board

•

Oversees development of list of resources (agencies, organizations,

local police/ﬁre departments, other cultural institutions)

•

Oversees and guides involvement of community and media

in the planning process

•

Works with director to appoint EPC, ERC, and communications coordinator

•

Heads EPC

•

Works with EPC to appoint departmental teams and team leaders

•

Organizes and conducts staff drills

•

Keeps director up to date on progress

•

After disaster occurs, holds postmortem review meetings

•

Oversees departmental teams and team leaders

•

Works with EPM, ERC, and team leaders to select response teams

•

Develops list of resources (agencies, oragnizations, local police/ﬁre departments,

er cul

tur

al institutions); establishes relations with such resources

•

Inv

olv

es and establishes contacts with community and media

•

Uses initial vulnerability assessment to identify potential hazards

•

Distributes hazard data to departmental teams for development of detailed

vulnerability and asset assessment report

•

Keeps EPM up to date on teams’ progress

•

Implements preventive/preparedness measures as recommended by departmental teams

•

elops r

esp

onse plan an

d r

ecovery plan based on information from departmental teams

•

Writes and distributes the emergency plan

•

orks wi

th EPM, EPC, and team leaders to select response teams

•

Implements preventive/preparedness measures as recommended by departmental teams

•

During a disaster, sets up and runs emergency command center

•

Four teams: safety/security, collections, buildings/maintenance, administration/records

•

Each consists of 2 teams: preparedness team and response team

•

Each pr

edness team submi

ts 2 r

eports to EPC: (1) vulnerability/asset assessment

and (2) outline of response procedures

•

esp

onse teams contribute to the departmental preventive-preparedness measures,

esponse plan, and recovery plan

•

All information and data are submitted to EPC for inclusion in the emergency plan

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

Devising the Emergency Plan

Once the process of planning for an emergency has begun, it builds its own

momentum. You will probably ﬁnish a considerable distance from where

you thought you might end up, but you will be there to tell a ﬁne story

and to be justiﬁably proud that life, safety, and the cultural property with

which you spend your daily life is right there with you.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

From the emergency preparedness and response program, the emergency plan

is formed and kept up to date. The plan’s chain of command, contact infor-

mation, and response and recovery procedures are then published in an emer-

gency plan handbook, which is made available to all employees.

The emergency plan should cover four protection measures:

Prevention. Eliminate hazards or reduce their potential effects on

staff and visitors, on the collection, and on other assets. For example,

clearing away debris from around the outside of the building helps

eliminate the potential for a ﬁre that could endanger lives and damage

property.

Preparedness. Prepare and equip personnel to handle an emergency.

For example, create emergency telephone lists, stockpile supplies, and

train staff and volunteers how to use them.

Response. Prevent injury and limit losses after the event. For example,

train staff and volunteers to evacuate visitors, colleagues, collections,

and records safely.

Recovery. Prepare and train staff to carry out the process that returns

operations to normal. For example, following a disaster, staff and

volunteers may spend months sorting through the gift store inventory

and discarding damaged items, or sorting through the collection and

carrying out basic washing or surface-cleaning tasks.

The emergency plan should also include a description of when to activate

response procedures and to what degree they should be carried out. Steps on

how to communicate to staff that the institution is operating in “emergency

mode” and when to declare that an emergency is over should also be addressed.

The plan should explain duties and procedures in the following areas:

Organization

•

The roles of the response team or teams in an emergency

•

How to set up a central base of operations following an evacuation

•

How to set up a communications and public relations post

16 P

art I: For the Director

People

•

When to evacuate staff and visitors, and who should make the decision

•

How to establish an emergency shelter

•

How to provide medical assistance if necessary

•

w to contact staff and volunteers and their families via an emer-

gency telephone and address list that includes trustee ofﬁcers and

volunteers

•

How to contact external experts for support or assistance

Collections, buildings, and other assets

•

When to relocate or evacuate the collection, and who should make

the decision

•

How to contact the insurance agent(s)

•

How to perform damage assessments

•

How to protect the building and grounds

•

What supplies are needed and where they are stored

To be effective, the emergency plan needs to be

•

actively supported by the director, governing body, and all levels of staff;

•

simple, focusing mainly on situations that are most likely to occur;

•

ﬂexible enough to accommodate unanticipated situations;

•

realistic in its assessment of museum resources; and

•

tested regularly, and at least annually, with an emergency drill and

debrieﬁng.

In devising the emergency plan, staff must work together to gather information

regarding the institution, the collection, and the potential threats, as well as to

implement preventive measures and develop emergency response procedures.

For example, one of the ﬁrst steps is to do a vulnerability analysis. Employees

may be motivated to suggest equipment or construction projects that require

substantial funding resources: for example, new electrical wiring; a ﬁre sprinkler

ystem; or a stronger, more hurricane-resistant roof. These suggestions proba-

bly will not come as a surprise to you and, in many cases, may involve mainte-

nance problems that have not been addressed due to lack of funds. A dilapidated

plumbing system, an antiquated furnace, or a leaky roof naturally put a collec-

tion at risk.

A comprehensive emergency preparedness and response program

requires a substantial commitment of staff time and ﬁnancial resources. Once

the vulnerability analysis is done, the data gathered can support a public emer-

gency preparedness development campaign. Bring these ﬁnancial priorities to

the attention of board members, the institution’s supporters, and the local com-

munity. Encourage the local media to work with you to improve awareness

of your facility. Some institutions have successfully used the media to alert the

community to their needs and to solicit donations for their emergency pre-

edness an

d response program.

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

The questions in Table 4 at the beginning of chapter 2 (page 28) will

serve as a quick assessment of your institution’s need for an emergency plan.

Many steps can be taken immediately to remedy certain problems, even if the

institution is on a restricted budget. In general, these steps include

•

identifying potential natural and human-caused disasters speciﬁc to the

area and assessing the vulnerability of the museum to these threats;

•

identifying assets (including staff resources, collections, and buildings)

and prioritizing them in order of importance;

•

developing and implementing measures designed to mitigate the

effects of potential disasters, such as training staff in the use of ﬁre

extinguishers and installing smoke detectors and ﬁre suppression

systems;

•

determining steps to be taken in response to an emergency, including

evacuation of staff and the public, and evacuation or relocation proce-

dures for the collection; and

•

creating plans for recovering from disasters, communicating with the

public, and resuming normal operations.

If employees are involved in the planning and reviewing process and have been

trained in their individual roles and general procedures, they and the institu-

tion as a whole will be able to

•

anticipate, mitigate, and work to avoid the effects of disasters, particu-

larly those that are the result of a human-caused emergency situation;

•

be prepared so as to avoid panic when an emergency or a disaster

occurs;

•

respond and recover as quickly as possible, with minimal ill effects on

life, resources, and services; and

•

maintain staff morale during an extremely stressful time period.

Taking a Cue from Other Institutions

In preparing your facility’s emergency plan, it is helpful to examine the plans

established by other institutions. The following case histories present the sto-

ries of four museums that currently have emergency preparedness and response

programs: the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, the Museo de Arte

Popular Americano, the Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum.

For some of these museums, it took an emergency, or several, before their

administrators decided to develop a plan. They explain here how they did it—

and why.

Location: St. Michael, Barbados, British West Indies

Director: Alissandra Cummins

ea:

20,000 squar

e f

eet (

,860 square meters), including

10,000 square feet (930 square meters) in galleries

Employees: 26

Collec

ion:

Arch

aeology

, natural history, militaria, ﬁne art,

decorative art, social and industrial history, toys and dolls,

textiles, ethnographic artifacts, photographs, and other

eph

Imp

etus for em

ergen

cy plan:

on o

f t

he Carib-

bean islands in 1988 by Hurricane Gilbert

Sources consulted: U.S. National Trust for Historic

Preservation, the Caribbean Conservation Association,

and the Island Resources Foundation workshop, 1991; and

the emergency preparedness initiatives of the Museums

Association of the Caribbean, launched in 1954

Potential natural hazards faced: Hurricanes, ﬂoods, ﬁres

Emergency plan highlights: Staff telephone numbers;

site maps of the museum showing exits, galleries, and

so forth; location of ﬁre alarms and smoke detectors;

step-by-step instructions for equipment and procedures,

including shutting off utilities; evacuation procedures

for staff, visitors, and collections; guidelines for handling

objects; and a list of who has copies of the plan. The

plan lists addresses, telephone numbers, and contacts for

companies and institutions that have agreed to provide

ergen

cy equipm

t if needed. T

he response effort is led

by six core teams of four members each that are assigned

to sp

iﬁc ar

eas, such as galleries or administration.

he plan includes instructions for each team. The plan is

revised after each annual drill and subsequent evaluation.

The current plan is the seventh draft.

Ann

ual budget for em

ergency planning and

implem

entation:

US$2,500

–$5,000

essons lear

ned in t

e process of developing an

emergency plan:

•

The response plan must be launched at least forty-eight

hours before a hurricane hits.

•

t leas

t tw

o physi

cally strong people must make up part

of each team.

Case 1 Barbados Museum and Historical Society

18 P

art I: For the Director

The Barbados Museum and Historical Society, St. Ann’s Garrison, St. Michael,

Barbados. Courtesy of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society.

Information for this case was provided by Alissandra Cummins,

director of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society and an adviser

in the development of this book.

•

In the event of a national disaster, do not assume there

will be immediate access to mainland resources.

•

Institutions must lobby for priority status in community

response plans. Collaboration with other cultural insti-

tutions helps build lobbying power.

•

The police or ﬁre department cannot always be relied

on during the response phase of a national disaster.

•

The media are interested in emergency preparedness

efforts. Share information with them to encourage

prompt, accurate coverage in the event of an emergency.

•

Permanent internal protective shutters should be

installed before a disaster strikes, such as in storage

locations and on library cases. This eliminates time

needed to install temporary shutters during

emergencies.

•

Archival, ﬁne art, and other vulnerable objects should

be s

tor

ed in imp

meable cartons to reduce packing

time in an emergency. Keep extra cartons on hand in the

adminis

trative ofﬁces for packing ﬁles in the event of

an emergency.

•

Local companies will donate needed emergency supplies

if asked.

•

e y

our plan wi

h o

ﬁcials of local or national civil

emergency response organizations, such as the ﬁre

dep

t and civil defense.

•

eck an

d ch

ange batteries regularly in smoke alarms,

radios, ﬂashlights, and cameras (which also should be

loaded with ﬁlm).

•

Ask local insurance companies to supply risk manage-

ment material.

Building the team: National emergency response

planners in Barbados had published a booklet outlining

what residents should do to protect themselves and their

families in the event of a hurricane, but two-thirds of

the Barbados Museum staff had never seen this booklet.

Those responsible for the museum’s emergency response

plan reminded staff of the available resources, posted

lists of shelters, and created a buddy system in which

employees with cars were assigned to pick up those with-

out cars.

How the plan stood up to the test: Museum emergency

preparedness planners initially believed they would need

to activate response efforts twenty-four hours before a

hurricane was expected to hit. After testing the plan, how-

ever, they realized that staff would be more concerned

about the safety of their own families at that time than

with protecting the museum. Consequently, the planners

decided that efforts would begin more than forty-eight

hours beforehand. “That was a major decision,” says Alis-

sandra Cummins. “It required recognizing the psychologi-

cal e

ts t

hat such a plan would have upon the staff.”

Words of advice: According to Cummins, the hardest

part of the emergency preparedness and response process

comes at the beginning: convincing yourself as director

t en

gaging in the process is the right thing to do. “Once

you start, it is not so scary in its immensity or complexity,”

e explains.

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

Location: Santiago, Chile

Director: Silvia Rios

Area: 7,449 square feet (692 square meters)

Employees: 12, plus students from the Facultad de Arte

restoration program

Collection: Textiles, wood, sculpture, prints, ceramic,

ethnographic and folklore artifacts

Impetus for emergency plan: A devastating earthquake

measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale that hit Santiago in

March 1985. The earthquake killed at least 146 people,

injured more than one million others, and destroyed the

museum building and much of the collection. The undam-

aged and salvaged items in the collection were moved

to another museum until a new building opened in 1997.

Sources consulted: Emergency Measures and Damage

ssessm

t After an Earthquake

by Pi

e Pichard.

Also,

S. A. S. Enr

ique Strahenberg, then-director of the Schloss

Eferding in Eferding, Austria, who happened to be in

Chile during the March 1985 earthquake, shared his insti-

tution’s emergency preparedness materials.

otential hazards faced:

Ear

thquakes, ﬁres, ﬂoods,

political demonstrations

Emergency plan highlights: The plan is divided into two

ajor areas: people and collections. It describes the

evacuation procedures, designates employee tasks, and

describes where emergency supplies are stored. It contains

maps of the museum and phone numbers of all employees

and of police and ﬁre ofﬁcials. Security guards are expected

Case 2 Museo de Arte Popular Americano,

Facultad de Arte, Universidad de Chile

20 P

art I: For the Director

Front view of the newly constructed building of the Museo de Arte

opular Am

icano, Facultad de Arte, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Cour

tes

y o

f t

e Museo de Ar

te P

opular Am

icano.

Information for this case was provided by conservator Johanna Maria

heile Bruhns, coordinator of the restoration program of the Facultad de

te, U

ersi

ad de Chile, S

antiago. She was also an adviser in the

elopment of this book.

to guide people out of exhibit areas and the library, whereas

speciﬁc staff members have been assigned that task for

nonpublic ofﬁce areas.

Annual budget for emergency planning and

implementation: US$1,000 for ﬁrst year of implementation

Lessons learned in the process of developing an

emergency plan:

•

Regular meetings with ﬁre ofﬁcials can be useful.

•

Regular drills allow gradual reﬁnement of the emer-

gency plan.

•

Employees should carry identiﬁcation cards to avoid

being mistaken for demonstrators during political pro-

tests or for spectators during emergencies.

•

Emergency preparedness and response materials devel-

oped by other museums should be consulted for ideas.

•

Multiple copies of damage assessment forms must

be available in case electricity goes out during an emer-

gen

, r

dering photocopiers inoperable.

•

A systematic evacuation procedure allows employees to

ack priority objects, documents, and so on, quickly

and to locate them afterward.

•

Security ofﬁcers must have access to a list of high-

priority objects in case an emergency occurs when no

institution administrators are available.

•

Plastic sheets and stones, for use as weights, should be

stored in ofﬁces in case the roof leaks or is damaged.

•

e ins

titution should have an alarm system so staff can

alert police during a robbery.

Building the team: Memories of the 1985 earthquake

proved to be an effective inspiration and motivation

for the museum to launch its emergency preparedness

and response program. With the passage of time, the daily

challenge of running the museum has taken precedence,

causing some team members to lose their enthusiasm and

drive in maintaining the program. Consequently, emer-

gency planning leaders have had to ﬁnd ways to restimulate

that interest and concern. “After the earthquake, it was very

easy to convince the museum staff to participate in emer-

gency planning,” says conservator Johanna Maria Theile

Bruhns. “The difﬁculty now is continuing emergency plan-

ning day by day. When you don’t have problems, it seems

everybody starts to relax a little too much. It is difﬁcult

to make them realize that you have to think about emer-

gencies even when nothing is happening.”

How the plan stood up to the test: “We learned from

the earthquake in 1985 that it is important to have a good

and easy-to-follow emergency plan ahead of time, one

that everyone understands,” explains Theile Bruhns. “By

e t

e a disaster happens, it is too late to come up with

a plan, not only because the building can collapse but also

beca

use you lose the ability to think clearly.” The museum

conducts regular emergency drills, which has helped famil-

iarize staff with the process. “At ﬁrst, the staff didn’t feel

secure about what they needed to do and whether they were

doing it well, but now that we are having drills regularly,

we don’t have any problems at all,” Theile Bruhns adds.

Words of advice: As Theile Bruhns points out, “In working

with other museums, we realize that collaboration is impor-

t, as w

e ar

e sm

all, wi

h very little money. Together, we

wield more power and can obtain assistance more easily.”

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

Location: Mystic, Connecticut

President and director: J. Revell Carr

Area: 40 acres (16.2 hectares)

Employees: 445 regular full- and part-time, 200 seasonal

Collection: More than two million objects, including

art, tools, books, photographs, ﬁlm and video footage,

soun

d r

ecor

ings, ship plans, maps and charts, plus

the world’s largest collection (480-plus) of historic ships

d small craft, as well as historic buildings

Impetus for emergency plan: In 1938, eight years after

its founding, the Marine Historical Society—now called

the Mystic Seaport Museum—was hit by a hurricane.

The library collection suffered US$1,000 in losses. The

threats from Hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954 prompted

museum administrators to take preventive action. Plans

already developed were put into written form. In the pro-

cess, it was discovered that a hurricane or tropical storm

threatened the region about every ﬁve years. Between

1890 and 1991, thirteen hurricanes and ten storms had

struck the region. Late fall and winter storms are another

potential threat.

Sources consulted: None, since few cultural institutions

were engaged in emergency planning at the time

Potential natural hazards faced: Floods, ﬁres, and

tor

ms, r

gin

g from summer hurricanes to severe blizzards

Emergency plan highlights: The museum’s plan consists

of 100-plus pages on preparedness and approximately 75

pages on recovery procedures. It outlines categories of hur-

cane s

ength and deﬁnes hurricane, severe weather, and

tornado warnings. It describes the ﬁve-stage alert process

(con

ition alert: possible development of severe weather;

con

dition watch: storm due within forty-eight hours; con-

dition 1: thirty-six hours to a storm; condition 2: twelve to

eighteen hours to a storm; and condition 3: storm is im-

minent) and outlines duties of the ﬁfteen department and

response teams during those stages. AM and FM radio

and television stations are listed, as are Internet addresses

t pr

ovide weather information; staff who have received

ﬁrst-aid training; elevations of all buildings above mean

w water (MLW); and town, state, and federal authorities.

Case 3 Mystic Seaport Museum

22 P

art I: For the Director

View of some of Mystic Seaport Museum’s buildings and one of the ships

in its collection, showing the museum’s location on the waterfront in Mystic,

Connecticut, which makes it susceptible to seaborne hazards. Courtesy of

the Mystic Seaport Museum. Photo: Judy Beisler.

Information for this case was provided by David Mathieson, supervisor

of conservation at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut,

and an adviser in the development of this book.

Comprehensive plans and procedures have been developed

for the museum’s various departments, and responsibilities

ave been divided among teams. For example, in the cura-

torial, exhibition, and interpretive departments, Team A

andles formal exhibits, the registrar’s ofﬁce, and all storage

areas; Team B is responsible for village exhibits; Team C is

in charge of communication among the departments;

and Team D is responsible for the interpretive and program

areas. The shipyard department handles all ships, small

craft, and related areas of concern.

Annual budget for emergency planning and

implementation: It is difﬁcult to separate the costs of

emergency planning from the US$23-million annual budget.

After more than forty years of honing the emergency plan,

restocking of emergency supplies and materials, house-

keeping, and maintenance are considered the responsibility

of individual departments.

Lessons learned in the process of developing an

emergency plan:

•

Expect emergencies to happen at the most inopportune

time.

•

Recruit graduate students to analyze and evaluate your

emergency plan for academic credit.

•

Document all preparedness and response steps with

a simple-to-use automatic camera.

•

Make emergency planning part of administrators’ and

employees’ job descriptions.

•

Do not adopt another institution’s emergency plan

without doing an analysis of the needs speciﬁc to your

ins

tut

ion.

•

Develop an emergency plan for temporary exhibits

as w

ell as for t

he permanent collection.

•

Before an emergency happens, research what should

be done to recover various artifacts and put the steps

into writing.

•

Prepare advance press releases describing your emer-

gency plan.

•

Check with your local civil defense ofﬁcer, or the author-

y who w

ould be in charge of local recovery, to see

how your plan for recovery ﬁts into their plans. The civil

authorities are most concerned with safety of lives

and property. The materials you have stored for your

recovery may be required for use for the public good.

•

Encourage input from employees who have lived in

hur

cane- or tsun

ami-pr

one ar

eas and who most likely

understand the need to prepare for such disasters.

Building the team: Often the biggest challenge to the

team is p

eople’s difﬁculty in relinquishing authority. This is

especially true for conservators. At Mystic Seaport Museum,

any employees are directly responsible for important

components of the collection. Preservation shipyard workers

may have labored for years restoring the vessels, yet under

extreme emergency conditions, as part of the response

procedure, they may be instructed to swamp or scuttle some

of the vessels in order to protect them.

How the plan stood up to the test: In 1976, following

Hurricane Belle, museum ofﬁcials realized that they needed

to do a much better job detailing what should be done dur-

ing the recovery phase of any crisis. The museum arranged

for two graduate students from the University of Delaware

Art Conservation Department to review the emergency

research suggestions for the recovery manual. In the pro-

cess, administrators learned that some of the basic under-

lying assumptions made in their previous emergency

plan had been incorrect. The National Hurricane Center

predicted that a category 4 hurricane could hit the New

England area within the next ﬁve years. The U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) also predicted that a category 4 hurricane

could produce a ﬂood level in the Mystic River estuary

of 18.7 feet (5.7 meters). Previously, it had been assumed

that a ﬂood would submerge only the ﬁrst ﬂoor of the

buildings on the museum property. An 18.7-foot rise in the

river would put most two-story buildings entirely under-

water. The museum’s response plan for ﬂoods called

for relocating items from the ﬁrst to second ﬂoors in many

buildings, which obviously would not have safeguarded

them during a major ﬂood. Since then, the plan has been

ough, an

d is s

ill going through, many changes.

Words of advice: As ﬂood waters subside and the devas-

tation of a severe disaster confronts staff and the volunteer

corps, will the institution’s collection be at the forefront

f t

ir t

houghts? Doubtful. “Their concerns will run

in order of family, then maybe their own property, and then

ossibl

y the institution’s collection,” says David Mathieson,

supervisor of conservation. “Disasters happen to com-

munities. It is the people within this community whom we

work with. If we do not take into consideration the needs

of the people around us while creating our plan, our plan

will fail.”

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

Location: Seattle, Washington

Director: Mimi Gardner Gates

Area: 144,000 square feet (13,392 square meters)

downtown; 33,800 square feet (3,143.4 square meters) in

Volunteer Park

Employees: 120 full-time

Collection: Approximately 22,000 objects, including paint-

ings, sculpture, decorative arts, ethnographic material,

prints, photographs, and textiles

Impetus for emergency plan: Loma Prieta earthquake

in San Francisco Bay Area, California, October 1989

Sources consulted: Barbara Roberts, hazard mitigation

consultant; Jerry Podany, head of antiquities conservation

t t

e J

. P

aul Getty Museum; and the J. Paul Getty Museum

“Emergency Planning Handbook”

Potential natural hazards faced: Earthquakes, volcanic

eruptions, windstorms, blizzards

Emergency plan highlights: The ninety-eight-page plan

follows the J. Paul Getty Museum model. In addition, it

contains sections on emergency procedures for the library

and how to deal with volcanic ash. (The Seattle Art Museum’s

job descr

ipt

on for an em

ergency plan coordinator is shown

in Fig. 1, page 34.)

Annual budget for emergency planning and

implementation: US$5,300, including ﬁrst-aid and CPR

classes

Case 4 Seattle Art Museum

24 P

art I: For the Director

e Sea

ttle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, showing Jonathan Borofsky’s

sculpture,

The Hammering Man. Courtesy of the Seattle Art Museum.

Photo: Susan Dirk.

Information for this case was provided by Gail Joice, senior deputy

director and registrar of the Seattle Art Museum and an adviser in the

velopment of this book.

Lessons learned in the process of developing an

emergency plan:

•

Use another cultural institution’s plan as a model,

but do not automatically adopt it without evaluating

it according to your institution’s needs.

•

Appoint several “true believers”—staff members who

feel strongly about having an emergency plan—to

the planning committee.

•

Involve the board of trustees.

•

Make sure someone else on staff (other than the direc-

tor) has access to cash and credit in case of emergency.

•

Resource lists also can be used in nonemergencies

and should be made available.

•

Help employees overcome their fears of a disaster by

holding practice response drills so they know how to

respond in a real emergency situation.

•

Help employees prepare their own homes for an

emergency.

Build

ing the team:

he museum’s emergency planners

provided staff with hard hats and on-site earthquake kits

and arranged for discounts on ﬁrst-aid kits. One emergency

drill focused on the safety of employees’ families. The

museum sent two of its emergency planning leaders to

San Francisco to visit museums following the devastating

1989 ear

hquake. T

e leaders returned home “with the

fear of God in them” and the realization that they had to

design t

heir plan to be effective, reports Gail Joice, senior

deputy director and registrar for the museum.

w t

e plan s

tood up to the test:

ills r

ealed that

the museum’s public announcement system was not

sufﬁciently audible in all rooms. The emergency plan out-

lines a “buddy system” in which each employee is respon-

sible for making sure others in his or her working area

are safe. In their twice-annual drills, the organizers often

test the buddy system by “hiding” a staff member. For

one drill, the museum photographer was instructed to stay

in his studio during the evacuation. No one checked the

studio to make sure it was empty. “Colleagues were feeling

sheepish that they hadn’t checked for who had been left

behind,” Joice says. “In the rush to get out, you must stop

and think. This drill experience gives us the conﬁdence

that this will not happen again.”

A real emergency revealed a ﬁnancial oversight

in the plan. In November 1994, the downtown Seattle

area experienced a major power outage, which could have

placed museum artifacts in need of temperature control

t r

isk. Diesel was low in the emergency generator, and the

museum was in danger of running out of fuel. Staff had

to ar

range emergency delivery of fuel early on a Saturday

morning, then realized they did not have cash or access

to a company credit card to pay for it. Joice used her per-

sonal American Express card. “We’ve since made arrange-

ments with the diesel company, and they’ll accept our

arges on comp

any cr

it,” she says. “Now, as senior

deputy director, I have a company credit card.” The

museum also h

as the emergency generator refueled

immediately following routine testing.

ds o

f advice:

Use ot

er museum em

ergency plans

as a starting point. “It is too overwhelming to think about

how to do it from scratch,” comments Joice.

apter 1: Introduction to Emergency Preparedness

26 P

art I: For the Director

Notes

1. Adapted from David Liston, Securma Web site report (1997), by permission of site owner

Ton Cremers (Web site address: >http://museum-security.org/listtext2.html<).

2. Shelley Bennett, from a telephone conversation with Sharon Jones, 1997.

3. Ibid.

4. Robert Bergman, “Developing a Disaster Plan: The Director’s Perspective,” in Emergency

Preparedness and Response: Materials Developed from the NIC Seminar, October 17, 1990,

Washington, D.C. (Washington D.C.: National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural

Property, 1991), 17. Reprinted with the permission of Heritage Preservation (formerly

National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property).

5. Since the 1991 workshop, members of the Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC),

including the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, have organized a number of area

emergency preparedness and response workshops, and in 1996 signed an agreement with the

Caribbean Disaster Emergency Relief Agency (CDERA), whereby MAC coordinates CDERA’s

activities for regional cultural organizations from its Barbados headquarters.

6. Pierre Pichard, Emergency Measures and Damage Assessment After an Earthquake (Paris: Unesco,

1984).

7. J. Paul Getty Museum, “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu,

Calif., 1988, photocopy).

Chapter Summary

This chapter

•

reminded you of the potential threats of natural and human-caused

disasters;

•

introduced the emergency preparedness and response process;

•

outlined the general requirements of the emergency plan; and

•

presented four case examples of museums that have gone through

the planning and testing process.

In review, an emergency preparedness and response program

•

requires commitment from the director and an investment in staff

e an

d costs;

•

as beneﬁts t

at far outweigh the costs; and

•

will sa

e mone

y in the long run.

HAPTER TWO

The Role of the Director

As the director of your institution, you are the guiding force behind the emer-

gency preparedness and response process. Certain duties may be delegated to

qualiﬁed staff members, but you are ultimately responsible for the development

and implementation of the emergency preparedness program and the creation

of the emergency plan. You must generate enthusiasm for the program among

staff and your institution’s board of trustees, motivate staff and maintain their

interest in and focus on the effort, provide support to individual departments

where needed, collaborate with your counterparts at other institutions and with

experts in emergency planning, and guide community outreach efforts.

But where do you start? You can gauge the current level of your insti-

tution’s emergency preparedness by taking a simple test. The questions shown

in Table 4 on the following page address key issues in developing an emergency

planning program. The questions are not in any particular order. Administer

the test to a few staff members, as well. If you or a member of your staff cannot

answer even three of the questions in the afﬁrmative, your institution is not as

prepared for an emergency as it should be.

28 P

art I: For the Director

Are up-to-date emergency telephone numbers and/or addresses posted in

central locations?

Is staff prepared to handle an emergency, including sounding an alarm and using

ﬁre extinguishers?

Is there an emergency supply inventory, and is it up to date?

Has the backup power supply been tested recently, and does it have adequate fuel?

Are flashlights and batteries readily available?

Have alarm and fire suppression systems been tested recently?

Are emergency exits accessible? Do all locks have keys nearby?

Are ﬁre extinguishers fully charged and accessible?

Is a nonsmoking policy enforced?

Is electrical wiring in good condition?

Does a general institutionwide cleanup take place on a semiannual basis,

with the entire staff participating?

Are floors clear of wood shavings, paper, cloth, packing, and other flammable materials?

Are walkways clear of debris?

Are drains and gutters clear?

Are heating and electrical system motors free of dust and clutter?

Are special precautions put in place during construction, renovation, and repair activities?

Are up-to-date copies of important documents and records stored off-site?

Is the insurance provider aware of the emergency plan and of the institution’s probable

maximum loss?

Are important collections stored away from windows and pipes?

Have elevators and automatic door closures been tested regularly in ﬁre-response drills?

Are doors clear of obstructions?

Are pipes and plumbing regularly checked for leaks?

Has the ﬁre department visited the site lately (i.e., within the last six months)?

Are your building and grounds up to local safety codes?

Are you prepared to handle a medical emergency?

Has s

ff been given any advice or training in home safety?

e overhanging trees cut away from the building?

Do local police, ﬁre, and security services have copies of your institution’s site plan, indicating

location of utility mains and various kinds of extinguishers?

Have arrangements been made for use of off-site storage, deep-freeze facilities, dehumidiﬁers,

and so on, if necessary during an emergency?

Table 4 Is Your Institution Adequately Prepared for an Emergency?

YES

UNSURE

apter 2: Role of the Director

Creating an Emergency Plan

We found that the process of planning for disasters has some surprising side

beneﬁts. The working groups who develop the plan learn a lot about each

other’s work. You get real solidarity out of the process. There’s the important

subliminal message for the staff that the museum is making a conscientious

effort to care for its visitors, its collections—and them.

— John Walsh

Director

The J. Paul Getty Museum

Each institution is unique not only by the nature of its collections but also by

its facility, its geographical location, its community resources, and its employ-

ees and volunteers. In developing your institution’s emergency plan, a great

deal of time can be saved by examining plans other institutions have imple-

mented (see chapter 1, particularly the case histories). Keep in mind, however,

that although such input is valuable, your plan must address your institution’s

own needs.

An effective emergency preparedness and response program requires

the completion of a number of information-gathering and decision-making

tasks to be carried out by staff participants. Table 5 on the following page sum-

marizes the major tasks and indicates which staff member or members are

involved. The ﬁrst six tasks are covered in this chapter; cross-references to tasks

covered in other chapters are also indicated. Some of the tasks may be shared

by more than one person.

Depending on the size of your institution, you may delegate to others

most of the planning and implementing duties of the emergency plan. Do not,

however, delegate the leadership. You must set the tone and maintain impetus

for the process, because many employees prefer to ignore the unpleasant

task of thinking about disasters. It is also your responsibility to bring the issue

of emergency preparedness to the attention of the institution’s trustees and

supp

ters an

d to local go

nment ofﬁcials. When necessary, you should

be the one to collaborate with your peers at other institutions in order to share

deas an

d resources.

s d

tor

, y

our six most important tasks are as follows (each is

described more fully in this chapter):

Task 1 : Set an institutionwide emergency preparedness policy.

Task 2 : Designate responsibility and provide support.

Task 3 : Involve the institution’s trustees.

Task 4 : Establish a budget.

Task 5 : Contact others for advice and support.

Task 6 : Involve the community and the news media.

30 P

art I: For the Director

Goal

s / priorities / scope

EPM/ EPC responsibilities

Trustees’ commitment

Budget

Staff involvement

Agency/institution

involvement

Community involvement

Team / leader

responsibilities

Hazards

Assets / vulnerabilities

Coordinator

responsibilities

ain o

f comm

revention/ preparedness

Response

Facts/maps/supplies and

equipm

Recovery

Emergency plan

Drills / training

Responsible position/ body

Relevant chapter(s)

Director

Chapter 2

Director/EPM

Chapters 2– 3

Director

apter 2

Director

Chapter 2

Director/EPC/preparedness

teams

Chapters 4–5

Director/EPC/preparedness

teams

Chapters 2– 4, 6 –9

Director/EPC/preparedness

teams

Chapters 2–9

EPM/EPC

Chapters 3, 6– 9

EPC

Chapters 3, 6– 9

EPC/preparedness teams

Chapters 3, 6–9

Director/EPM

apters 2– 3

EPM/EPC preparedness teams

Chapters 2– 3, 6 –9

EPC/ERC/preparedness teams

Chapters 3, 6–9

EPC/ERC/preparedness

teams

apters 3, 6–9

EPC/ preparedness teams

apters 6

–

EPC/preparedness teams

apters 3, 6

–

EPC

Chapters 3, 5

EPC/preparedness teams

apters 5, 6

–

Action

Set a policy that identiﬁes the goals and priorities of the planning

ocess and deﬁnes its scope.

Appoint an emergency preparedness manager (EPM) and create an

emergency preparedness committee (EPC) that includes representa-

tives from key departments.

Develop the initial assessment of risks and vulnerablilities.

Present it to the board of trustees. Secure the board’s commitment

to the process.

Establish a budget for developing and implementing the preparedness

and prevention activitites.

Involve all staff in the emergency preparedness program.

Contact local, regional, and national emergency agencies and other

cultural institutions or organizations that may be of assisstance.

Involve the community, including the institution’s neighbors,

local ﬁreﬁghters, and the news media.

Appoint departmental preparedness teams and team leaders

and equip them with the necessary tools and information.

Identify the potential natural and human-caused hazards

specific to the area.

Identify assets and the vulnerability of the institution, including

collections, people, infrastructure, and administrative records.

Appoint and emergency response coordinator (ERC) and a

communications coordinator if necessary.

Iden

y t

he chain of command and response teams, with a

contingency list of successors.

Implement preventive and preparedness measures for staff,

he public, the collections, and other assets.

Develop response measures, such as evacuation procedures,

notiﬁcation of chain of command, and setting up a temporary base

of operation.

Compile fact sheets, maps, and lists of contacts, and stock emergency

suppli

es and equipment.

Develop a plan for recovering from the emergency and restoring

normal operations.

Develop the emergency plan and write the emergency plan handbook.

Review and update all procedures on a regular basis.

Establish routines to keep the plan viable. Train staff in emergency

response activities. Conduct drills annually. Evaluate results.

Table 5 Principal Tasks in Developing an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan

apter 2: Role of the Director

Our director has taken emergency planning very seriously. He has made

staff time and resources available and provided direction to the entire

staff. He has made it clear that while we may get a laugh out of our annual

emergency drills, this is serious business.

— Brian Considine

Conservator of decorative arts and sculpture

The J. Paul Getty Museum

No one wants to think about the possibility that he or she may be caught in a

dangerous situation. People become uncomfortable and wish to change the sub-

ject whenever it comes up. Your employees are no different.

For their own safety and for the well-being of the institution, your staff

must be motivated to take emergency preparedness seriously. To do this, you

should put into writing the institution’s commitment to emergency prepared-

ness and describe the extent to which the plan will be developed. This commit-

ment must start with you and be impressed upon all levels of staff, including

part-time employees and volunteers. The policy should identify the goals of the

process and establish priorities. The policy should also

•

explain why emergency preparedness and response planning is impor-

tant to the institution;

•

state that the safety of visitors and staff is the primary goal;

•

state that the process will address the buildings, preservation of the

collections and equipment, security of vital records, and restoration

of normal activity;

•

identify the position or group responsible for implementing the emer-

gency response plan; and

•

encourage staff members to familiarize themselves with the emergency

plan, to become involved in the process, and to participate in training

and drilling exercises.

he policy should be posted for employees to read and be published as the

introduction to the emergency plan handbook, a written compilation of

procedures, contact telephone numbers, and other information that is distrib-

uted to all staff and placed in strategic locations for quick reference during

a disaster.

Task 1

Set an institutionwide

emergency

preparedness policy

32 P

art I: For the Director

Task 2

Designate responsibility

and provide support

The challenge for the director is going to be delegating to the right person

or groups of people the job of organizing the staff in this coordinated effort

to address the problem. Once the director is sold on it, he or she has to

sell the entire staff and has to maintain a certain level of interest in the plan.

Everything else can be delegated.

— Jerry Podany

Head of antiquities conservation

The J. Paul Getty Museum

Every staff member will be affected by an emergency. Therefore, all staff must

be involved at some level in the emergency preparedness and response plan-

ning process and must work together, sharing information, collaborating on

projects, and identifying risks and priorities. This team approach is crucial.

Collaboration and cooperation speed up the process and promote a synergy that

enh

ances the overall emergency planning effort, as well as staff morale.

You will need to appoint a broad-based emergency preparedness com-

mittee (EPC) to oversee the development and implementation of the emergency

preparedness and response program and report its ﬁndings and assessments to

you. This committee should include senior administrators and representatives

from every key department. Depending on the size and focus of your institution,

these departments can include some or all of the following: administration,

computer systems, collections, conservation, security, buildings and mainte-

nance, public relations, library, and volunteer resources.

Experts in corporate team building recommend selecting members

based on skill and potential, not personality. Three categories of skills are key

to the success of the committee: technical and functional, problem solving, and

interpersonal. Include at least a few “true believers”—employees who believe

strongly in emergency preparedness—and, whenever possible, employees who

have previous experience in emergency preparedness or related areas.

•

Is the collection more important than the building?

•

Can t

he collection itself be prioritized?

•

What are the institution’s moral and legal obligations toward the

safety of staff, visitors, and the collections?

•

Keeping in mind the types of emergencies that can be expected

and the size of your institution, what type of emergency response

plan is best?

•

How serious must an emergency be to activate the plan, and who

will make that decision—for example, you or the emergency

response coordinator (or ERC alternate in the chain of command

at that time)?

Questions to Consider

apter 2: Role of the Director

To remain focused on its goals, the committee needs an emergency

preparedness manager (EPM). If you wish, you may serve in this capacity. A

strong leader, the EPM must have the tenacity to guide the committee through

the long and sometimes tedious process of creating an emergency plan. The

EPM should h

ave solid administrative skills, be familiar with the institution’s

various departments and collections, and have knowledge of all potential threats

and disasters. She or he also should keep you up to date on the committee’s

progress and oversee much of the community outreach effort (see chapter 3,

pages 47–52, for more information).

Next, an emergency response coordinator (ERC) should be selected.

The ERC would take charge in an actual emergency, coordinating all response

and recovery activities. This position requires calmness in the face of calamity

and a thorough understanding of the emergency plan. The ERC should be given

broad authority in the event of a disaster, such as the ability to dispense petty

cash or authorize expenditures.

It is preferable to appoint one person who has the skills to serve as both

EPM and ERC. After you designate an EPM, determine whether he or she also

qualiﬁes as an ERC. If he or she does not qualify or does not wish to take on

both responsibilities, you and the EPM can work together to appoint an ERC,

or you can delegate that task to the emergency preparedness committee.

You should also appoint and train at least one backup person for the

EPM and ERC roles. In fact, any staff member may ﬁnd himself or herself in

the position of being the ﬁrst person on-site to handle an emergency and thus

should know what is expected; that is why involvement of all staff in the plan-

ning process is crucial.

The job description of the response coordination position (in this

case, called the emergency plan coordinator) at the Seattle Art Museum, shown

in Figure 1 on the following page, provides an example of the duties of this

very important position.

A Team Effort

The EPC may delegate certain phases of the plan—such as recovery efforts or

certain planning tasks—to departmental teams. For example, during the

planning stages, one team may focus on the needs, priorities, vulnerabilities,

and assets of the museum’s collections, while another focuses on the building

and equipment. The teams gather information and make assessments that

are submitted to the EPC, which in turn submits a report to you, the director.

This book has been designed to support a departmental team approach

to emergency preparedness and response. Chapters 6–9 contain information

speciﬁc to safety and security, collections, buildings and maintenance, and

administration and records, respectively. These chapters are distributed to each

department, but all the information should be integrated into the emergency

plan, because the emergency response and recovery teams will have to perform

any o

f t

he procedures simultaneously.

34 P

art I: For the Director

Figure 1 Job description of the emergency plan coordinator from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook.

apter 2: Role of the Director

Each departmental team consists of a preparedness team and a

response team (some members may belong to both). The preparedness team

will thoroughly assess the safety and security procedures currently in place

in its respective department, identify where the institution is vulnerable, and

oduce two reports for the committee summarizing its ﬁndings:

Report 1 is a vulnerability and asset analysis that also recommends prepared-

ness and protection measures—for example, what should be done to prevent

damage to institution property, structures, collections, and functions and to

reduce injury to staff or visitors in the event of an emergency.

Report 2 outlines the role of the departmental response teams during an emer-

gency. For example, the safety and security team leader may be responsible

for evacuating people, while a member of the collections response team

is assigned to document object damage. The report should include a list of

necessary equipment and supplies needed and a list of hazardous materials

stored on-site.

•

Do you have a staff member qualiﬁed to serve as both EPM and ERC?

•

Do you have a staff large enough to justify two people overseeing

the process?

•

What level of support should you and the trustees offer the EPM

and the ERC?

•

What will be the chain of command if the primary appointees are

unable to serve during an emergency?

•

How much authority should you give the EPM and the ERC to address

conﬂicts between existing policy and the emergency plan?

•

Should y

ou set a t

e line for t

he planning process?

•

Who ar

e t

he most qualiﬁed members of your staff to oversee the

survey of collections, records, equipment, and other assets?

•

Who among your staff are enthusiastic about emergency preparedness?

•

Who are unenthusiastic but must be nurtured and brought into

the process as key players? How can you motivate and include them?

•

Who are knowledgeable about ﬁrst aid, security, or emergency

ocedures?

•

Who among your staff are good team players?

Questions to Consider

Initially we spent very little money. We were more concerned with recog-

nizing the resources that we had on hand. The crucial thing we needed to

put in

to t

e budget was a line item for the emergency drill each year.

— Alissandra Cummins

Director

Barbados Museum an

d His

tor

ical Society

As stated in chapter 1, a successful preparedness and response program

equir

es a substantial commitment of staff time and ﬁnancial resources. The

36 P

art I: For the Director

Task 4

Establish a budget

Early in the planning process, it is helpful to involve your board of trustees,

which holds ﬁduciary responsibilities for the institution. As community lead-

ers, they can assist in obtaining permission for the use of additional resources,

such as people, equipment, and funds, at the time of a disaster. When the EPC

as provided you with an initial risk-and-vulnerability assessment, present it to

the trustees. It is important to make them aware of potential threats to staff

and visitors and to the institution’s assets, and to make sure they are committed

to the prevention and preparedness efforts.

In making your presentation to the trustees, articulate clearly what

you wish to achieve from the emergency preparedness and response program.

Ask the trustees to discuss how much the institution is willing to compro-

mise. Ask them also to take a role in the emergency preparedness and response

program. Perhaps one of the trustees is a board member for another public or

private institution that has an emergency plan. Trustees could also take a lead-

ership role in any fund-raising efforts to support the program. Remind them

of the institution’s moral obligations to prevent or mitigate the effects of poten-

tial threats that the emergency preparedness committee identiﬁes. You might

point out that the major cause of loss to cultural institutions is from human

impact— occurring during renovations or reconstruction—and therefore can

be prevented. Refer to Table 2 (pages 10–11) to quote ﬁgures.

•

Would the board of trustees want to take on emergency preparedness

in their next development campaign?

•

Should they be involved in the annual drills and other preparedness

training exercises?

•

How will the trustees and the community react if you do not bring the

potential threats to their attention before disaster strikes? Would

they feel differently if a relative were visiting the institution when an

ergency occurred?

•

w can the trustees personally assist in any response or recovery

process?

Task 3

Involve the

institution’s trustees

Questions to Consider

apter 2: Role of the Director

extent of the latter obviously will depend on many factors, including the size

and type of the institution, its ﬁnancial resources, the potential hazards, and so

on. No major ﬁnancial considerations should be made until the EPC completes

its assessment of the institution’s vulnerabilities. The vulnerability analysis will

dentify the potential hazards and therefore the priorities in terms of preven-

tion and preparedness efforts. This analysis should reﬂect the fact that very few

institutions are not at risk from the major cause of loss and destruction in

cultural institutions—that of ﬁre during renovations or construction activities.

One of the EPC’s ﬁrst steps in the preparedness and response process

should be to develop a draft budget that will be revised according to the

hazards identiﬁed and again as the preparedness and preventive measures are

implemented. Prevention will be the most cost-effective phase of the prepared-

ness process. Again, implementation steps will be based on the identiﬁed

hazards, and the available funds allocated accordingly. Budget allocation in this

area is a very important and very difﬁcult task; decisions made at this point

may have enormous implications in the event of an emergency. An example is

the decision not to install ﬁre detectors in the attic of the Franklin D. Roosevelt

Historic House in Hyde Park, New York, during installation of a ﬁre detection

system, thus saving US$2,500. A subsequent ﬁre, caused by faulty wiring,

resulted in more than US$2 million in restoration costs.

Once the plan is in place, annual budget costs should be minimal—

these range from US$2,500 to $5,300 in the case histories in chapter 1. The

major cost is for staff time—for example, to maintain ﬁrst-aid and CPR certiﬁ-

cation, and for the annual drill. Gail Joice, senior deputy director and registrar

of the Seattle Art Museum, advises that it is important to also include mainte-

nance of the emergency preparedness plan in the institution’s ﬁve- or ten-year

budget projection. One of the major staff costs for the Seattle Art Museum

is the inclusion of all security staff in training activities, including the overtime

costs for those members on weekend shifts to participate in weekday training

sessions and the costs of repeat sessions to accommodate various shifts.

The annual budget should include maintaining response equipment

d supplies. At the Mystic Seaport Museum, each department is responsible

for including these costs in their annual department budget. However, unless

an emergency situation occurs during the year to deplete supplies, mainte-

nance costs should be minimal. In the initial process of developing prepared-

ness and response supplies and equipment, it may be surprising how much of

these already are on hand in the various departments of the institution.

The one other major ﬁnancial consideration is that of recovery in the

event of a major disaster. As Carl Nelson warns, “A natural disaster may create a

ﬁnancial one. If possible, build up reserves in every budget. Disruption of busi-

ness in subsequent months—and years—can cause major ﬁnancial damage.”

Remember that many signiﬁcant steps in the prevention and prepar-

edness process can be done at minimal cost (see “Immediate Steps to Take,”

pages 40– 41). Remember also the board of trustees, local businesses, and the

communi

, in terms of fund-raising for your institution’s emergency prepared-

ness and response program.

38 P

art I: For the Director

Task 5

Contact others for

advice and support

•

What will be your institutional liability for expensive traveling exhibits

if an em

ergency plan is not in place?

•

Are grants available to support your emergency preparedness efforts?

•

Are major philanthropists willing to donate funds to purchase neces-

sary equipment or to underwrite a needed capital expense?

You and your staff do not, and should not, have to embark on this journey to

emergency preparedness alone. During the 1990s—the decade of natural

disaster reduction, as designated by the United Nations—most countries have

established committees to create national emergency response plans. These

plans, however, may not affect individual institutions, but the committees

themselves can be a tremendous resource. An important development during

this decade is the founding in 1996 of the International Committee of the

Blue Shield (ICBS) by four nongovernmental organizations: the International

Council of Archives (ICA), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), and the Inter-

national Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The ICBS

members are working together to organize risk preparedness internationally

and to provide a network of expertise for disaster response. Many countries are

forming national committees of ICBS. Furthermore, the committees may have

passed along advice, materials, and other information to local organizations

and other knowledgeable sources. These contacts can save you time and money.

ake the time to locate and get in touch with experts in your commu-

nity, nationally and internationally.

•

Ask local emergency ofﬁcials for referrals.

•

Talk to colleagues at nearby museums, art galleries, and libraries.

•

Contact earthquake, ﬂood, or other disaster researchers at local

universities.

•

Talk to authors of emergency plans for local schools, libraries, and

government buildings.

•

Contact national and international organizations of museum profession-

als,

such as d

ectors, curators, security, and conservators, and associ-

ations of other related professionals, such as architects and engineers.

•

Consider using local ﬁre protection agencies as a resource.

Questions to Consider

apter 2: Role of the Director

If no conservator is on your staff, the EPC should consult conservators at other

cultural institutions, in private practice, or at regional or national conservation

centers regarding preventive and response procedures for your institution’s

collection.

he “Directory of Selected Organizations” at the end of this book con-

tains a number of contacts that may be of help. This is only a sampling of

what is available. Many of the organizations listed have Web sites that provide

links to numerous other relevant organizations.

Task 6

Involve the community

and the news media

The EPM will do most of the community outreach, but, as director, you are the

public ﬁgure representing your institution. You have access to the more inﬂu-

ential members of the community. You may want to establish a personal rapport

with the local ﬁre and police chiefs, for example. Include them on the guest list

for special events, and invite them to tour the facility and advise on prepared-

ness and response issues. If you are seen as publicly pushing the emergency

preparedness process, community leaders are more likely to get behind the effort.

You also will need to decide in advance of an emergency what role

you and the board of trustees will play during and after an emergency. A spokes-

person should be designated to handle the media. Depending on the size of

your institution, there may be a need to appoint a communications coordinator,

who can deal with the media and take on a number of other responsibilities.

Discuss this with the EPM. See chapter 3, task 4 (page 52), and chapter 4 for

details on the role and responsibilities of a communications coordinator.

•

Have you met community leaders in the neighborhood? Do you

cultivate their interest in your institution?

•

Have you met the regional and state disaster ofﬁcials? Have they

toured the institution? Do they know what is in the collection?

Are they aware of your interest in emergency preparedness?

•

Are there any relevant regional, state, or national boards, task forces,

or committees that you should join?

•

Can you realistically handle media inquiries during an emergency?

During the recovery phase? In what situations would the media

outreach be more effective with your name and face attached to the

message?

Questions to Consider

40 P

art I: For the Director

Immediate Steps to Take

A comprehensive emergency preparedness and response program can seem

like a daunting process; however, there are plenty of tasks you and your staff

can complete as ﬁrst steps in the process that will take no more than a month

and will greatly reduce the risks without greatly increasing the budget. Some

of these activities—for example, moving ﬂammable materials away from heat

sources inside the building and clearing dry brush away from outside the build-

ing— can prevent a disaster. The following are some important steps to take.

Establish a chain of command. Assign basic responsibilities among staff—for

instance, who is in charge of evacuation, who is in charge of acquiring emer-

gency supplies. Prepare a list of these positions, the designated persons, and

their home telephone numbers and addresses. Reproduce the list on laminated

cards and distribute to staff.

Practice good housekeeping. Make sure all areas (hallways, ofﬁces, storage clos-

ets) are free of clutter that might fuel a ﬁre. Use common sense; keep collections

off the ﬂoor in storage areas and breakable objects away from edges of shelves.

Lead a cleanup effort. Remove all unnecessary detritus from around the build-

ing, clean gutters and drains, and so forth.

Collect emergency numbers and addresses. Post emergency telephone numbers

and, with their permission, home addresses of staff, as well as telephone num-

bers of ﬁre and police departments.

Gather supplies. Identify available supplies that can be used in emergencies,

such as ﬁre extinguishers, ﬁrst-aid kits, food supplies, ﬂashlights, paper

goods, hand carts, battery-powered radios, cameras, shovels, mops, brooms,

polyethylene bags, crowbars, lumber, and buckets.

Prepare records. Make a duplicate set of important documents (building plans,

ersonnel an

d adminis

tration records, collections inventories, etc.) and store

his set o

f-si

te. R

ember that access may be needed on a twenty-four-hour

basis.

Make contact lists. Compile a list of local sources of supplies and services that

might be needed in an em

ergen

cy, such as storage for the collection if it must

be r

eloca

ted. In

clude n

es, addr

esses, and telephone numbers of building

contractors your institution has used recently.

Compile fact sheets. Create step-by-step outlines of speciﬁc emergency-related

dut

ies, such as turning on the emergency generator or shutting off the gas,

ter

, an

d elec

tricity.

Dupli

te ke

ys.

Make copi

es o

f necessar

y ke

ys an

d store them in a safe and

separate location.

apter 2: Role of the Director

Investigate free services. Contact the Red Cross, the local ﬁre department, and

your insurance agent; they may provide training in ﬁrst aid and emergency

response and/or inspections and advice services.

Network. Develop a relationship with emergency preparedness organizations

within your community and with peers at other cultural institutions.

Make money accessible. Set up a credit card account with key staff members as

cardholders for emergency purchases. Keep a resource of petty cash on hand

for emergencies.

Notes

1. Carl L. Nelson, Protecting the Past from Natural Disasters (Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press,

National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1991), 78.

2. Adapted from Wilbur Faulk, “Organizing, Preparing, Testing, and Revising an Emergency

Planning Program” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Santa Monica, Calif., February 1993, typescript).

Chapter Summary

This chapter explained the emergency preparedness and response

program and focused on the six areas where you, as director, must take

leadership.

In review, the director must

•

set a policy on emergency preparedness and response planning;

•

designate an emergency preparedness manager and emergency

response coordinator to coordinate the team effort, and select

alternates for these positions;

•

convince the board of trustees to support the emergency preparedness

d r

esp

onse pr

ocess and program;

•

tablish a budget to support the program;

•

netw

ork with experts and colleagues at other cultural institutions; and

•

involve the community and news media.

Continue to Part II if you are also serving as the EPM. If you are not,

give the designated EPM a copy of this book and schedule a meeting to

discuss its contents and your expectations.

The disaster contingency planner must

transcend the comfortable world

of the ofﬁce and situate him or herself

in the frenzied, panic-stricken envi-

ronment that prevails when disaster

strikes. This person must think the

unthinkable, foresee the unforeseen,

and expect the unexpected.

— John P. Barton

and Johanna G. Wellheiser

An Oun

ce o

f P

evention

Part II

For the Emergency

Preparedness Manager

CHAPTER THREE

The Role of the

Emergency Preparedness

Manager and the

Emergency Preparedness

Committee

CHAPTER FOUR

Communications

CHAPTER FIVE

Training

This part, which consists of chapters 3–5, is designed to serve as a resource

for the emergency preparedness manager (EPM). The EPM is designated by the

director to head the emergency preparedness committee (EPC) and oversee

development and implementation of the emergency preparedness and response

program.

The EPM’s primary responsibility is guiding the committee through

the information-gathering process that leads to the development of a written

emergency plan. The EPM also may be expected to assume the role of emer-

gency response coordinator (ERC), who is in charge of response efforts during

an emergency. At least one backup EPM and ERC (or more if desired) should

be appointed and trained in case the designated EPM/ERC cannot perform his

or her duties or is unavailable.

Although Part II refers throughout to one primary designated EPM,

those in the chain of command for the position should be thoroughly familiar

with the role of the EPM.

Chapter 3 presents an overview of the emergency preparedness and response

program. This chapter also explains the role of the EPM and the EPC in the

emergency preparedness and response program; outlines what the EPM

must do to get the committee to work as effectively as possible; emphasizes the

importance of teamwork and gives strategies for building an effective team;

and guides the EPC through the tasks needed to compile an emergency plan

and produce the emergency plan handbook.

Overview

44 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Chapter 4 discusses the role of communications—internal and external—

both during the planning process and in actual emergencies. It includes infor-

mation on team communications, working with the media, and equipment

considerations. Intended as a resource for the EPM, the EPC, and the commu-

nications coordinator, the chapter also explains the role of communication

in the emergency preparedness and response process; suggests ways to ensure

good communication, internally as well as externally; explains the role of the

communications coordinator during an emergency; and suggests ways of deal-

ing with the media, including how to write news releases.

Chapter 5 helps the EPM, the EPC, and the departmental preparedness teams

develop a training program and organize emergency drills. It outlines a variety

of activities that prepare staff for emergencies. The chapter also lists training

exercises that build skills and generate interest and enthusiasm; suggests a

variety of protection- or response-related training activities; suggests guidelines

for building effective teams and effective emergency preparedness and

response training exercises; and helps the EPC plan meaningful, institution-

de drills.

The “Suggested Exercises” and “Questions to Consider” that appear through-

out will help you apply the material presented in these chapters to the speciﬁc

requirements of your institution.

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

HAPTER THREE

The Role of the

Emergency Preparedness

Manager and the

Emergency Preparedness

Committee

Making Emergency Preparedness Happen

The disaster contingency planner must transcend the comfortable world of

the ofﬁce and situate him or herself in the frenzied, panic-stricken environ-

ment that prevails when disaster strikes. This person must think the unthink-

able, foresee the unforeseen, and expect the unexpected. In addition, the

planner must take into account the foibles of human nature, particularly

the foolhardiness of those who rely on fail-safe systems that can, and do,

go wrong. Finally, he or she must be able to select people who will be

able, in the event of a disaster, to quickly and efﬁciently put the plan into

operation. Unfortunately, it takes a disaster to reveal those very people

who perform well under adverse conditions.

— John P. Barton and Johanna G. Wellheiser

An Ounce of Prevention

The director of your institution has just informed you that he or she wants to

launch an emergency preparedness and response program, and you have been

asked to lead a cross-departmental effort to develop a comprehensive emer-

gency plan. Now what? If you have never been involved in emergency planning,

you may not know where to start. This chapter is designed to help you lead

the emergency preparedness committee (EPC) through the emergency prepared-

ness and response planning process and gather the information needed to

develop a written emergency plan.

Bear in mind, however, that emergency preparedness does not hap-

pen overnight; it is an evolutionary process. Eighteen months to two years

is not an unreasonable time frame for development and implementation of an

effective program.

As you address issues related to emergency preparedness and response,

you may have a change in attitude. You may confront your deep-seated fears of

being caught in an earthquake or a tornado, or you may realize that you can

make a difference in the safety and protection of historic objects. Changes in

others may be seen as well. You and your colleagues may bond together as a

team, and staff members may feel more empowered. Eventually, everyone will

eel safer at work and may begin applying this newly gained expertise to ensure

the safety of family members at home.

Review chapters 1 and 2 before proceeding. Be sure to review Table 3

in chapter 1 and complete the test in chapter 2 (Table 4).

The Role of the Emergency Preparedness Manager

As EPM, you are the hands-on motivator. The director should help create an

environment in which emergency preparedness and response are taken seri-

ously, but you are the person who will make it happen. To do so, you need to

•

lead the EPC through the process of gathering information needed

to write an emergency plan;

•

work with the director to designate an emergency response coordinator

(ERC)—which could be yourself—and alternates for the position

(the ERC is responsible for overseeing the response efforts for your

institution in the event of an emergency);

•

work with the EPC to launch a training program that helps staff

members address fears associated with emergency preparedness and

provides them with the skills they need in a crisis;

•

keep the director and board of trustees up to date on the committee’s

progress; and

•

involve outside service agencies, such as the Red Cross, local police

and ﬁre departments, and the civil defense department.

You probably will be handling your duties as EPM in addition to your regular

job responsibilities. Make your role as EPM a priority: Human lives, as well as

replaceable cultural property, are at stake.

As chair of the EPC, you are in charge of the following four tasks (these

tasks and the steps involved in each—when applicable—are described in the

following pages):

Task 1 : Contact others for advice and support.

Task 2 : Designate responsibility and provide support.

Task 3 : Appoint departmental preparedness teams.

Task 4 : Appoint a communications coordinator.

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

Task 1

Contact others for

advice and support

Local emergency service agencies can help you build an emergency plan that

complements other plans already in place in the community. You need to know

realistically how much assistance your institution could receive in the event of a

wide-scale emergency. Information and support provided by these agencies can

signiﬁcan

tly reduce the amount of time and resources necessary for developing

the emergency plan. In addition, local agencies should be aware of the institu-

tion’s needs and planning efforts so they can provide the most efﬁcient support

in a crisis. Remember that hospitals, schools, and general population needs

will be met ﬁrst by city, state, and national agencies in an emergency situation.

The following emergency service agencies may be consulted:

•

civil defense department

•

emergency management agency

•

local ﬁre department

•

hospital/ambulance authorities

•

military

•

police department

•

Red Cross and other relief agencies

Once established, contact should be maintained throughout the planning pro-

cess and after the emergency plan is in effect, so the plan can be kept up to date.

48 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

•

Do other institutions in the region have emergency plans? Are they

willing to share them with you?

•

Who in the community is knowledgeable about emergency prepared-

ness and could serve as a resource?

•

What state, regional, and local emergency agencies should be

con

tacted before, during, and after a disaster, and how can a solid

relationship be developed beforehand with these agencies?

•

Should outside emergency agencies have access to your institution’s

ﬂoor plans?

Questions to Consider

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

Task 2

Designate responsibility

and provide support

Build an effective committee

As explained in chapter 2, the EPC should include senior administrators and

representatives of most, if not all, departments. These departments may include

any or all of the following, depending on the size of the institution: admini-

stration, collections, conservation, security, buildings and maintenance, public

relations, library, and volunteer resources. The director will appoint the mem-

bers. As emergency preparedness manager, you will act as committee chair.

To create an effective committee, keep the following steps in mind:

•

Set a regular schedule for meetings; anticipate obstacles, such as the

demands of the EPC members’ regular job responsiblities; and set

realistic goals, objectives, and deadlines. Be careful not to try to take on

too many of these tasks at once, particularly in the early stages of the

preparedness process.

•

Start with a few immediate performance-oriented tasks and goals to

unite the group; for example, compile a list of department staff home

telephone numbers and addresses.

•

Set clear rules for EPC members regarding such policies as attendance,

conﬁdentiality, and constructive confrontation.

•

Give committee members speciﬁc deadlines for assignments, and

record the deadlines in the agenda minutes.

•

Develop a system of publicizing internally the progress of the emer-

gency preparedness and response program. For example, photos of

a drill might be displayed on an employee bulletin board. Discuss this

system at a full staff meeting.

•

Exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition, and reward.

See chapter 5, “Training,” for more team-building strategies.

Step 1

Generate the essential documents

As a basic tool, the committee should produce the following documents in the

early stages of the emergency preparedness and response program:

•

A statement of purpose, including goals and objectives, of the emer-

gency preparedness and response program. A copy of the institu-

tion’s emergency preparedness policy developed by the director is later

given to the departmental preparedness teams.

•

A contact list of key staff, including job titles, roles in the emergency

plan, and ofﬁce and home phone numbers and addresses. This list

Step 2

Suggested

Exercise

Begin one m

eet

g wi

th an

ergen

cy scen

o. Descr

ibe

a situation—for example: a

oup o

f schoolchildr

en are in a

secon

d-s

tor

y exhibi

t galler

when a ﬁre breaks out and blocks

e s

tairwell; or, a water main

eaks un

der t

e ﬂoor o

f t

he stor-

age room. Solicit and discuss

esp

onses.

Six mon

hs later, present the

sam

e scen

o again, an

d assess

whether committee members’

esp

onses have improved.

should be arranged in the order in which the persons are to be contacted.

•

An organizational chart that contains descriptions of the duties

and responsibilities of the committee members and the staff.

•

A draft budget for the emergency preparedness and response program.

his can be revised as the planning progresses and vulnerabilities

are identiﬁed.

50 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Task 3

Appoint departmental

preparedness teams

All staff, from custodians to top administrators, must be included in the pro-

cess at some point. You never know who might be in the building during a cri-

sis; therefore, as many people as possible should be trained. Many institutions

have created teams to carry out preparedness measures and to lead emergency

esponse and recovery activities, such as relocation and/or salvage of objects.

The team approach also helps maximize the use of specialized skills.

In this book, the EPC is the central coordinating team. At certain stages

of the planning process, you will probably want departmental teams to investi-

gate issues related to speciﬁc sections of the institution, such as collections or

records. For example, during the planning stages, one team may focus on the

protection of staff and the public; another on the needs, priorities, vulnerabili-

ties, and assets of the collections; and a third on the building and equipment.

This book has been designed to support a departmental team approach

to emergency preparedness and response. Chapters 6–9 contain information

speciﬁc to safety and security, collections, buildings and maintenance, and

administration and records. The number and type of teams depend on the

organization of your institution. Though each department team generates and

presents its information independently, all information collected needs to be

integrated into the emergency plan.

As detailed in chapters 6–9, each departmental preparedness team will

produce two reports for the EPC:

Report 1 is a vulnerability and asset analysis that also recommends prepared-

ness and protection measures—for example, what should be done to prevent

age to institution property, structures, and collections, and impairment to

services and to reduce injury to staff or visitors in the event of an emergency.

Report 2 outlines the role of the departmental response teams during an emer-

gency. For example, the administration and records team will be responsible

for pr

oviding access to temporary funds. The response team may include some

or all of the preparedness team members. The report should include a list of

relevant contacts, equipment and supplies needed, and a list of any hazardous

aterials stored on-site.

Figure 2 depicts the team approach to creating the institution’s emergency

plan. T

he diagram shows the chain of command, from the director to the

EPM to the EPC to the departmental teams. Each departmental team consists

of a preparedness team and a response team, each of which gathers data on

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

preventive/preparedness measures, response procedures, and recovery

procedures. This information is given to the EPC to be incorporated into the

emergency plan.

In smaller institutions, a departmental team may consist of only a few

eople. App

dix A shows how the Barbados Museum and Historical Society,

with a staff of twenty-six, organized their teams for response and recovery situ-

tions. When putting together teams, keep these guidelines in mind:

•

Each team should h

ave a leader and at least one backup leader. Five is

e opt

imum n

ber of members for each team; communications

may break down in a larger group.

•

Each team m

ember should be assigned responsibilities and be capable

f car

yin

g out t

hose responsibilities.

•

Special emphasis should be placed on training members to handle

their designated responsibilities.

Do not overlook other personnel who are on hand regularly, such as guides,

volunteers, contract security ofﬁcers, and contract laborers. These individuals

y be able to pr

vide support in any emergency response operation. By

becoming involved, they will also be better informed in the event of an emer-

gency. Neighbors may also be a resource, if willing and trained.

Figure 2 Organizational chart showing chain of command and division of departmental teams with their

respective duties.

Director

Emergency Preparedness Manager (EPM)

Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC)

Departmental Teams

Safety/Security

Preparedness Team

Response Team

Preventive/

reparedness

Measur

Response

Plan

Recovery

Plan

Preparedness Team Preparedness Team Preparedness Team

Collections Buildings Administration/Records

Response Team

Preventive/

reparedness

Measur

Response

Plan

Recovery

Plan

Response Team

Preventive/

reparedness

Measur

Response

Plan

Recovery

Plan

Response Team

Preventive/

reparedness

Measur

Response

Plan

Recovery

Plan

52 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Task 4

Appoint a

communications

coordinator

Most institutions will appoint a communications coordinator—and, as with the

other key positions, a number of alternates—to answer all questions, formal and

casual; to offer information to the public; and to obtain external information

as needed during an emergency. Having a communications coordinator signiﬁ-

can

tly reduces the confusion that often arises during and after emergencies and

improves the consistency and accuracy of released information. The ﬁrst choice

for this position is usually the public relations director, who is familiar with all

aspects of the institution’s functions and is accustomed to dealing with the

media. Smaller institutions might delegate communication responsibilities to

the EPM, the director, or a media-savvy member of the board of trustees.

The communications coordinator works closely with the director

during an emergency, reporting directly to the ERC. The plan should instruct

employees to refer all media questions to the communications coordinator

or designated spokesperson. At the same time, a high priority should be placed

on keeping the coordinator fully informed and up to date on events.

In an emergency, the key responsibilities of the communications coor-

dinator are to perform or supervise the following:

•

Gather and coordinate information for dissemination through

the media.

•

Gather and disseminate information from external sources, such as the

extent of the emergency that is not localized to the institution.

•

Assess accuracy of information.

•

Coordinate news releases with investigating agencies, such as ﬁre and

police departments and civil defense.

•

Keep staff, visitors, and the community informed.

•

Be accessible to the media and maintain control of their activities

on-site following an emergency.

•

Keep a log of all media information that has been released (what was

released, when, and to whom).

•

Refrain from making decisions or stating opinions on controversial or

questionable topics unless these have been previously discussed with

the director.

•

Soli

cit public support.

See chapter 4 for more details about communications-related issues.

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

The Role of the Emergency Preparedness Committee

The responsibilities of the EPC include the following:

Task 1 : Assess the hazards.

Task 2 : Identify assets and vulnerabilities.

Task 3 : Implement preventive measures.

Task 4 : Implement preparedness measures.

Task 5 : Develop the response plan.

Task 6 : Develop recovery procedures.

Task 7 : Write the emergency plan.

Identify potential emergencies

The committee’s ﬁrst step is to prepare a report identifying what natural or

human-caused emergencies may threaten the institution. The characteristics

of the region and the institution’s property should be considered in order to

determine the likelihood of emergencies and their potential severity. Relevant

state and local authorities can provide long-term records regarding natural

hazards pertinent to the area, such as major ﬂoods, seasons of severe storms

and high tides, and so forth. Secondary and tertiary effects that might accom-

pany a hazard also must be taken into account; for instance, earthquakes

can ca

use structural damage, but may also cause ﬁre, as well as sewage, water,

and gas leaks. Each of these effects can, in turn, initiate further hazards. (See

“Questions to Consider,” on the next page.)

The variety of emergencies the EPC identiﬁes include, but are not

limited to, the following:

Natural disasters

•

ﬂash ﬂood

•

slow-rising ﬂood

•

electrical, range, brush, or forest ﬁre

•

earthquake

•

hurricane, tornado, windstorm

•

blizzard, heavy snow

•

volcanic eruption, lava ﬂow

•

mud slide

•

tidal wave

Step 1

Task 1

Assess the hazards

Industrial disasters

•

electrical power failure

•

fuel supply failure

•

water supply failure

•

wer failure or backup

•

explosion

•

chemical spill

•

structural collapse

•

structural ﬁre (internal)

•

exposure ﬁre (external)

•

nuclear power plant accident

Accidents

•

broken fuel pipelines

•

broken water or sewer pipes

•

downed electrical or phone lines

•

construction equipment

•

motor vehicles

•

transport of chemicals or fuels

•

transport of nuclear materials

•

weapons

Human impact

•

vandalism, careless handling of collection

•

armed robbery, theft

•

arson

•

bombing, bomb threat

•

conventional or nuclear warfare

•

riots, civil disturbance

•

terrorist attack (other than bomb)

54 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

•

e institution on a ﬂoodplain? If so, is the area on a ﬁve-,

ten-, ﬁfty-, or hundred-year cycle?

•

Is an old dam located upriver?

•

Is the institution in a seismic zone?

•

Is the institution’s plumbing in disrepair?

•

Where are the drains? Are drains and gutters cleaned on

a seasonal basis?

•

Is the institution dependent on a local utility for power?

•

Is the region prone to ﬁres?

•

Has the institution been a target of criminal activity?

Questions to Consider

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

Identify potential damage from emergencies

Archi

tectural features.

oof type, foundation age, window size, and dozens

of other factors make your institution unique, often in ways that render it

vulnerable in an emergency. Committee members should consider how the

hazards they have identiﬁed would affect the building, staff, visitors, collection,

and emergency response procedures. The following types of damage should

be considered.

Fire and other heat-related damage. This can result from rapid oxidation of

most types of cultural objects and can potentially destroy them. Smoke from

ﬁres can coat walls, ﬂoors, and all such objects with soot in seconds.

Water damage. This can occur as a consequence of rainstorms, hurricanes,

ﬂoods, burst pipes, ﬁres, and other emergency situations. Water may warp, split,

and rot wooden and other organic materials or lead to rust, mold, corrosion,

or general deterioration of objects containing metal. Water also dissolves

pigments and may deposit fuels and chemicals onto works of art, causing sec-

ondary damage.

Structural failure. Water, sewer, power, and fuel lines can break when structural

failure occurs, leading to water and chemical damage or ﬁres. Cultural property

may be damaged or even destroyed if the building is damaged.

Chemical damage. This type of damage can result from smoke, chemical spills,

burst fuel lines and storage containers, and a host of related events generally

known as industrial or hazardous materials accidents. Chemicals may corrode,

dissolve, weaken, or stain objects. Secondary damage can also occur as a result

of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake.

Human impact. Handling of wet, soot-covered, or damaged works of art can

use f

her problems. Evacuation should be undertaken only as a last resort,

d should not be un

der

aken wi

hout due consi

der

ation of how the objects

will be carried and stored. Workers must be trained in proper handling of

objec

ts. T

e p

ossibility of injury to staff members during an emergency must

be t

aken in

to accoun

t. If a s

f member is injured, he or she will be unable

to participate in the response plan and will require assistance from others. This

will r

educe

he number of people able to care for the collection. As EPM, you

should build ﬂexibili

y in

to t

e em

ergen

cy plan and make sure assistance will

be available both to injured individuals and for the handling of the collection.

Step 2

56 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Distribute the hazard assessment report

Once the EPC has drafted the hazard assessment report, the committee dis-

tributes it to members of the departmental teams. The report gives the teams

a clearer understanding of the nature of the potential threats, which in turn

encourages them to take the emergency preparedness and response program

more seriously. Using the report as a guide, the teams assess the institution’s

vulnerability in terms of their respective departments—collections, admini-

strative processes, infrastructure, or security systems.

Step 3

•

How will ﬁre and smoke affect evacuation or relocation procedures?

•

In what situations is evacuation truly necessary? Who decides?

Where is the closest safe repository for cultural objects?

•

When and how can objects be moved to the neighboring gallery,

another ﬂoor, another building, another town, or out of the country?

•

How could the presence of a chemical hazard interfere with emer-

gency procedures?

•

Should evacuation or relocation plans anticipate the possibility of

probable structural damage and provide alternative routes?

Assign department preparedness teams to survey

the institution’s assets and vulnerabilities

ter t

e p

oten

ial r

isks and hazards have been identiﬁed, the next step is to

set priorities in terms of who is vulnerable to injury and what assets are suscep-

ible to d

age; consider this in relation to each potential hazard or a series

f d

isas

ter scen

os. T

he safety and lives of visitors and staff are ﬁrst priority.

Assets include buildings, collections, administrative records, equipment, and

nishin

gs.

e EPC can delega

te t

his assignm

t to t

he departmental prepared-

ness teams, which should include individuals with particular expertise. For

example, one team m

ber may need to research the structural integrity of

t p

arts of the building, the stipulations of insurance policies, or the

preservation and conservation needs of the collection. A structural engineer

Step 1

Task 2

Identify assets

and vulnerabilities

Questions to Consider

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

could contribute the structural information; an administrator or a registrar could

contribute the insurance requirements; and a curator or conservator could

describe the needs of the collection. A preparator may know how best to handle

or pack the collection.

If team m

embers do not have the appropriate expertise, they should

work with external consultants. If no conservators are on staff, conservators

from museums, regional or national conservation centers, or national or inter-

national conservation organizations can be contacted. An architect, a struc-

tural engineer, and a mechanical or electrical engineer are important specialists

to utilize.

•

What is the institution trying to preserve?

•

What is the institution prepared to lose, and what is vital to save?

•

Are the risks serious enough to warrant immediate action to protect

lives and vulnerable property?

•

Who will review the prioritization lists before they are submitted

to the director for approval?

•

What degree of conﬁdentiality should be maintained for these

decisions, and how will this be done?

Questions to Consider

Give the preparedness teams a clear mandate

of their role

As EPM, make sure members of the preparedness teams have copies of the

institution’s emergency preparedness policy, the committee’s statement of pur-

ose, and the hazard assessment report. In addition to submitting two written

reports, the teams are expected to contribute verbally to the emergency plan as

well. In carrying out their research assignments, team members will ﬁnd

appropriate help and recommendations in chapters 6–9. The following is an

outline of their assignments.

Safety and security. Speciﬁc directions for assessing safety and security are

given in chapter 6. This team should receive the assistance of both the col-

lections and the buildings and maintenance researchers in preparing the fol-

win

g r

orts:

Step 2

58 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Report 1 provides suggestions for protecting visitors and staff and for

preventing damage to the security aspect of the institution’s activities.

Report 2 gives recommendations for security functions during an

emergency. This report should include lists of equipment and supplies needed

d any hazardous materials that are stored on-site, job descriptions for the

response team, and recommended recovery procedures.

Collections. Speciﬁc directions for assessing the vulnerability of the collections

are provided in chapter 7. This team should work with the safety and security

and the buildings and maintenance researchers in preparing the following reports:

Report 1 provides suggestions for preventing or mitigating damage to

the collections.

Report 2 gives recommendations for the role of collections teams

during an emergency. This report includes lists of objects to be protected or

relocated in the event of certain emergencies; recommended techniques for

moving, protecting, or salvaging the collection; a list of the tools and materials

needed for those procedures; job descriptions for the response team; and rec-

ommended recovery procedures.

Buildings and maintenance. Speciﬁc directions for assessing the building

and its infrastructure are indicated in chapter 8. This team should consult

with the collections and the safety and security researchers in preparing the

following reports:

Report 1 provides suggestions for preventing or reducing damage to

the building and its infrastructure.

Report 2 gives recommendations for the role of buildings and mainte-

nance teams during an emergency. This report should include copies of such

documents as ﬂoor plans and electrical and mechanical installation schematics;

location of emergency exits, shut-off valves, evacuation routes, and shelters;

lists of emergency tools and materials; contact lists of emergency organizations,

such as ﬁre marshal, police, and city engineers; recommended procedures for

assessing safe reentry; job descriptions for the response team; and recommended

ecovery procedures.

dministration and records.

peciﬁc directions for assessing administration

and records are provided in chapter 9. This research requires the participation

of the institution’s risk manager, controller, staff counsel, insurance agent,

and safety and security team in preparing the following reports:

Report 1 provides suggestions for preventing damage to important

administrative records.

Report 2 gives recommendations for the role of administration and

records teams during an emergency. This report should include lists and loca-

tion of important documents, disaster-related requirements of the insurance

policy, a list of equipment and procedures to provide visual documentation

for supp

ing insurance claims, job descriptions for the response team, and

recommended recovery procedures.

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

Task 3

Implement preventive

measures

Consider and address additional suggestions

and measures

As identiﬁed in “Terms to Know” in the introduction to this book, prevention

involves activities that focus on preventing emergencies from occurring

(particularly potential human-caused emergencies) and on reducing harm to

people or damage to property in emergency situations that cannot be avoided.

Working with the EPC, compile the suggestions provided by the pre-

paredness teams, then edit and prioritize them. Have a brainstorming session

to come up with any opportunities not already suggested for reducing damage

during all of the potential threats identiﬁed in the vulnerability and assets

analysis. The following may help generate ideas:

•

If the institution is in a seismic zone, position the collection out of the

path of potential falling furnishings, pipes, and so forth, and ensure

that objects will not block entrances and exits if they move or fall.

•

If the institution is in a coastal area or on a ﬂoodplain, research

ﬂood, high tide, and hurricane records over the last century to establish

known high-water levels, and ensure that, where possible, buildings

are above the critical level. Make sure that collections are displayed and

stored above the level or can be moved quickly to a safe area if necessary.

•

Bring gas, electricity, sewage, and water systems up to reliable

operational standards. Make sure they can be turned on or off quickly.

Eliminate leakage. Ensure that fuel sources are available for

emergency power.

Refer to chapters 6–9 for more ideas.

Implement the preventive measures

he EPC has submitted its ﬁnal vulnerability assessment and preventive

measures report to you, the EPM. Depending on your institution’s budget and

policy changes, which may be necessary for implementation, you may need

to prepare formal proposals for the director and the board of trustees to imple-

ment the preventive measures. If budgetary constraints are an issue, imple-

ment the preventive measures in the order of their designated priorities (life

and safety issues ﬁrst). Measures that have little or no ﬁnancial implications

also can be implem

ted.

Step 2

Step 1

Implement the preparedness measures

on a priority basis

As with preventive measures, depending on the budget and policy changes that

may be necessary for implementation, you may need to prepare formal propos-

als for the director and the board of trustees to implement the measures. Simi-

larly, you will ﬁnd that many preparedness measures also can be implemented

with little or no ﬁnancial implications; simply copying all important institution

docum

ts an

d s

toring the duplicate set off-site can make a major difference in

any recovery procedure.

Step 2

60 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Task 4

Implement preparedness

measures

Consider and address additional suggestions

and measures

Preparedness measures enable the institution to respond quickly and effec-

tively in an emergency situation and potentially mitigate its damaging effects.

Preparedness can actually prevent some emergencies. For example, a well-

trained security ofﬁcer using a nearby ﬁre extinguisher can prevent a wastebas-

ket ﬁre from destroying the building. All staff, not just those who have been

assigned speciﬁc responsibilities in an emergency, should be trained in emer-

gency procedures. Preparedness measures can be taken before a disaster

strikes, such as posting and distributing up-to-date staff contact lists. Others

are put in place when an emergency situation is imminent; for example, the

staff at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society installed shutters on all

windows immediately after a hurricane warning was issued.

Working with the EPC, compile the suggestions provided by the pre-

paredness teams, then edit and prioritize them. Have a brainstorming session

to determine any opportunities not already suggested for improving prepared-

ness. The following may help generate ideas:

•

Make sure the collection has been fully inventoried and, if possible,

catalogued with both written and photographic documentation. This

is particularly necessary to support any insurance claim.

•

Make duplicates of all important documents and store them off-site.

•

Consider installing quick-release mount systems so that objects can be

moved efﬁciently if necessary.

•

Ensure that realistic quantities of emergency supplies are on hand or

readily available—again, prioritize according to the threats identiﬁed

in the vulnerability analysis.

Step 1

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

Task 5

Develop the

response plan

Appoint the response teams

he ERC should work with you, the EPC, and the leaders of the departmental

preparedness teams to identify the chain of command in the event of an emer-

gency and to determine appropriate response teams. The structure of these

teams depends on the types of threats faced and on the contents of the collec-

tion. The preparedness teams may recommend who should participate on the

response teams and can develop job descriptions. Once identiﬁed, the response

teams should participate in the planning process to become familiar with the

reasoning that supports every aspect of the emergency plan. The response teams

should r

eceive appropriate training (see chapter 5).

Appoint backups for each position, and alternates for the backups.

Recognize that the only person present when a disaster occurs may be a night

security ofﬁcer. The only function he or she may need to fulﬁll is to notify the

appropriate staff member and let that person know how best to enter the build-

ing. The director and ERC should know staff capabilities

in advance so that

impossible requests and expectations are not made. It is also critical to ensure

that, during and after an emergency, team members work sensible shifts and

have a chance to rest and eat.

As already discussed, in an emergency the ERC leads the response

teams, and you (if you are not also the ERC) and the EPC must be willing to

delegate to the ERC the reporting structure for the entire staff during an emer-

gency. Cooperation between the response teams is important. For example, the

buildings and maintenance response team must be able to obtain the help it

needs to make the building safe enough for people, then to address the needs

of the collections.

See chapters 6–9 for more details regarding the roles and responsi-

bili

ties of departmental response teams.

Step 1

•

Who will m

ake ke

y dec

isi

ons, such as wh

en a situation is an emer-

gency and whether evacuation is necessary?

•

Who will be responsible for which functions?

•

How will emergency response team members communicate during a

crisis? Via bullhorns? Walkie-talkies? Messengers? Where are com-

muni

on devices stored in the building? Have staff members been

trained to use two-way radios?

•

Who is responsible for contacting staff members’ families?

•

Do employees need identiﬁcation badges so they can be identiﬁed

quickly by ﬁre ofﬁcials in an emergency?

Questions to Consider

62 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Compile and write the response plan

Once the departmental preparedness teams have developed the response

procedures relevant to their sections and established their response teams as

indicated in Report 2 (see page 50), the EPC can then compile the institution’s

response plan.

The response plan, to be included in the emergency plan handbook,

should contain

•

a description of the roles of the response teams and the chain

f command;

•

infor

on on assis

g the ERC in setting up a central base of opera-

tions—the emergency command center—following a staff evacuation,

d es

ablishin

g who should implement evacuation;

•

ocedur

es to be follo

ed for sp

iﬁc em

ergen

cies;

•

instructions for establishing emergency shelters;

•

ins

ruc

tions for providing medical assistance;

•

a lis

t o

f suppli

es t

t will be needed, an

d where these are to be stored;

•

information on relocating, evacuating, and/or salvaging objects and

imp

ant documents;

•

con

t infor

ion for staff and volunteers;

•

instructions for setting up a communications and public relations post;

•

a d

ectory of external experts to be contacted for support or assistance;

•

con

t infor

tion for the institution’s insurance agent;

•

instructions for performing damage assessments; and

•

infor

ation on protecting the building and grounds.

Step 3

Compile an emergency procedures handout

at should a receptionist do if she or he receives a bomb threat? What should

a security ofﬁcer do immediately following an earthquake? What should a

maintenance worker do if he or she detects a suspicious odor? These are the

types of questions that should be answered in a concise document that clearly

describes procedures staff should follow in speciﬁc emergency situations. The

safety and security team will develop a draft of emergency procedures as part

of Report 1—it can then be made into a handout and distributed to staff.

The handout should give step-by-step instructions on what to do in the event

f likely emergencies, including medical emergencies; ﬂooding and water

damage; power outages; suspicious behavior and personal safety; chemical

spills, gas leaks, and suspicious odors; earthquakes; ﬁres; phone threats, mail

threats, and suspicious objects; explosions; and civil disturbances.

Step 2

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

Compile information from departmental

preparedness teams

Once an emergency situation has stabilized, the recovery process begins.

Recovery procedures do not prevent damage that has already occurred; instead,

they are intended to guide staff through the cleanup process and minimize

further damage to objects. These procedures are to be developed by the pre-

paredness teams.

Recovery procedures fall into four main areas:

Collections recovery. Staff should be given step-by-step instructions on what to

do to take the institution from the stabilization of collections damaged in an

emergency through their long-term recovery and availability to visitors, schol-

ars, and others. These procedures are developed by the collections team. The

team should name leaders and alternates for each aspect of recovery (such

as salvage, stabilization, and supplies). Collections recovery procedures should

identify a process for determining priorities and offer details on how various

objects should be checked for damage from dirt, debris, ﬁre, mold, volcanic

ash, water, and so forth.

Data and telecommunications systems recovery. These procedures should guide

staff through the reestablishment of full telecommunications services, includ-

ing recovery of critical automation systems, and the return to normal business

operations. These procedures are developed by the safety and security, build-

ings and maintenance, and administration and records teams.

Financial systems recovery. These procedures should guide staff through the

recovery of ﬁnancial and payroll systems, the reestablishment of historical and

current data, and the return to normal activities. These procedures are devel-

oped by the administration and records team.

Buildings recovery. Staff should be guided through the stabilization of struc-

tur

al elements and the return to normal operations, including whether outside

experts need to be consulted before the buildings are declared safe to reenter.

The procedures should detail how buildings should be inspected for damage

rom ﬁre, dirt, debris, mold, water, and so forth. The procedures also should

describe how to clean the air, glass, masonry/concrete/brick, mechanical and

electrical systems, metal, plaster and dry wall, tile, porcelain, and woodwork.

Conservators may be required to devise cleaning systems for those structural

details. These procedures are developed by the buildings and maintenance team.

Step 1

Task 6

Develop recovery

procedures

Task 7

Write the

emergency plan

Write the recovery plan

ter the departmental preparedness teams have identiﬁed the recovery proce-

dures that will move the institution from a state of emergency back to normal

operations, this information is turned over to the EPM and EPC and formu-

lated into a recovery plan. The recovery plan, along with the response plan, is

incorporated into the emergency plan.

The recovery plan should

•

outline the responsibilities of the recovery team and identify team

leaders and the chain of command;

•

identify how to document damaged areas, objects in the collection, and

her assets with photography, video, and written reports;

•

identify specialists to be consulted regarding damage to objects

or buildings;

•

mandate breaks every ninety minutes during recovery procedures,

with refreshments provided if possible;

•

identify who should handle objects and when handling might be

necessary, and provide handling procedures;

•

describe the inventory process for all objects processed; and

•

describe how volunteers should be signed on and supervised, and

provide task sheets for the functions they will perform.

See chapters 6–9 for more information regarding recovery procedures speciﬁc

to the individual departmental teams.

Step 2

64 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Compile the emergency plan

Once all information on preventive measures, preparedness measures, response

procedures, and recovery procedures has been gathered from the departmental

teams, the emergency plan is written. (Review Fig. 2, page 51.) The emergency

plan also should include a description of when to activate response procedures

and how to communicate to staff that the institution is operating in emergency

mode, as well as when to declare an emergency over.

o be e

ective, an emergency plan needs

•

to h

e t

he active support of the director, governing body, and all

levels of staff;

•

to be simple, focusing mainly on situations most likely to occur;

•

to be ﬂexible enough so t

t it can be effective in unanticipated or

unavoidable situations;

•

to be realistic in its assessment of museum resources; and

•

to be tes

ted a

t leas

t annually with an emergency drill.

Step 1

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

To develop the plan, the EPC must have identiﬁed the hazards facing the insti-

tution, as well as its assets and vulnerabilities. The plan should incorporate

all issues identiﬁed by committee members and departmental teams. Ensure

that as many staff members as possible have participated in the process. This

vel of involvement not only educates and motivates staff, but, more important,

also taps into all relevant and available knowledge and skills.

The plan should include the following protection measures:

Prevention. Eliminate hazards or reduce their potential harm to people and

potential damage to buildings and the collection. For example, if the facility is

in a seismic zone, secure objects on display to prevent movement or damage.

Preparedness. Prepare and equip personnel to handle an emergency. For

instance, create emergency telephone lists, stockpile supplies, and train staff

and volunteers in how to use them.

Response. Prevent injury and limit loss. For example, train staff and volun-

teers to evacuate visitors, colleagues, collections, and records safely. Response

activities are those that can be carried out in the ﬁrst forty-eight hours after

an emergency.

Recovery. In returning operations to normal, make sure that participants are

properly trained and guided in making the recovery process as efﬁcient as

possible. For example, reestablish telecommunications and ﬁnancial systems,

and inspect buildings for water, ﬁre, and other damage.

The plan must also address the following areas:

Evacuating/relocating staff and the public. Design exit routes for every conceiv-

able location in each building. Be sure to consider the vulnerability of those

routes to the identiﬁed hazards. Develop procedures for determining if the

building is empty, and design a system of checking in so that all staff and visi-

tors can be accounted for. Evacuation or relocation procedures should specify a

destination, which may change depending on the emergency. Prescribe pro-

tocols for distributing these responsibilities among members of the response

teams. Sp

ecify the criteria team leaders should use to make decisions. (For

additional information, see chapter 6, task 3, pages 124–25.)

Evacuating/relocating objects and records. Develop protocols by which a cura-

tor, registrar, preparator or conservator, or the ERC will have the authority to

approve the movement of objects and administrative documents. This should

include the criteria for making such a decision, as well as for the techniques

to be utilized. Procedures for protecting or salvaging various objects, in terms

of type and extent of damage, also should be carefully described. Determine

who should be trained in these techniques. The plan should identify secure

relocation areas. (See chapter 7 for information on evacuating objects, and

chapter 9 on evacuating records.)

Ensuring staff and visitor safety. In the emergency plan, provide directions

for fast, safe evacuation, and for administering ﬁrst aid, documenting injuries,

securing professional medical assistance, providing follow-up counseling for

staff, and so on. Will a ﬁrst-aid area be set up? With what medical supplies and

equipm

ent? Make sure there are sufﬁcient emergency provisions of food, water,

blankets, and medical supplies. (See chapter 6 for more information.)

Taking security measures. Design a set of procedures by which your response

team and/or security staff will protect personnel and visitors and the collec-

tions. You may want to prescribe rules for what people can and cannot do, as

well as what areas of the institution should be cordoned off. Plan for every con-

tingency, such as evacuation or relocation, power loss, and even terriﬁed visi-

tors. (See chapter 6 for further information.)

Taking protective measures. Give instructions in the plan for turning off the

utilities—such as gas, electricity, and water. Include descriptions of how to

prevent or mitigate the effect of an impending threat—for example, how to

organize a sandbag effort or board up windows before a storm. Materials that

must be on hand should be identiﬁed. (See chapter 8 for more information.)

Involving administration. Administrative personnel will be instrumental in

protecting or relocating administrative records. Factor their role into the plan,

such as gaining access to cash if banks are not open. During certain emergen-

cies, it may be necessary to have a telephone bank set up to enable staff to dis-

pense information. (Further information can be found in chapter 9.)

Assessing the damage. It is likely that your institution’s insurance policy stipu-

lates the damage assessment procedures that should be taken. Who should

carry out the assessment? Does an insurance agent have to see a damaged object

before it is moved? What forms of documentation are required for a claim?

Preparedness measures include keeping preprinted damage assessment forms

and documentation equipment, such as Polaroid cameras, in an accessible

location. (Refer to chapter 9 to learn more.) If the buildings have incurred dam-

age, an assessm

ent (perhaps by an outside agency) is also necessary before

staff can be allowed back into the building.

66 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Write the emergency plan handbook

Once the EPC has completed a draft of the emergency plan, it should be cir-

culated among staff for comments or discussed at a staff meeting. Feedback

from staff at all levels should be considered, as should any fears or expecta-

tions, and appropriate revisions should be made as soon as possible. The next

step is to use the information in the emergency plan to compile the emergency

plan handbook.

Step 2

apter 3: Role of the EPM and the EPC

The Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook”

includes the

following:

•

policy statement from Stephen D. Rountree, vice president

of the J. Paul Getty Trust

•

introduction by Wilbur Faulk, director of Getty Center Security

•

staff emergency procedures

•

summary of the organizational emergency response

•

evacuation procedures

•

emergency communications

•

organizational chart showing the chain of command

•

checklists

•

fact sheets

•

on-site supplies

•

off-site resources

•

training information

The complexity of an institution’s emergency plan depends on a number of

factors, including size of the institution, types of hazards identiﬁed, number of

buildings, and variety of the collections (for example, Mystic Seaport Museum

in Mystic, Connecticut, has a collection of ships).

Appendix B contains contents pages from existing emergency plan

manuals. One is from a large institution, the Getty Center; the second from a

medium-size museum, the Seattle Art Museum; the third from a smaller

museum, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society; and the fourth from

the Mystic Seaport Museum, which has very specialized needs. The 36 pages of

the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s emergency plan serves that

institution’s purposes well. The Mystic Seaport Museum’s “Severe Weather

Manual” contains approximately 180 pages and is devoted to the museum’s main

hazard—potential seaborne disasters.

Notes

John P. Barton and Johanna G. Wellheiser, eds.,

An Oun

ce of Prevention: A Handbook on

Disaster Contingency Planning for Archives, Libraries, and Record Centers

(Toronto: Toronto Area

Archivists Group Education Foundation, 1985), 1. Used by permission.

2. Adapted from Jon. R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the

High-P

erformance Organization

ew York: HarperBusiness, 1993).

3. Getty Center, “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1997,

photocopy).

68 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Chapter Summary

This chapter outlined how to launch an emergency preparedness and

response program and lead the emergency preparedness committee

hrough the process of developing an emergency plan. It emphasized

the importance of building a cohesive team and working with outside

experts such as ﬁre ofﬁcials. This chapter

•

explained the role of the emergency preparedness manager and the

emergency preparedness committee in the planning process;

•

outlined what the EPM must do to get the EPC working as effectively

as possible;

•

outlined the role of the departmental preparedness teams and types

of information the teams should gather; and

•

guided the EPC through the tasks needed to compile the emergency

plan and produce the emergency plan handbook.

HAPTER FOUR

Communications

Why Communication Is Important

Communication is not just about devices—it has to do with how you convey

information, whether in writing, visually, or orally. It is also about the sub-

liminal messages conveyed “between the lines.” And it is about the commu-

nications climate you create, as in “no concern is too small” or “the door is

always open.”

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

An effective communications system is a natural consideration when pre-

paring for emergencies or disasters (Fig. 3). Working closely with the director

and emergency response coordinator (ERC), a communications team must

be prepared to

•

oversee all external communications during an emergency;

•

ensure that a clear internal communications system is in place;

•

gather, compile, and coordinate information for dissemination

through the media;

•

gather, compile, and disseminate incoming information regarding the

state of the emergency in the area;

•

serve as liaison with outside agencies and the community;

•

serve as liaison to families of employees and visitors;

•

inform donors and/or other institutions of the status of their gifts or

loaned objects; and

•

manage all outside telephone communications.

Communication can also encompass

•

communicating clearly and early on with insurance agents, lawyers,

rus

tees, p

oli

ce dep

ents, emergency agencies, and the media;

70 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

•

keeping the emergency plan simple so that it conveys the essentials

in a straightforward manner;

•

listening to the fears and concerns of staff and remaining open to

discussions of sensitive issues or conﬂicts;

•

suggesting ways to help staff members protect their own homes

and families;

•

providing accurate and adequate information to those involved in

developing the emergency plan;

•

keeping staff and trustees up to date on the preparedness process;

•

informing staff members of their roles during an emergency and

providing them with regular training sessions;

•

maintaining thorough records of all that happens during drills and

actual incidents;

•

obtaining honest and thorough feedback on the execution of

the plan; and

•

providing evacuation maps and instructions in other languages.

The most obvious communications questions may include, How will we trans-

mit internal and incoming information to one another? How can we keep

the public informed? What happens if the phones do not work? Who will be in

charge of talking to the media?

he emergency plan must address these issues, which are discussed

later in this chapter. The bottom line is that good communications before,

during, and after a disaster—as well as during the planning process itself—

eate the potential for full recovery.

Figure 3 A floor warden, holding a megaphone for communicating with her team, as she checks list to

verify that all staff members have arrived at the designated location during an evacuation drill

at the Getty Center. Photo: Joe Alarcon.

apter 4: Communications

A breakdown in communications is not always obvious. Say, for

example, that at institution XYZ, the leaders of every department—collections,

security, buildings, and administration—all agree that the facility is prepared

to respond properly to a disaster. “We have a plan,” each of them says. Actually,

he institution has four separate plans, and each leader is not familiar with

the other three plans. Furthermore, no staff member besides these four people

is aware that any plan exists at all.

Unfortunately, all too often one or a few individuals toil in isolation on

the emergency plan. Except for a binder that might one day magically appear

on desks throughout the institution, nothing else is done to make others aware

of the process.

As emergency preparedness manager (EPM), the tone you set during

the planning process affects the entire emergency plan and its execution.

An effective plan beneﬁts immensely from broad and effective communication

during the planning process—internally as well as with outside institutions,

such as emergency agencies and the media. Likewise, an effective response to

a disaster requires that all persons know the institution’s plan and their role in it.

Many emergency planning experts recommend beginning at the per-

sonal level. While the emergency preparedness committee (EPC), of which

you will be in charge, is convening, create awareness among staff by scheduling

presentations or handing out pamphlets from the Red Cross and other agencies

that give advice on how to protect home and family during a disaster. Or buy

ﬁrst-aid kits in bulk and sell them to employees at a discount. Doing so can

engender goodwill and cooperation for the forthcoming planning process.

Barbara Roberts, conservator and hazard mitigation consultant, and Gail Joice,

senior deputy director and registrar of the Seattle Art Museum, stress

the importance of sending the message that an institution puts staff members

and their families ﬁrst.

The following tasks will help you establish effective communication

during the emergency planning process (these are described in detail on the

following pages):

Task 1 : Focus on building team communications.

Task 2 : Equip the preparedness teams with the proper tools and information.

Task 3 : Update staff on the progress.

Task 4 : Cultivate contacts with outside agencies.

Task 5: Utilize the media.

Task 1

Focus on building team

communications

Take the human element into account, encouraging imagination, leader-

ship, cooperation and level-headedness. A lack of any of those qualities

will be just as serious as any shortage of blotting paper, plastic sheeting,

plywood or rubber boots.

— John E. Hunter

Supervisory staff curator

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Having a broad spectrum of participation from all staff ensures that your plan-

ning efforts will reﬂect a wide range of views. Teamwork is essential to a good

emergency response program. The following methods help team members

communicate and function effectively during the planning process:

Encourage an open, supportive environment. Group members must feel free to

contribute ideas and feelings and must believe others will listen. An informal,

comfortable, and relaxed atmosphere tends to work best. Encourage frank,

constructive criticism devoid of personal attack. Allow members to express their

fears and anxieties at the beginning.

Establish a cooperative climate. Members must work to demonstrate mutual

trust and respect. The key is coordination, not domination or manipulation.

Encourage all team members to participate, keeping discussion pertinent

to the group’s task. Carefully consider disagreements and seek to resolve them

rather than to dominate the dissenter. Seek to reach decisions by consensus.

Make clear assignments and set clear expectations. This makes it harder to

drop the ball or pass the buck at meetings. If the team’s rules and assignments

are not focused, neither will the team’s work be. Some rules you may want

to consider involve

•

attendance (e.g., interruptions to take phone calls are not allowed);

•

discussion (e.g., forbidden topics are not allowed);

•

cons

tructive confrontation (e.g., helpful criticism and views, not

personal attacks, are encouraged); and

•

contributions (e.g., everyone does real work).

Schedule debrieﬁng time. Encourage team members to talk with one another

in a casual, more personal way after each meeting or presentation. This is

the time to stop thinking about emergency or disaster scenarios. It is a time for

members to relax, a time to express fears or concerns.

72 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Suggested

Exercise

It is important to evaluate all

ideas. Rushing to judgment on

a suggestion can discourage

members from sharing poten-

tially valuable ideas. Ask your

oup to come up with ten or

ﬁfteen deﬂating statements

that people should avoid making

dur

ing the initial development

phase. Here are some examples:

“We tried it before, and it didn’t

work.”

“It’s too expensive.”

“We could never do that.”

“We’ve never done it that way

before.”

apter 4: Communications

Task 2

Equip the preparedness

teams with the proper

tools and information

You cannot expect everybody who is going to take on the responsibility of

formulating a disaster response plan to have been through a disaster.

You can provide them with a better understanding of the reality through

the available resources, such as publications and presentations by

people whose entire profession revolves around preparing for disasters.

— Jerry Podany

Head of antiquities conservation

The J. Paul Getty Museum

How do you provide the information the preparedness teams need? What

information-gathering suggestions can you give to team leaders? Do not let

the committee or departmental teams assume that all the information

needed exists in their collective experience and knowledge. Here are ways to

add to the contributions that team members make:

•

Schedule presentations by outside experts, such as representatives

from a national emergency organization—for example the Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States, local

ﬁre department ofﬁcials, and preparedness experts. Staff members

are more likely to respect the advice of an authority in the ﬁeld than

that of a colleague. As an added beneﬁt, such presentations provide the

most current information. Some public agency personnel will make

presentations at no charge.

•

Arrange for presentations by local individuals who have actually been

through a disaster. These people could be business owners, news-

paper reporters, the ﬁrst person on the scene at a museum emergency,

volunteers who helped in recovery efforts, or a National Guard or

military ofﬁcer who assisted in evacuating objects. The details and

perspectives they provide are invaluable.

•

Screen videos simulating actual disasters. For example, the Seattle Art

Museum used the Los Angeles Fire Department’s earthquake video

to gr

eat effect. “It really makes you realize what it is like to be there,”

says Gail Joice.

•

Supply names and telephone numbers of ofﬁcials in cultural institu-

tions throughout the world that have experienced high-proﬁle disasters,

such as the 1993 bombing of Ufﬁzi Gallery in Florence, Italy, or the 1988

ﬁre at the Louisiana State Museum. Depending on your budget, it may

be helpful to have team members interview some of these individuals.

•

Copy and distribute papers on such topics as the latest earthquake

protection measures or dispelling myths on how people act in disasters.

•

Provide written accounts of disasters, whether from newspaper

archives or museum publications. Photographic documentation is

especially effective.

Providing regular updates on the progress of planning efforts helps educate

staff about preparedness and keeps it fresh in their minds. Updates also help

build conﬁdence in the institution. “There is the important subliminal mes-

sage for the staff that the museum is making a conscientious effort to care

for i

ts visitors, its collections—and them,” remarks John Walsh, director of the

J. Paul Getty Museum.

To maintain staff interest, alternate standard memos with more cre-

ative means of disseminating information. A few examples:

•

Display in the staff room a pictorial exhibit of protective measures the

institution is implementing.

•

Prop a poster-size disaster picture on an easel, accompanied by a bul-

leted list titled, “What We Are Doing to Prevent This.” List important

preparedness measures the museum is implementing.

•

Videotape protection efforts throughout the building, from building

new storage-room shelving to installing quick-release mounts to ﬁlling

emergency supply crates. Screen the video for the entire museum

staff. Keep the presentation short, and conduct a question-and-answer

period afterward. The tape can also be used in workshops with other

institutions.

Input from staff can be solicited by setting up an emergency suggestion box.

You can also gather feedback and input by circulating a questionnaire among

staff. Informed workers who feel their opinions count make more-eager partici-

pants. Also be sure to keep the board of trustees up to date. Make preparedness

updates a regular agenda item for the board and/or invite trustees to presen-

tations, or make emergency preparedness the focus of the next board retreat.

Task 3

Update staff

on the progress

74 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Task 4

Cultivate contacts

with outside agencies

Makin

g contact with external businesses, institutions, and individuals

fore

som

hin

g h

appens is an integral part of emergency preparedness. Doing so

leads to faster response time during incidents and can help streamline the

eco

ery process. For example, do local ﬁre department ofﬁcials know where the

emi

cal s

tor

age ar

eas ar

e an

d where

not to spr

y w

ter t

ough t

he windows?

Can you schedule informal meetings with these ofﬁcials for the exchange of

such infor

tion?

Similarl

, es

ablish a r

ela

ionship with local hardware and other supply

stores ahead of time. Decide who should be authorized to make purchases there

in t

e event of an emergency, and whether cash, credit cards, or a line of credit

should be used.

If your institution does not have a conservator on staff, contact the near-

t conser

vation facility or private laboratory and make sure its staff knows

t t

e o

f collec

tion you have. Does the conservator or facility have the exper-

tise the collection requires, or will you have to make contact with a specialized

conser

ation consultant?

apter 4: Communications

Task 5

Utilize the media

Contrary to public opinion, the media can be a helpful resource rather than the

source of problems. In fact, you can use the media to your beneﬁt through-

out a disaster and its aftermath. Take advantage of the opportunity

during the

planning process to publicize your efforts. Doing so lets the public know

the institution cares about the safety of its visitors, increases public awareness

about emergency preparedness, and helps raise money to pay for protective

measures. Here are a few ideas:

•

Invite the media to one of your drills, either to cover the drill or to

articipate and act out their part, or both.

•

Suggest a story to the local newspapers or television stations about

the unique aspects of emergency preparedness in regard to the insti-

tut

ion’s collection.

•

Send out regular press releases to publicize unique aspects of the plan,

photo opportunities, preparedness speakers scheduled to appear at the

institution, upcoming staff drills, or volunteer training sessions. Though

you may never see an article out of the releases, this “drip system”

approach keeps your institution in the minds of reporters and editors.

•

Publicize a fund-raising event to beneﬁt emergency preparedness efforts.

Be prepared for the media. Have background materials on your institution, its

collections, and the emergency plan written in advance. Make it your responsi-

bili

y to ensur

e that reporters get accurate information. Also, know and respect

reporters’ deadlines. Make it easy, not hard, for them to do a story.

•

How will the emergency plan be affected if the institution is desig-

nated as a shelter during a widespread community disaster?

•

Have you discussed with local authorities whether the institution is

listed as a priority for assistance? (Remember to mention that the

institution is host to school groups and other public tours.)

•

Is there a complete, easy-to-read list of emergency telephone numbers

for local authorities, and are copies posted in areas that would enable

immediate access?

•

Are all lists of phone numbers, including temporary storage

locations, current?

•

Is the local utility company aware of the institution’s urgent need to

have power restored immediately after an emergency?

Any tool that reduces the chaos of the moment improves the chances

of recovering precious objects and stabilizing the buildings after disaster

strikes. One useful tool is The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel produced

by the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property.

Questions to Consider

76 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Developing an Effective

Communications Program

It is much easi

er to respond positively in a difﬁcult situation if you are aware

of what is happening. The goal of any effective emergency plan is to keep the

lines of communication open in both directions so that information and

instructions can reach all staff. It is also essential that communications remain

rapid and accurate. The absence of these attributes can result in inappropriate

or inefﬁcient responses to subsequent problems.

The following tasks will help you and the EPC develop a simple,

ﬂexible, and effective communications program for the overall emergency plan

(each task is discussed more fully on the following pages):

Task 1 : Evaluate equipment needs.

Task 2 : Establish emergency communications procedures.

Task 3 : Set guidelines for dealing with the media.

Task 4 : Plan for the unexpected.

Task 5 : Establish communications procedures for recovery.

There is no denying that communications in the event of a disaster—particu-

larly a regional disaster—will be difﬁcult. Telephone lines, if they are working

at all, will probably be jammed, and if lines are down, even power backup

systems may be useless. You need an alternate means to stay in touch. As tech-

nology surges ahead, more and more alternatives to regular telephone service

have been developed that could be employed in a disaster.

What answers did you come up with— cellular phones, walkie-talkies,

handheld radios? Pay phones are often the ﬁrst to be restored in a disaster.

at about e-mail? And what if none of the above works or is available? One

solution is to rely on one of the oldest forms of communication known to humans:

runners. Staff members can set out on bicycle or on foot.

Start by determining what the institution has on hand now. You may

want to identify which staff members have personal cellular phones. What

is the best backup, given the particular risks associated with the location and

based on your budget? The publication

A Manual of Basic Museum Security

identiﬁes the following emergency communication options:

•

voice communications

•

hand signals

•

written reports

•

signs an

d gr

aphi

cs with rules and regulations

•

whistle signals

•

ﬂashlight signals

•

bell sign

als

Task 1

Evaluate equipment needs

Suggested

Exercise

w m

any al

ternatives to stan-

d, in-house telephone ser

can you name in one minute?

apter 4: Communications

•

elec

tric light signals

•

telephone signals

•

sirens and horns (ﬁre)

•

radio communication

•

coded announcements

•

intercoms

•

Are there areas in the building in which walkie-talkies or radios

do not work?

•

Do all staff members know how to use the communications

equipment?

•

Does any equipment require batteries or chargers? Are the batteries

installed? Are replacements on hand? What is the source of power

for battery chargers? Are they regularly tested? Whose responsibil-

ity is this?

•

Are alternative devices stored throughout the building, including in

storage areas?

•

Does anyone on staff have a ham radio license? Is there an associa-

tion you can connect with during an emergency, such as the Amateur

Radio Emergency Association (AREA)?

•

Should runners obtain signatures to document that the messages

they carry were delivered to their intended destination?

•

Is the telephone list of emergency numbers located near each emer-

gency telephone? Do staff members have a copy at their desks?

•

If t

e institution has a public announcement system, is it sufficiently

audible in all rooms? If not, how will you get evacuation and other

emergency information to everyone in the building?

•

Are telephones installed in the elevators?

Questions to Consider

Regardless of the alternative methods you choose, make sure that the emer-

gency command center, established by the ERC, is able to communicate with any

unit of your operation. If the emergency is conﬁned to the building, you

may be able to have the telephone company restore service quickly or install

new phones to handle the increased volume of calls.

78 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Task 2

Establish emergency

communications

procedures

You and the communications coordinator (or designated institution spokes-

person if no coordinator has been appointed) are to establish the procedures

to follow during an actual emergency. Both internal procedures (how informa-

tion is communicated within the organization) and procedures pertaining to

eople and agencies outside the institution need to be addressed. As with every

emergency response team member’s role, the speciﬁc procedural responsibili-

ties of the communications coordinator should be rehearsed during drills to

identify any weak links in communications. Don’t wait until an actual emer-

gency to discover and resolve these problems. See chapter 5 for more training-

related activities.

Address internal communications

Emergency communications procedures begin the moment the response plan

goes into effect, but because communication can be greatly reduced for a con-

siderable period of time during an emergency, how will staff and visitors know

that the plan has been activated? Will an announcement be broadcast over

a public address system? Will workers use the “buddy system” to make sure

staff and visitors are safe and accounted for?

Emergencies and disasters often seem to happen at the worst possible

time and under the worst possible conditions. In other words, bad wiring

could start a ﬁre at 2 a.m. in a locked corner ofﬁce during a rare blizzard, when

only a substitute security ofﬁcer is on duty. Although this is not a highly likely

scenario, it emphasizes the possibility that staff will be at home when disaster

strikes, which brings up various concerns your planning should address.

If disaster strikes during work hours, predesignated people can step in

d ﬁll the emergency team roles to which they were appointed. These individ-

uals, however, may be preoccupied with the safety of their families and homes.

An effective solution is to have one person—most likely the human resources

director—be in charge of contacting families. The Seattle Art Museum’s solu-

tion is to allow small groups of people to go to the communications center to call

loved ones. “If the situation allows for it, that is the more humane approach,”

explains Gail Joice. Your institution probably has pay phones on-site, which

generally are the most reliable after a disaster.

Step 1

Suggested

Exercise

As you prepare this section of the

emergency plan, it is helpful to

imagine various worst-case sce-

narios and what kind of response

is best in each. Be specific.

The more details you include, the

mor

e r

ealis

tic the exercise and

the more useful the results. Envi-

sion the water rising in your office

or hear the wind snapping tele-

phone poles. Imagine the worst

that can happen, from a commu-

nications standpoint, then imag-

ine you had two days to prepare

for the disaster. What would

you do? How would it be different

if you had no time to prepare?

What could you do now to pre-

pare for such a scenario?

This exercise helps guide you

toward an effective response plan.

apter 4: Communications

•

How will staff members communicate with the institution if the

emergency happens when they are at home?

•

Under what circumstances should staff stay at home?

•

Are there key people who should get to the institution even if they

have to walk miles?

•

Do you have an up-to-date telephone list of emergency staff phone

numbers? Have you distributed copies of the list to all staff for

both ofﬁce and home reference?

•

Are emergency team roles clear for those who can make it to the site?

•

Do staff members keep an out-of-state emergency contact number on

hand in case phone system breakdowns prevent them from reaching

their families directly?

Questions to Consider

Here are a few good rules of thumb for communicating during

an emergency:

•

Keep each communication to a minimum.

•

Never give more than three instructions (two are ideal) at a time,

and keep them short.

•

Give instructions in writing. This practice results in more efﬁcient

communications.

Many preparedness experts recommend thoroughly and meticulously recording

the entire response, salvage, and recovery phases—both for insurance purposes

and to beneﬁt the institution in evaluating the effectiveness of the plan. Neither

you nor any of your colleagues will remember the myriad details of the opera-

ion a month later. Assign one person to be the recorder—ideally, a member

of a response team. Document all actions in writing or with images. If photo-

graphic or video equipment is unavailable, it may be possible to roughly

sketch an object or a scene. Tape-recording observations is also a quick method.

Address external communications

e app

dixes to the emergency plan should contain instructions for contact-

g outsi

de agen

es an

d in

dividuals (i.e., police and ﬁre departments, utilities,

hospitals, insurance agents, technical experts, etc.), along with notes about

ser

ces o

ffered. Always date the list and update it periodically. Consider

Step 2

80 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

contingency plans for contacting these agencies if normal communications are

down or overloaded.

If the institution closes, the communications coordinator will need

to inform not only the media but also such entities as the local convention and

visi

tors bureau, scheduled group tour organizers, paid tour guides, and volun-

teers. It is essential to contact your board ofﬁcers, or at least the chair/president

of the board, to notify them of the emergency and the institution’s status.

Also consider contacting key local ofﬁcials (mayor, governor, etc.), trustees, and

others to appeal for assistance.

Other considerations need to be made for visitors during a crisis. For

example, if walkie-talkies or public address systems are used, establish code

names for certain emergency situations so that you can notify staff without

causing undue panic among visitors. Avoid alarmist terms such as

code red.

Have staff practice using radios and following rules of essential communication

to avoid blocking the channels with useless talk.

You may also wish to acquire maps and evacuation instructions in

other languages. What are the predominant languages spoken by visitors to the

institution? The J. Paul Getty Museum identiﬁed nineteen languages among

and now publishes maps in a multitude of languages.

Set guidelines for working with volunteer

emergency workers

It is not unlikely, especially during a regional disaster, that in the aftermath

the institution will be inundated with well-meaning volunteers eager to help.

Develop in advance a system that helps you effectively use the skills and

energy of these volunteers. The effectiveness of their assistance depends on

the effectiveness of your communication with them.

Protecting the Past from

Natural Disasters

offers the following suggestions for working with volunteers:

•

Clarify expectations on each side.

•

Deﬁne jobs to be done.

•

Set speciﬁc goals, weighing costs against beneﬁts.

•

Persuade volunteers to do needed work that they may not have envi-

sioned, such as answering telephones.

•

Provide recognition for the volunteers’ contributions, from public

thanks to free lunches, if the budget permits.

•

Say no to volunteers if you cannot adequately direct them.

Step 3

Dealing with the media is one of the most critical tasks in an emergency.

How your institution responds to a crisis within the ﬁrst twenty-four hours can

have a lasting impact on its public image and relationship with the media.

Working with the media both before and after an emergency can turn them

to a resource rather than a problem source.

The following basic steps will help you, your communications

coordinator, and your staff deal wisely with the media. The publications Steal

This Handbook! A Template for Creating a Museum’s Emergency Preparedness

Plan

and Maritime Museum Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

Manual

have been used as references.

Task 3

Set guidelines for

dealing with the media

apter 4: Communications

Establish rules for handling reporters

The basic rule for staff to know regarding interacting with reporters is that staff

members should not interact with them. Advise employees not to start rumors

or gossip about the emergency situation and to avoid making casual remarks

that could be picked up and disseminated. Such remarks could be embarrass-

ing or inaccurate or could cause a public relations problem. Every staff member

should be trained in how to use communications equipment and in how to

conduct himself or herself with the media. Role-playing is a particularly good

way to practice the latter (see chapter 5 for more information).

Urge all staff to follow these additional rules:

•

Never say “No comment.” Explain that the communications coordina-

tor will provide the information when and if it becomes available. Do

not hesitate to say “I don’t know.”

•

Avoid all speculation of cause or blame, especially if authorities are

inv

estigating the event.

•

eep infor

on t

at might be damaging to the institution or to an

individual conﬁdential.

•

Do not r

elease t

e n

ames of injured individuals or fatalities until family

bers h

e been not

iﬁed.

Step 1

Know how to create a good news release

Remember, the media will report an emergency whether you like it or not. This

is the opportunity to inﬂuence what the media will say. The following are gen-

eral rules governing news releases for emergency events. These rules can be

adapted for other types of releases, such as an appeal for volunteer assistance.

The communications coordinator should use this opportunity to inﬂuence what

Step 2

Learn how to handle interviews

When giving an interview, whether for print or electronic media, follow the

guidelines in step 2 for creating a good news release. Before the interview,

review the key points you want to emphasize. Rehearse, if necessary. Here are

some additional suggestions:

Step 3

82 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

will be reported; in other words, provide sufﬁcient, accurate information while

maintaining control of how much information is disseminated.

•

Date the news release and use the words “For immediate release”

at the top. Provide information on the person to be contacted for more

details—usually the communications coordinator.

•

Answer these questions in the ﬁrst few sentences: What happened?

Why and how did it happen (if known)? When and where did it take

place? Who was involved?

•

State all the facts clearly and concisely. You may, however, need to omit

certain details if they interfere with an investigation or compromise

a policy of donor conﬁdentiality. Reassure the public, if possible, that

the majority of the most valued holdings are safe.

•

Never divulge the value of damaged or destroyed objects. Instead,

indicate that they are irreplaceable and/or have research value, or

report, “We have considerable loss and are trying to substantiate the

dollar damage.” One museum lost credibility in the eyes of its com-

munity after initially estimating its losses at US$1 million, then

revising that amount to US$700,000 the following day and, two years

later, increasing it to US$8 million, and counting.

•

Assure the public that the institution is aware of what happened,

is cooperating with the authorities, and has initiated its emergency

response plan, and that a team of trained personnel is at the site

working as quickly as possible to resume normal operations. Say that

you will continue to provide all appropriate information to the media.

•

Indicate what steps have been taken to correct the situation and to

prevent or minimize its recurrence.

•

Avoid placing or taking blame.

Use news releases to give the “hard news,” the basic facts about the incident.

A photograph with a short caption can add visual impact and improve the

chances of getting coverage. It is also helpful to provide background informa-

tion so that a reporter can ﬁll out the story. For example, summarize the institu-

ion’s history or give a biographical sketch of the artist of a damaged painting.

Prepare whatever information you can in advance and store it with the emer-

gency supply kits. The director should approve all releases, with a copy going to

the trustees when possible.

apter 4: Communications

Task 4

Plan for the unexpected

Before cellular phones were available, a major storm made its way onto Con-

nec

ticut’s shoreline the very day the telephone system at Mystic Seaport

Museum was being changed. Putting the communications portion of its com-

prehensive and well-rehearsed emergency plan into action required a great

many quarters for use at the pay phones. (At least someone had thought to have

quarters on hand!) Planning for the unexpected is essential; it is like having a

backup plan for the backup plan.

When the unexpected happens, on-the-spot ingenuity is called for, which

can be fostered during the planning process. During the 1994 power outage at

the Seattle Art Museum (see pages 24–25), the museum’s spokesperson quickly

got word to the media that the museum would be closed. Despite this effort,

the museum still had crowds of people knocking on its doors, wondering why

it was closed and when it would reopen. Admissions staff volunteered to take

turns standing outside in the frosty, biting wind to inform people. Meanwhile,

the museum had a graphic design employee make signs to put on the doors.

Senior staff members communicated their appreciation to the museum workers

by joining them on-site and bringing them hot coffee and pastries.

•

As in step 1, say “I don’t know” rather than “No comment,” adding

that you will attempt to ﬁnd the answer. Focus on facts rather than on

opini

ons. Do not speculate.

•

Use simple, descriptive language, and do not ramble.

•

Make your message clear. Repeat it if necessary.

•

Be consistent with each reporter.

•

Relax and be as positive as possible.

•

Listen carefully to a question before answering it.

•

For a print interview, prepare written materials to support your state-

ments and have them on hand.

•

State that monetary donations will be gratefully received and will be

put to good use to preserve the collections.

For television interviews:

•

Choose an appropriate location; do not let cameras impede the

recovery process.

•

Give the reporter your undivided attention.

•

Ignore accompanying cameras, microphones, and technicians.

•

Keep your answers short and clear. Correct any inaccurate information

contained in the questions.

•

Again, state that donations of money will be gratefully received and

will be put to good use to preserve the collections.

•

After the interview, ask when the tape will air. Obtain a tape later to

complement your documentation of the event.

84 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

The tone and timing of postdisaster communications affect the entire recovery

operation, from how workers are accommodated to how effectively the media

are handled. In building the plan, consider the following steps.

Task 5

Establish communications

procedures for recovery

Make information a priority

The smallest historical societies could have collections that mean more to

their particular communities than anything at the Metropolitan Museum

in New York City does.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

The more information staff members have about a disaster and about the insti-

tution’s status and problems, the better they are able to cope and assist in the

event of an emergency. When that information is accurate and direct, it leaves

less room for rumors and untruths to disrupt the recovery process. In the

aftermath of a disaster, consider scheduling sessions with the entire staff or in

smaller groups. Tell employees what happened, what has been done about it,

what is in progress, how the institutution is doing, and so forth.

You may be in a situation in which the community cares deeply about

the institution and its heritage. There may be people outside weeping. Look

for the positive side in the situation and communicate it to the community.

For example, name some of the precious works of art or artifacts that are safe.

If you need to communicate with large groups of people, consider using

ﬂyers. For example, following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the Preservation

Society of Charleston quickly produced and circulated a ﬂyer suggesting that

owners of historic buildings install temporary rooﬁng until proper materials

and help could be obtained. Similarly, preservation ofﬁcials in California found

hemselves ﬁghting the unwarranted rush to demolish historic buildings that

had been red-tagged after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Several pre-

servation organizations launched a “second opinion” campaign by distributing

infor

mation packages detailing alternatives to demolition. This information

went to government administrators and ofﬁcials, preservation groups, architects,

and others, and succeeded in saving hundreds of houses. The packages

included lists of essential information, such as qualiﬁed structural engineers,

loan sources, and suggested preservation strategies.

This type of education can consitute a major part of the communica-

tions responsibilities after an event. If the community or region looks to the

institution for expertise, consider offering any of the following:

•

ard conservation and/or recovery literature

•

technical consultation or services

•

seminars for contractors or other recovery-related workers

Step 1

apter 4: Communications

•

orkshops on speciﬁc topics, such as general salvage techniques

for heirlooms

•

access to your institution’s list of suppliers

Build debrieﬁng and counseling sessions into the plan

Taking care of yourself and your workers will help you better care for the col-

lections after disaster strikes. Depending on the size of the institution, this is

an important and time-consuming responsibility that cannot be assumed

by the communications coordinator, the ERC, or the EPM. A human resources

coordinator should be assigned to this role.

Debr

ieﬁng for all workers participating in the response and recovery

effort should take place every day from the beginning of an incident. A debrief-

ing is a speciﬁc, focused intervention to help employees deal with the intense

emotions that are common at such a time.

Encourage staff members to voice

their concerns and feelings. A local community mental health center can help

set up the debrieﬁng and assist in incorporating crisis counseling into the plan.

It is normal to feel depressed to some degree after a disaster. Discuss this and

other stress reactions with staff. You may want to arrange for a mental health

professional to address the debrieﬁng. People may have strong and conﬂicting

emotions to deal with, particularly if there is death or widespread destruction.

Staff members who feel the need to stop working must be allowed

to freely communicate this to ofﬁcials. Look for signs of stress among workers

(e.g., fatigue, anger, and fear). Early identiﬁcation and intervention are key

to preventing worker burnout. Breaks should be mandatory, particularly when

it becomes evident that worker effectiveness is diminishing. Bathroom facili-

—

ven if they are improvised—must be provided, as well as food and

beverages, shelter, and a place to sit or lie down. Paying attention to—and

plannin

g ah

ead for

—

the mental well-being of workers conserves a precious

esource t

t is necessar

y for t

e mon

ths or years it may take for the institution

to fully recover.

Step 2

Be on the lookout for media opportunities

hough t

y br

g des

truction and damage, disasters also bring opportunities

to repair, replace, and rehabilitate buildings and collections, raising them to

andards higher than those that existed before. This is made possible through

e f

d-r

aisin

g and promotional campaigns generated after a disaster. Know-

ing how to work with the press, especially if good relations with key media

Step 3

86 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

personalities have been established beforehand, can affect how well the

museum survives—and even thrives—in a postdisaster climate.

For the next four to six months following an emergency event, public

awareness of the need for emergency preparedness will be at an all-time high.

here is no better time to launch a fund-raising effort to help pay for recovery,

to build a new facility, or to put mitigation and preparedness measures into

effect. A well-prepared museum director has a ready “wish list” to capitalize

on the opportunity. As EPM, discuss this with the director.

This is also the time to promote crucial public relations efforts, such

as the “second opinion” campaign that saved hundreds of historic California

houses from demolition after the Loma Prieta earthquake (see step 1, page 84).

Or, once the city or town has been made safe, organize a community campaign

to let tourists know that business is back to normal. This fosters good relations

with emergency organizations and other individuals to publicly acknowledge

a job well done. For instance, if the ﬁre department provided extraordinary ser-

vice, acknowledge it in a news release.

Look for the human-interest stories that would attract the media and

cast a positive light on the institution. Twenty-four hours after a devastating

hurricane struck in 1996, the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda reopened its

doors to become a sanctuary for displaced schoolchildren while anxious

parents worked to put their lives back together again.

Evaluate the plan and its execution

After a disaster— even after every training drill—it is essential to hold a “post-

mor

tem” discussion of the emergency plan to evaluate what was learned from

the experience.

First, thank all who contributed, acknowledging each staff

member individually for her or his role in the response effort. The discussion

must be as free and open as possible to determine what went wrong, what went

ight, and why. Stay focused on the topic. Too often, this process turns into a

otp

our

i o

f after-the-fact justiﬁcations and defenses of what people did, rather

than a candid assessment of problems encountered or improvements needed.

void ﬁnding fault (except in extreme cases) and indicate the institu-

’

s desir

e to learn from the entire experience. Encourage an atmosphere of

honest self-assessment by starting with yourself. What could you have done

differently? What would have worked better? How could you improve next time?

t w

as lear

ned that could be applied to the next emergency?

Step 4

apter 4: Communications

•

Have you maintained good records of what happened during the event,

and have you asked for thorough feedback from all involved persons?

•

Have you followed up with local authorities to ask for their input on

how to make the plan work better in the future?

•

Did backup equipment (cellular phones, radios, backup generators,

portable systems, off-site computer networks) work as planned?

•

Were the communications systems within the site and with external

agencies effective?

•

Was there a network in place to check on, protect, and attend to staff

and visitors throughout the entire site?

Notes

1. John E. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” in Southeastern Museums Conference,

1991 Disaster Preparedness Seminar Proceedings, ed. Martha E. Battle and Pamela Meister (Baton

Rouge, La.: Southeastern Museums Conference, 1991), 53– 66.

2. Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance

Organization (New York: HarperBusiness, 1993), 119–27.

3. Getty Conservation Institute, “Emergency Preparedness and Response,” Conservation: The

GCI Newsletter 7 (winter 1992), 11–12.

4. The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel (Washington, D.C.: National Institute for the

Conservation of Cultural Property, 1997) is a rotating slide chart that provides information on

emergency response steps and salvage procedures. It was developed in cooperation with the

National Task Force on Emergency Response, an initiative that also involved FEMA and the

Getty Conservation Institute. It can be purchased by contacting the National Task Force,

3299 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20007.

5. Robert B. Burke and Sam Adeloye,

A Manual of Basic Museum Security (Leicester, Great

Britain: International Council of Museums and the International Committee on Museum

Security, 1986), 77. Reproduced by permission of the ICOM Committee for Conservation.

6. Carl L. Nelson, Protecting the Past from Natural Disasters (Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press,

National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1991), 111.

7. Adapted from Allyn Lord, Carolyn Reno, and Marie Demeroukas, Steal This Handbook! A

Template for Creating a Museum’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (Columbia, S.C.: Southeastern

egis

ars A

ssociation, 1994), 193–94. Used by permission.

8. Adapted from Council of American Maritime Museums, chap. 9 in

Maritime Museum Emer-

gen

cy an

d Disas

ter P

reparedness and Recovery Manual

(Mani

oc, W

isc.: Council of American

Maritime Museums, 1995), 10–12. Used by permission.

Mar

y H. L

tad, “People in Emergencies,” in

ersp

ives on Natural Disaster Mitigation: Papers

Presented at 1991 AIC Workshop

(Washington, D.C.: Foundation of the American Institute for

Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 1991), 24.

10. D. Allatt, “Preventive Maintenance in a Museum Facility” (proceedings of the Canadian Muse-

ums Association Security Special Interest Group Emergency Planning Workshop, Victoria

Memorial Museum Building, Ottawa, Canada, March 25–26, 1986).

11. Gail Joice, “Questions to Ask Yourself When Preparing a Disaster Plan” (AAM Risk Manage-

ment and Insurance Committee, American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C.,

Apr

il 1994, t

escr

ipt).

Questions to Consider

88 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Chapter Summary

This chapter described the importance of communications to the overall

ffectiveness of the emergency response plan and, ultimately, to the

success of your recovery efforts. As EPM, you must look at communica-

tions broadly—not solely as a matter of devices but as a way to convey

essential information so that it is heard and understood, both during the

planning process and in actual emergency situations.

The chapter also

•

identiﬁed tasks to help establish communications in an emergency

preparedness and response program;

•

described how to evaluate communications equipment needs;

•

described the responsibilities of the communications coordinator;

•

explained how to establish communications procedures for emergency

situations and during the recovery; and

•

described guidelines for dealing with the media.

CHAPTER FIVE

Training

No emergency plan will be successful if staff and other relevant personnel—such

as volunteers—are not properly trained. As emergency preparedness manager

(EPM), you must provide guidance and support in making sure employees

and volunteers have the knowledge and skills to respond effectively, efﬁciently,

and appropriately in an emergency situation. Drills, debrieﬁngs, and training

sessions must be conducted regularly. In addition, the psychological impact on

employees of emergency preparedness training—as well as that of the emer-

gency itself—must be addressed. As EPM, you must also foster teamwork and

team-building skills.

Where do you start? The questions in Table 6 are designed to help

you assess the current level of your staff’s readiness in the event of an emergency.

If you cannot answer at least three of the questions in the afﬁrmative, your

employees—and your institution—are not as prepared as they should be.

A year after your institution’s emergency plan has been formulated and

published, take the test again. It will provide a measure of the progress that

has been made. You may be quite encouraged by the results.

Why Training Is Important

According to Red Cross information, people normally operate at about

20 percent of their ability to make decisions during an emergency. There-

fore, you need to be able to do things in an emergency almost by rote.

With training, you can professionally accomplish what needs to be done

even if a great deal of your brain is essentially shut down from disbelief,

shock, and fear. The ﬁrst training priority is to involve everybody. This

is not just something done by the top administrators or a few people

down the ladder who handle security. It is not something that can be done

by a p

erson wi

h a megaphone. We need to do this as a team.

— Barbara Roberts

Conser

tor an

d h

azar

d mitigation consultant

Why train? The answer is simple: Training can prevent some disasters by

preparing you and other staff members to function as efﬁciently as possible,

despite the ensuing chaos. Training also helps cultivate teamwork, a crucial

factor in an emergency situation. When people feel they have a stake in the

institution, they are more likely to take their responsibilities in an emergency

seriously. Being included in the process also allows people at all levels to pro-

vide valuable suggestions necessary to the development of a ﬁrst-rate emer-

gency plan that is tailor-made for the institution.

The message of placing people ﬁrst must be emphasized, no matter

how the training program is structured. In an emergency, saving lives must

be the ﬁrst priority.

Table 6 Is Your Staff Prepared?

Do all staff members know how to use a ﬁre extinguisher, turn off water and power,

and activate alarms?

Do s

taff members have enough opportunities to practice the tasks they are expected

to perform quickly in a crisis?

Are staff members encouraged to volunteer for response teams at other institutions

that are experiencing emergencies so they can obtain real-life experience?

Have personnel been taught how to carry fragile objects, and trained to assess when

to move collections and when to wait for conservators or art handlers?

Are volunteers included in emergency drills, playing the roles of injured persons or

put in positions where they might have to report on or respond to a crisis?

Does the emergency plan include lists of staff and volunteers who have gone through

ﬁrst-aid and CPR training?

Do nonconservators know which objects in the collection are most sensitive to

extreme ﬂuctuations in relative humidity?

Have local police and ﬁre ofﬁcials been consulted about the institution’s special needs?

Have they been asked to help with training?

Are step-by-step directions posted near all emergency equipment, and are staff members

aware of their existence?

Do appropriate persons know where the water shut-off valves are located? What about the

electrical switch, fuse panels, or controls for heating and air-conditioning units?

Do these individuals know how to safely turn these off?

Have staff members been assigned responsibility for handling media inquiries during a

crisis and received appropriate training?

Has a team been trained to conduct an initial site survey after the building is determined safe?

Has t

his team been t

rained to document damage to artifacts, equipment, and the building

with videotape, photographs, and written observations?

As a training procedure, have you included a telephone/messenger exercise to locate

and notify staff members of an emergency?

Have staff members been trained in how to handle a bomb threat?

YES NO UNSURE

90 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

apter 5: Training

Basic training methods include

•

group discussions

•

simulations/role-plays

•

supplem

entary handouts

•

instructional brochures or signs

•

videos

•

review sessions

•

self-assessment exercises

•

hands-on workshops

•

presentations by experts

•

ﬁeld trips

•

mental drills

•

full drills

Who Should Be Trained?

Everyone on the staff—administrators, curators, docents, security ofﬁcers,

and custodians—should be prepared for worst-case scenarios. The importance

of involving all staff in emergency training can manifest itself in large and

small ways. At the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, a new, untrained

custodial worker failed to realize the signiﬁcance of the mold that was form-

ing around an air-conditioning unit in a room containing historical maps.

Only when a trained person saw the mold a day or two later was the problem

reported to senior management and addressed. “Training helps make people

more comfortable with a potentially dangerous situation and psychologically

prepared and better organized,” says Alissandra Cummins, director of the

Barbados Museum.

Most staff members need to practice evacuation procedures, basic

object handling, and salvage techniques. At some museums, administrators

encourage employees to take training efforts seriously by informing them that

ergency preparedness is a priority that cannot be ignored, and that employ-

ees who do so could suffer the consequences. That is the approach taken at

the Mystic Seaport Museum, which has been battered by numerous blizzards

and severe storms and which seems to be hit by a major hurricane every

ﬁve years or so. “With bad weather always a threat, no one can afford to shirk

his or her responsibilities,” emphasizes David Mathieson, the museum’s super-

visor of conservation.

Each spring, the Mystic Seaport Museum’s emergency plan is updated.

All staff members must update and revise their section of the plan. If the new

material does not meet the museum’s standards, it is sent back to the appro-

priate personnel. “If an acceptable draft is not ﬁnished by the deadline, the

person responsible cannot go on vacation—and this has happened,” Mathieson

continues. “We take this very seriously.” For administrators who favor this

appr

oach, h

e adds, t

he deadlines for completing the emergency plan could be

set to coincide with annual salary evaluations.

As staff members develop skills, keep in mind that a major emergency

will bring outsiders to the institution’s door with offers of untrained assistance.

These volunteers may be community members, military personnel, or other

emergency workers eager to help protect, evacuate, or salvage objects. Decide

advance how you are going to use these untrained volunteers. Consider

training a portion of the staff to give on-the-spot training.

“Whatever cannot be done in advance has to be done by instructional

word-of-mouth by a group of people who were trained beforehand,” explains

Jerry Podany, head of antiquities conservation at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Basic training can include the following:

•

emergency procedures, including ﬁre drills

•

employee identiﬁcation procedures

•

last-person-out responsibilities

•

security and building procedures during open and closed hours

•

responsibilities when issued keys

•

locking of safes and high-security vaults

•

special-access responsibilities with alarmed areas, key cards, vault

or safe combinations, and access lists

•

emergency and general information numbers to use

•

ﬁrst aid and CPR

•

security/ﬁre/safety inspections and responsibilities

•

occupational safety

•

reporting procedures for observed safety hazards

•

object handling and protection procedures

Where to Start?

One of the most effective things we can do to prepare for emergencies

is to provide ourselves with training and an increased awareness of

disaster response.

— The Getty Center

“Em

ergen

cy Plannin

g Handbook”

To many, ﬁre drills are a joke. Ever since we were young, we have participated

in em

ergen

cy e

vacuation exercises without really thinking about what would

app

en in an ac

tual em

ergen

. T

his passive attitude has become a habit that

must be broken. Many people are apathetic toward emergency preparedness

d r

esponse training. That is what the administrators at the Seattle Art Museum

isco

ed wh

en t

hey launched an ambitious training program. “At the start,

we had trouble getting people to take this seriously,” says Gail Joice, the museum’s

seni

or deput

y director and registrar. “There is an initial resistance, a fear of

e unkno

wn, an

d som

e p

eople are in denial.”

Therefore, the ﬁrst task you, as emergency preparedness manager (EPM),

ace in t

raining is to engage staff members. You may wish to start your effort

on t

e anni

ersar

y of an emergency, just to give staff and the community more

92 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

apter 5: Training

reasons to take the emergency preparedness and response training seriously.

Take care, however, to dispel the fears that will naturally occur when you ask

people to contemplate the worst. The following activities will cost little or no

money, while making those who participate feel they are part of a team:

Task 1 : Carry out a general cleanup.

Task 2 : Teach staff to be keen observers.

Task 3 : Bring in other experts to teach certain skills.

Task 4 : Conduct a basic ﬁre extinguisher lesson.

Task 5 : Expand the ﬁre drills.

Task 6 : Test the notiﬁcation system.

Task 7 : Encourage staff to bring emergency preparedness home.

Task 8 : Teach staff members how and when to handle objects.

Task 9 : Make emergency-related mental drills a common occurrence.

Task 10 : Conduct planned drills.

Task 11: Anticipate psychological impact.

Task 12: Build the team.

Task 13: Record and critique.

Task 14: Evaluate the training program.

As a team project, get staff members involved in throwing out rubbish. This

exerc

ise ser

es as a morale booster and also reduces the hazards every cultural

institution faces. In fact, most museum emergencies are caused or worsened

by inf

erior housekeeping, poorly maintained equipment, or improper use of

e build

g. On

ce the debris is gone, people can put the empty spaces to better

use. The cleanup also helps people become more acquainted with the layout

f the institution, including escape routes that might be needed someday.

ecomm

d t

hat staff members wear jeans or old clothing for the

cleaning. The casual atmosphere will make them more receptive to listening to

basic safety precautions. The following is a sampling of the safety tips you can

impr

ess on s

ff during this exercise:

•

Do not s

tor

e anyt

hin

g near heating vents or boiler rooms.

•

Stor

e h

vy objec

ts on lo

er sh

elv

es.

•

Avoid placing items directly underneath water pipes.

•

Stor

e p

ain

ts, chemicals, and cleaners in well-ventilated, ﬁreproof

cabinets.

•

Keep motors free of dust buildup, and make sure appliance cords are

in good sh

Task 1

Carry out a

general cleanup

Task 3

Bring in other experts

to teach certain skills

An eas

y w

y to reduce some of the training burden for an institution is to turn

to organiza

tions that specialize in emergency preparedness.

Other cultural institutions. There is no sense in reinventing the wheel. Take

adv

age of the expertise of other institutions that already have developed train-

ing programs. Keep in mind that every emergency plan will be unique, and

not everything one institution does will be applicable to yours. Consult directors

f ot

her cultural institutions that have suffered emergencies. Find out what

worked and what did not work for them.

The Red Cross and local ambulance services. These groups can provide training

in CPR and ﬁrst aid.

Fire department. Fireﬁghters can teach staff how to use ﬁre extinguishers and

to m

ake sure extinguishers are regularly serviced and in working order. Fire

insp

tors also can i

den

ify potential ﬁre hazards in the buildings and on the

grounds and explain how these hazards could be diminished. In addition, ﬁre

ersonnel can test the available water pressure.

Task 2

Teach staff to

be keen observers

A clerk in the gift shop spots a dark stain on the ceiling, indicative of a water

leak. An information desk volunteer notices a visitor acting strangely in the

entryway or waiting area. A maintenance worker discovers a pile of trash left

by construction workers near a heat vent. Each person noticed something

unusual that had the potential to become an emergency situation.

Staff members must be empowered to report their observations and

be made to understand that this is considered part of their job duties. Provide

training in observation techniques. Volunteers also must be instructed in

basic security measures, as they can provide a vital link in the security chain.

Consult members of the safety and security team for more training ideas.

94 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

•

eck trash receptacles at the end of the day for smoldering materials.

Empty them every night.

•

Store works of art and artifacts in closed containers or protective bags

made of chemically inert materials, which provide air circulation and

ﬁlter out particulates.

•

If the institution is in a seismic area, secure or strap down computers,

fax machines, computer scanners, bookcases, and other ofﬁce equip-

ment to the walls or furniture. If securing to a wall, make sure to drive

the attachment into a stud.

•

Unplug electrical equipment, such as dry-mount machines, tacking

irons, and portable electric heaters after use, and be careful as to where

heat-producing equipment is stored.

•

Unplug computers during thunderstorms or if a storm is forecast for

that night, and change surge protectors every three to four years.

apter 5: Training

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (or a comparable government agency). The Corps

will know if the museum is on a ﬂoodplain. It also can calculate the level the

water is likely to reach. If the museum is in a ﬂood-prone area, ask how staff

should be trained in ﬁlling and using sandbags properly.

Police department. Talk with authorities about how you should train personnel

on handling bomb threats or acts of vandalism. Provide police with the security

plan, location maps, and, possibly, keys.

Local businesses. Training and emergency preparation requires money and

supplies. Do not be afraid to solicit donations from local businesses and

corporations. A computer company donated Styrofoam packing materials to the

Barbados Museum and Historical Society. In addition, a lumber company

provided free wood and cut it to speciﬁcation to make protective shutters, and

another source donated heavy-duty boxes for moving the collection. “Usually

people are happy to give. They’d rather give for emergency preparedness than

wait to hear from us when we are totally devastated and needing tens of thou-

sands of dollars,” says Alissandra Cummins, director of the Barbados Museum.

Weather bureaus. Keeping in touch with weather forecasters is essential dur-

ing seasons of inclement weather. A member of one of the preparedness

teams should be assigned to develop direct contacts with bureau staff and learn

the routine for weather-related warnings and alerts.

Ham radio operators. Find out whether any employees are ham radio operators.

If not, train interested staff members how to contact sources of help by radio.

Insurance carriers. Insurers can provide free inspections and advice. Arrange for

committee members and other relevant staff to be present during an inspection.

Like the general cleanup activity in task 1, this exercise will call for another

“blue jeans” day. Ask staff members to meet in the parking lot or another appro-

tel

y p

ved area at designated times. Arrange for ﬁreﬁghters to teach them

the proper way to use a ﬁre extinguisher (Fig. 4). You may be amazed by the

umber of people who do not know how to perform this simple technique. Any

lesson on usin

g a ﬁr

e ext

guish

er or other equipment should follow these

guidelines:

•

Provide a step-by-step description of the procedure, using illustrations

where appropriate.

•

de a follow-along demonstration.

•

Provide periodic opportunities to practice.

•

Teach the thirty-second rule: If the ﬁre cannot be put out in thirty

secon

ds wi

h a ﬁr

e extinguisher, stop trying, and evacuate as quickly

as possible.

sk p

eople to descr

ibe the locations of ﬁre extinguishers throughout the

building. Perhaps give a prize to the person who can name the highest number

Task 4

Conduct a basic ﬁre

extinguisher lesson

96 Part II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

of locations. This exercise could inspire a constructive debate over whether

extinguishers are located in the most convenient, accessible spots. Have the

building’s interior and gallery spaces been modiﬁed since the extinguishers

were ﬁrst hung? Be sure that ﬁre extinguishers and ﬁre blankets are kept

at strategic locations throughout the building, such as on every ﬂoor and near

doors and exits.

Also, discuss who will be responsible for ensuring that the recharge-

able ﬁre extinguishers and smoke detection equipment are maintained and

tested on a regular basis, as mandated by the local ﬁre department. This

person or committee should determine the appropriate type of rechargeable

ﬁre extinguishers to have on hand, such as water-based, carbon dioxide, Class

A, or Class B. This responsibility should be included in staff job descriptions.

Fires are categorized in three ways: Class A ﬁres are fueled by ordinary

combustibles, such as wood, paper, and textiles. Class B ﬁres feed on ﬂammable

materials, such as oil-based paint and solvents. Class C ﬁres are triggered by

energized electrical equipment, including appliances, wiring, and fuse boxes.

High-pressure water extinguishers will put out Class A ﬁres but can cause water

damage. Extinguishers using a very ﬁne water mist are now available. Carbon

dioxide extinguishers put out Classes B and C ﬁres; they are recommended

when fragile materials are involved, but the gas can damage glass. Dry chemi-

cal extinguishers (ABC), which leave a powdery residue, can be used on all

three classes of ﬁres.

The employees responsible for the ﬁre extinguishers also may be the

ones who periodically inventory and reorder emergency supplies. Dry-cell bat-

teries, for instance, need to be periodically replaced.

Consult the safety and security and the buildings and maintenance teams

for more suggestions on emergency equipment that staff should learn to use.

Figure 4 Staff of the J. Paul Getty Museum participating in a ﬁre-extinguisher training session.

Photo: Brian Considine.

apter 5: Training

Task 5

Expand the ﬁre drills

Fire drills can be mundane and fail to leave an impression, as all of us can recall

from our school days. When training staff, it is helpful to turn a routine drill

into a more challenging exercise. Before the drill begins, block a stairway that

people ordinarily would use; this will force them to determine, on the spot, the

next bes

t way to ﬂee the building. Have a staff member feign injury—perhaps

a broken leg—and encourage colleagues to ﬁgure out how to evacuate that

person. Finally, arrange for an employee to hide inside the building. When the

rest of the staff members have assembled outside, see if anyone notices the

person’s absense.

Exercises like these help build quick-thinking skills and emphasize the

need for preparedness. It will become clear, for example, how important it

is to store ﬁrst-aid kits in visible or easily accessible areas, and to implement a

system to help determine whether all staff members have been evacuated.

Task 6

Test the notiﬁcation

system

On a weeknight, ask a few staff members to stay after hours. They are to phone

every employee and volunteer and say, “This is an exercise. If there were an

emergency at the museum right now, would you be willing to come down here

to assist? How long would it take you to arrive?”

The ﬁrst time that staff members at the J. Paul Getty Museum tried

this exercise, they discovered that 10 percent of the employee home telephone

numbers were wrong. The exercise not only gave administrators a more accu-

rate idea of how far people lived from the museum and who would be able

to assist in an emergency, but also indicated the need to keep the list of staff

addresses and phone numbers up to date.

For staff members who do not have telephones at home, the exercise

would have to be modiﬁed. Several employees could be dispatched to the homes

of these colleagues. During the drive, they could note how long it would take

to reach the museum during an emergency.

Task 7

Encourage staff

to bring emergency

preparedness home

Even if staff are unable to leave due to impassible roads or the like, being

prepared at home will provide some peace of mind so that they may be able

to concentrate on the task at hand.

—

ilbur F

ulk

Dir

ector of Getty Center Security

The J. Paul Getty Trust

One of the most powerful ways to motivate personnel to fully participate in

crisis planning is to assist them in being prepared for an emergency at home.

Focusing on staff members and their families makes employees feel that the

institution genuinely cares about them. It also forces them to face the reality

that the lives of people very dear to them could be endangered by a failure to

be prepared.

The Seattle Art Museum conducted earthquake workshops that pro-

vided practical advice on how to prepare for an earthquake. The museum also

Task 8

Teach staff members

how and when

to handle objects

ot every employee knows the proper way to handle damaged items in a

museum collection. During an emergency, the impulse to save valuable objects

will be strong, and staff members should understand that their untrained

actions could actually harm these objects. Coordinate collections-related training

issues with the collections team, in accordance with the guidelines developed

as part of their contribution to Report 2 (see chapter 7, task 3, pages 158– 60).

Collections staff should instruct colleagues in what to do on the scene

of an emergency, including handling procedures and basic salvage techniques.

98 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

You gradually come to realize that this whole process of emergency

preparedness is almost like another operation. The only way to deal with

it is on a daily basis.

— Alissandra Cummins

Director

Barbados Museum an

d His

tor

ical Society

Are you ready to make tough choices? A good way to prepare is through men-

tal drills. Mental drills are simple to do and cost nothing but are an important

t o

f the training process. While setting the scene of an emergency, these

drills can reveal gaps in the best-laid contingency plans. They also can prompt

you to ﬁnd answers to problems that might never have occurred to you, to the

ergen

cy preparedness committee, or to your team colleagues.

By conducting a mental triage drill, followed by roundtable discussions,

a priority list of action items emerges through consensus. This list should be

ted in each department and given to appropriate personnel. A copy should

be s

tor

ed in a sa

e, secur

e loca

tion. At some institutions, every object and

collection is ranked and labeled according to importance; this helps to ensure

hat the most valuable items will be saved should persons unfamiliar with

e collec

ons arrive on the scene. Some experts recommend that the objects

most threatened by such hazards as water, ﬁre, or chemicals be saved ﬁrst.

he collections team is responsible for establishing this procedure in advance.

Task 9

Make emergency-

related mental drills a

common occurrence

bought ﬁrst-aid kits in bulk, along with food-grade water barrels, which staff

in turn could buy quite cheaply for use at home. “We found the whole train-

ing process less daunting by implementing this effective way to get the staff

engaged,” Gail Joice points out.

If s

taff members are prepared in their own homes, they will be more

likely to be devote extra attention to the institution’s needs during a crisis.

“When we started the process of emergency planning, we asked each staff

member: Do you have the emergency booklet issued by the national committee

for emergency preparedness? Do you know where your emergency shelter is?

About two-thirds weren’t aware of either. One of the things we put in place was

to remind staff of these resources,” says Alissandra Cummins.

apter 5: Training

In a mental drill, an unlimited number of scenarios can be visualized.

Following are ﬁve ideas:

Scenario 1: An earthquake hits while the museum is holding an

indoor concert. Should all guests be escorted out, or should some be

enlisted to help? What are the ﬁrst priorities?

Scenario 2: During a hurricane, a collections storage room ﬁlls with

water. The electricity is still on, and the electrical sockets are submerged

in water. Will you get electrocuted if you enter? What should you and

your colleagues do?

Scenario 3: It is 6 p.m., and you are one of the last people to leave the

building. You smell smoke but hear no smoke alarm. Has the alarm

malfunctioned? As you investigate, the smell of smoke becomes

stronger as you approach a gallery. What do you do?

Scenario 4: Fire has broken out. The lights go out, four exits are

blocked by ﬁre, and someone has fallen and sustained a back injury

while running down the stairs. What should happen next?

Scenario 5 : A crazed person shouting obscenities begins slashing

paintings and splashing works of art with an unknown liquid. How

should you react?

Task 10

Conduct planned drills

Conduct your ﬁrst drill after staff members have been given an opportunity

to develop an understanding of the program and to adequately rehearse any

new skills related to the emergency plan. For greater impact, try to schedule

the drill near the anniversary of an emergency that is well known in your

community.

— Wilbur Faulk

Director of Getty Center Security

The J. Paul Getty Trust

Planned drills do not come in a one-size-ﬁts-all format, and there is no single

correct way to hold one. Keep your ﬁrst drill short and simple. The drills can

ease in length and complexity as staff members become more sophis-

ticated in emergency preparedness and response activities. Tailor the drills to

the types of emergencies common to the institution’s geographic area.

e following are guidelines for planned drills:

•

Do not w

t until the plan is completely written before holding the ﬁrst

drill. Stay up to date on the progress of the EPC and the departmental

teams. One priority of the drill is to help you ﬁnd the holes in the plan

as i

t is being developed.

•

The drill should teach success, not failure; build conﬁdence, not

apprehension.

100 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

•

Use t

he EPC’s vulnerability assessment report to identify the most

likely emergency scenario and build a drill around that. If your facility

is in a hurricane zone, do a hurricane drill. If brush ﬁres are a major

threat, do a brush-ﬁre drill.

•

Hold drills during the appropriate time of year. For instance, an ideal

time to hold a tornado drill is in the late winter or early spring.

•

Focus on life safety. Use triage to create realistic injuries and deaths in

order to test ﬁrst-aid and CPR skills. Enlist a few department heads to

play roles of injured visitors so that subordinates become accustomed

to the idea of making decisions on their own.

•

Include opportunities to test ﬁre extinguisher training, movement in

emergency situations, use of special tools and equipment, and ability

to shut off utilities.

•

Keep the details of a planned drill secret. This will ensure an element

of surprise that normally would be found during an emergency.

•

At each drill, assign a few staff members to observe and evaluate

the exercise.

•

Have the appropriate response team member(s) document the drill

with photos and video, which you can use later as training tools or in

emergency preparedness grant proposals or fund-raising campaigns.

•

Create public awareness. Pass out ﬂyers about the drill to visitors and

include a free pass for another day’s visit to the museum or institution.

•

During a post-drill debrieﬁng, allow the team members to evaluate the

drill, identify what worked well, and ﬁnd any ﬂaws in the emergency

plan. Have them also identify any additional needs for training. Discuss

any psychological impact the drill had on participants.

•

Do not expect the ﬁrst drill to go well, but expect to learn from it.

Drills should be built on the problems and solutions identiﬁed during mental

drills. Do not be surprised if the tidy solutions suggested during brainstorming

sessions do not work during a real drill. That, after all, is one of the purposes of

the exercise.

Full drills not only help keep staff alert, but also can assist an institu-

tion in detecting holes in its emergency plan. At the Barbados Museum

and Historical Society, for instance, the staff had mentally gone over the steps

needed to protect glass cabinets containing rare historical papers in a hurri-

cane. But during a drill, the staff discovered that attaching the pine shutters to

the cabinets took far too long after a hurricane warning. Consequently, the

museum now keeps the shutters in place during hurricane season. “The cases

look unattractive, but who cares?” Alissandra Cummins says.

Use of props during a full drill adds a sense of reality to the exercise.

or instance, put a dozen soaked books in the library, a sopping rug in a gallery,

or chipped ceramics in a display case. If these items were real objects from

the collection, how should people handle them?

Make sur

e each employee has the opportunity to play a key role. People

need to be trained to know what their jobs are during an emergency, as well

apter 5: Training

101

as what other’s jobs are, since emergencies will not always happen when all key

members of the emergency response team are at the facility. An institution

needs backup people for every important job. The best way to become familiar

with a task is to act it out. According to a U.S. government publication, Organi-

tional Behavior in Disasters and Implications for Disaster Planning:

A frequent error in emergency planning is that planners forget

that they will have to orient, train or educate others (e.g., people

and groups) relative to their respective roles under disastrous circum-

stances. Knowing the role/responsibilities of a few key ofﬁcials and

planners, or the organization, is not enough. The counterpart roles of

others must be clear to facilitate coordination and an integrated

emergency response. Of necessity, this requires teaching others what

is or will be expected of them.

Drills can help identify which staff members perform best under pressure. It

is not necessarily the people one normally would expect. Some people may

panic and be unable to carry out their responsibilities. When assigning jobs in

anticipation of a real emergency, utilize those who have stood out during drills.

Some examples of planned drill scenarios are as follows:

Scenario 1: A demonstration of college students has turned violent

in the streets a block away from the museum. Sirens and explosions

can be heard. A group of schoolchildren is in the museum at the time,

and neither the school bus driver nor the bus is to be found. A small

group of benefactors, many of them senior citizens, are meeting in

the library. Ask staff: When would you close the museum? What would

you do with the visitors? Who will take care of them? What should be

done to protect the building and the collection?

Scenario 2: Due to rainfall in the mountains, a nearby river is slowly

rising. Experts say it could rise to levels not seen in a hundred years.

ithin two days, the ﬁrst ﬂoor of the main building may be under

water. Ask staff: What should you move? Who will do the moving?

Where will you store objects in the collection? What supplies are needed

to treat water damage?

Scenario 3: An earthquake causes a power outage. The museum direc-

tor, a conservator, and three visitors are trapped in an elevator. The

facility is dark, and the backup generator is not working. A small ﬁre,

caused by a broken gas main, is threatening a gallery. Ask: Do you

know how to activate the alarms and automatic ﬁre suppression

devices? How will ﬁre ofﬁcials be notiﬁed? Will phones work without

power? How will you rescue the people in the elevator?

Scenario 4: During a hurricane, gale-force winds have shattered win-

ws in t

e galleries, and three people have been badly cut by the

ﬂying glass. Who will care for the injured people? Where will ﬁrst aid

102 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

be performed? In the meantime, the collections are getting wet from

the incoming rain and the electricity is out. What should be done ﬁrst?

Should the windows be covered? With what? What objects should

be moved? How will you move them? Who will move them?

Scenario 5: Smoke or, if applicable, volcanic ash is seeping into the

building. Should vents be closed or opened? Who knows how to close

them or shut off the gas and electricity? What else should be done?

Do not worry about creating a drill scenario that is too outlandish. As Vance

McDougall of the National Museums of Canada pointed out at a 1986 emergency

planning workshop:

Remember, emergencies occur at the worst possible time, in the worst

possible place, under the worst possible conditions. . . . Always critique

your drills against all possible situations regardless of how remote their

occurrences may seem. Never permit yourself to become complacent.

When everything seems to be going well, that should be regarded as the

ﬁrst danger signal.

BEWARE!

At the Mystic Seaport Museum, administrators arranged to have their com-

munication system upgraded on a weekend when no bad weather was expected.

Sure enough, Hurricane Bob hit while the museum had no phone service.

Staff grabbed ﬁstfuls of quarters from the admission proceeds and made calls

at pay phones across the street. “When the storm calls, your director will be

on the West Coast, and your plant manager will be in the hospital undergoing

surgery. Then the hurricane will hit. I will guarantee it,” notes David Mathieson.

Employees, volunteers, and others may experience secondary injuries—

emot

ional injuries—following a disaster.

— The Getty Center

“Em

ergen

cy Plannin

g Han

dbook”

e Get

ty Center “Emergency Planning Handbook” discusses the progression

f r

esp

onses t

t may be experienced by individuals after an emergency. Six

stages are identiﬁed:

1. Impact of the event (at the time of the event)

Shock (24

– 48 hours after the event)

Sugges

ibili

y (1

–3 days after the event)

4. Euphoria (1–2 weeks after the event, during the initial

esp

onse phase)

alen

ce (when the critical response phase passes)

6. Reintegration (2–9 months after the event, when the routine returns

to nor

mal and the environment is stable)

Task 11

Anticipate

psychological impact

apter 5: Training

103

Task 12

Build the team

Over time, each person has recognized that his or her individual experience

has had an impact on the museum’s experience. The staff is empowered.

They have become more conﬁdent of themselves and their skills.

— Alissandra Cummins

Director

Barbados Museum and Historical Society

By conducting full drills and doing the exercises suggested in this chapter, you

will be giving staff members the opportunity to work together and hone their

teamwork skills. Cross-departmental training is another method of building the

team. For example, the maintenance staff can teach conservators how to turn

off the water and power. Preparators and conservators can teach janitors how to

carry works of art and artifacts. Registrars can share information about acces-

on n

bers and the proper marking of boxes.

Building a successful team means taking risks involving conﬂict, trust,

interdependence, and hard work. The following guidelines, adapted from

Katzenbach and Smith,

will help:

Select members based on skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Recruit people on

e basis o

f three categories of relevant skills: technical and functional, prob-

lem solving, and interpersonal. All efforts at team building should focus on the

process and on accomplishing the intended tasks. One way to foster commit-

t is to involve as many people as possible in the emergency preparedness

d r

esp

onse pr

ogr

am. Iden

tifying “true believers” in emergency preparedness

and inviting them onto the team helps craft the proper atmosphere.

Emphasize urgency, direction, and clear rules. The more urgent and meaningful

a team’

s purpose, the easier it is to evolve into a well-functioning team. Emer-

gen

cy pr

edness cer

tainly carries the element of urgency, but you may face

some heavily entrenched disbelief, which is often based on fear of the unknown.

Emph

asize urgency without scaring people.

Several types of follow-up steps are suggested to help staff members deal with

the psychological impact. These include providing outside counseling, being

aware of changes in staff responses, setting up support groups, providing

a debrieﬁng within forty-eight hours after an emergency—which all staff mem-

bers ar

e required to attend—reorganizing work schedules as necessary, and

reestablishing normal operations as soon as possible.

The psychological impact of emergencies and disasters should be

addressed in training exercises. Set aside debrieﬁng time after a full drill or

a real emergency for staff members to talk about their experiences. Ask people

how they are feeling. Drills can become total mayhem and will inevitably

agitate and worry some people. In addition to holding roundtable debrieﬁngs,

consider installing a suggestion box so that the more reticent staff members

can share their feelings, comments, and observations.

104 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Be clear about your expectations of the team. If your goals and rules are not

focused, neither will be the team’s work. Enforcing the rules lends credibility

to the team. Consider putting into place rules involving the following:

•

attendance (e.g., no interruptions to take phone calls)

•

discussion (e.g., no forbidden topics)

•

conﬁdentiality (e.g., what we discuss here stays within the group

unless another option is agreed on)

•

analytic approach (e.g., facts are friendly)

•

end-product orientation (e.g., everyone gets assignments and does them)

•

constructive confrontation (e.g., conﬂicting views build strength)

•

contributions (e.g., everyone does real work)

Be aware of your actions. Leaders set the tone. Convey to team leaders the seri-

ousness of your commitment by devoting time to the process and freeing

up time for team members to do their work. Team leaders will pick up on your

patience and persistence and pass it along to their respective team members.

Set immediately achievable goals and tasks. Establishing a few challenging

yet achievable goals that can be reached early on can bring a team together and

instill a sense of early accomplishment that sets the pace. Be sure to include

in the performance goals a clear “stretch” component, or challenges that your

team may initially regard as “virtually impossible, if not crazy.”

Inject fresh facts and information. Do not let the teams assume that all the

information needed exists in their collective experience and knowledge. You

can enrich their approach, even startle them into action, with new information.

For example, you might bring in a research paper that shatters myths about

how people act in emergencies, or a list of new protection techniques.

Schedule debrieﬁng time. Encourage team members to talk with each other in

a more casual, personal way after every session. This is the time for members

to relax, reﬂect, and express their fears or concerns. Debrieﬁng allows teams

to bon

d and helps individuals move on without fear.

Exploi

t the power of positive feedback, recognition, and reward.

ositive

reinforcement works as well in a team context as it does elsewhere. Even the

strongest egos respond to positive feedback, as long as it is genuine. Although

satisfaction in the team’s performance ultimately becomes the most cherished

reward, teams appreciate sincere recognition.

Task 13

Record and critique

eep t

hor

ough written and photographic records of what happens during full

drills and any executions of emergency procedures. Then subject the emergency

plan and performance of all participants in emergency operations to a candid

tique as soon as possible after operations have returned to a semblance

of normalcy. Encourage feedback from all involved persons through written

reports, interviews, and group meetings. What went well? What did not work?

apter 5: Training

105

Task 14

Evaluate the

training program

All training activities should include some form of evaluation. Did participants

enjoy the training program? Did they think they learned anything? What did

they like or dislike? Do their supervisors believe they obtained new skills?

Through surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and roundtable discussions

egarding the training activities, you will gather information that will help you

make improvements. Be sure to measure reactions and learning.

Reactions. Measure trainee reactions to training activities. “The more favorable

the reactions to a program, the more likely trainees are to pay attention and

learn the principles, facts and techniques discussed.”

Make the comment

sheet anonymous to encourage honest reactions and allow trainees to make

additional comments not covered by the questions.

Learning. Measure the knowledge acquired, skills improved, or attitudes

changed due to training. Build evaluation into the training by setting up

before-and-after situations in which trainees demonstrate whether they under-

stand the principles or techniques being taught. If facts are being taught, con-

duct a paper-and-pencil test.

•

Who will carry out the initial training?

•

Once trained, can staff train colleagues or new employees?

•

How often should training be repeated?

•

Who is responsible for keeping training updated?

•

Are staff members trained in what to do in situations requiring

actions beyond their routine or their level of skill?

•

How will you keep track of which staff members have learned ﬁrst

aid, know how to use emergency equipment, or know how to handle

cultural objects during an evacuation?

•

How will the training efforts be evaluated?

•

Are trustees included in the training exercises? Neighbors? Friends

of the institution? Volunteers? Other sections of the local community?

•

If there are no conservators on staff, have you talked to employees

about what immediate measures to protect the collection will be

allowed at the disaster site before a conservator arrives?

•

Is there a forum through which employees may comment and voice

their reactions during and after the training process?

Questions to Consider

Guideline

Engage the staff and volunteers

in d

iscussions and situations

in which they confront dilemmas

regarding emergency response

and emergencies in general.

Allow active participation, such

as role-playing opportunities.

Create situations in which staff can

reﬂect on the challenges and

advantages of being a part of a team.

Anticipate adversity in emergency

preparedness.

Show the connection between emergency

preparedness and participants’ jobs.

Provide instructional materials,

ongoing learning opportunities, and

performance support.

Give employees plenty of opportunities

to practice the skills they are expected

to p

erfor

m in t

e f

renzy of a crisis.

Help emplo

ees acquire new skills and

kno

wledge by creating situations in which

learning can occur within realistic contexts.

Provide feedback so trainees know

what they are doing well and where they

need to impr

Provide incentives—rewards, recognition,

or remuneration—to elicit, improve,

and maintain emergency planning efforts.

106 P

art II: For the Emergency Preparedness Manager

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Training Suggestions

Table 7 lists guidelines for emergency preparedness and response training

activities. Consider these guidelines when you plan and when you evaluate

training exercises. They will help staff members personally identify with the

emergency preparedness and response program.

Table 7 Guidelines for Training Activities

Example

“Let’s talk about hurricanes. Does anyone have a particularly powerful memory of a

hurricane? Why is it so memorable? Were you prepared for it? Did you have the

supplies and equipment you needed? Did you lose anything of value? What did you

not expect?”

“We are going to do a role-playing exercise in which we take turns playing the role of

the reporter and the spokesperson. Here is a data sheet with the facts about a

late-night ﬁre that the institution just experienced, and a fact sheet on the institution’s

emergency plan. Who would like to go ﬁrst?”

“As you go about your regular job, what obstacles do you encounter as you try to

complete tasks related to the emergency preparedness process? Do you have the time?

The resources needed? Has anyone ﬁgured out a clever way to build these tasks into

their day?”

“As you know, emergency planning is being built into each of your job descriptions.

It is a priority identiﬁed by the director. I know the idea of emergencies makes

some of you uncomfortable, but it is a reality that we need to deal with. We want to

protect lives and the collection.”

“Here is a handout that walks you through the operation of the new walkie-talkies.

ead t

hrough it ﬁrst, and then we will practice using them. The handouts will be

stored with the walkie-talkies. In the future, we will sometimes start our meetings using

alkie-talkies to communicate, just for practice.”

“Next Monday we will do our annual ﬁre-extinguisher exercise. All of you have done

this before, right? If you have not, please see me after this meeting. The rest of you,

please r

w t

e ﬁr

e-ext

inguisher operation instructions between now and the exercise.”

“John is going to walk you through our procedures for treating wet books and

tries. In our emergency drill next month, some of you will need these skills.”

“Judy, you played the role of the spokesperson very well in that exercise. You answered

Jim’s questions when you could and deferred to emergency ofﬁcials when appropriate.

ber t

t y

ou do not have to rely on memory when explaining the emergency plan.

You have a fact sheet to hand out.”

“Phil, who put t

e collec

tions team in touch with a conservator who specializes in

salvaging water-damaged books, has won the emergency preparedness employee-of-the-

month award. Congratulations!”

apter 5: Training

107

Notes

1. Getty Center, “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1997,

photocopy).

2. Wilbur Faulk, “Organizing, Preparing, Testing, and Revising an Emergency Planning Program”

(

J. Paul Getty Trust, Santa Monica, Calif., Feb. 1993, typescript).

3. Wilbur Faulk, “Are You Ready When Disaster Strikes?”

History News 48 (Jan./Feb. 1993), 9.

Used by permission of the American Association for State and Local History.

4. Adapted from interviews with the experts who advised on the compilation of this book, and

from Faulk, “Organizing, Preparing, Testing.”

5. Enrico Quarantelli,

Organizational Behavior in Disasters and Implications for Disaster Plan-

ning

, Monograph Series, vol. 1, no. 2 (Emmitsburgh, Md.: National Emergency Training

Center, 1984), 29.

6. Adapted from Vance McDougall, “Museum Security, Fire, and Safety Emergency Plans” (paper

presented at the Security Special Interest Group Emergency Planning Workshop, Canadian

Museum Association, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 25–26, 1986), 6 –7. Used by permission.

7. Getty Center, “Emergency Planning Handbook.”

8. Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith,

The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance

Organization

(New York: HarperBusiness, 1993), 119–27.

9. Donald Kirkpatrick, “Great Ideas Revisited: Techniques for Evaluating Training Programs,”

Training and Development (Jan. 1996), 54. Used by permission.

10. Ibid., 56. Used by permission.

Chapter Summary

This chapter

•

explained why training is crucial to the emergency preparedness

and response effort;

•

recommended training topics and suggested who should present

these topics and who should receive speciﬁc training;

•

provided suggestions for emergency response drills; and

•

descr

ibed mental drills and explained their importance in emergency

preparedness.

Over time, each person has recog-

nized that his or her individual

experience has had an impact on the

museum’s experience. The staff

is empowered. They have become

more conﬁdent of themselves and

their skills.

— Alissandra Cummins

Dir

tor

Barbados Museum an

Historical Society

Part III

For the Departmental

Team Leaders

CHAPTER SIX

The Safety and Security Team

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Collections Team

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Buildings and Maintenance Team

CHAPTER NINE

The Administration and Records Team

This part, which consists of chapters 6 –9, is a resource for the four departmen-

tal teams—safety and security, collections, buildings and maintenance, and

administration and records—that work with the emergency preparedness

committee to develop a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response

program. Part III is designed to help team leaders create an organizational and

procedural structure in which the process of planning, assessment, and review

of the emergency plan becomes part of the regular routine.

Each chapter that follows is to be distributed to the appropriate team.

As the teams work through their chapters, they may refer to Table 5 (chapter 2,

page 30) for a breakdown of the planning process. The questions in the test

in Table 4 (chapter 2, page 28) provide a guideline for assessing the institution’s

level of preparedness. Figure 2 (chapter 3, page 51) diagrams the organizational

structure of the program.

Although each of the following chapters is addressed to the departmental

team leader, those in support positions also must be fully familiar with the

leader’s role in the process. If your institution does not have the four speciﬁc

departments listed, the emergency preparedness committee should divide the

esponsibilities accordingly.

apters 6–9

explain t

he role of each departmental team in the emergency

preparedness and response program; explain how to assess the needs of the

program; suggest what leaders need to think about and ask to determine

appropriate prevention, preparedness, and response measures; identify the

content of the two reports each team will develop for the emergency prepared-

ness committee; and explain the role of each departmental response team

in an emergency.

Each chapter includes “Questions to Consider” to assist in the planning

process and “Suggested Exercises” to help you relate the material to your

institution.

or an o

erview of the emergency preparedness and response program,

please consult chapters 1–3. For training ideas, see chapter 5.

Overview

110 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

111

HAPTER SIX

The Safety

and

Security Team

As the institution builds an emergency plan, safety- and security-related issues

must be addressed. This chapter is designed to serve as a resource for you, the

leader of the safety and security team.

Your Role in the Process

Of all the departmental teams, safety and security has the most important

responsibility: to save lives and prevent or reduce injury. You and your team

will do this by putting into place—if not in place already—a system of rules

and practices that make the museum less vulnerable to accidents and better

equipped to respond to an emergency.

Saving the collection is not this team’s top priority, and you may have

some difﬁculty convincing other staff members of this. Remind them that by

working to make the institution safer for people, a system and structure will be

developed that makes the collection less vulnerable to theft and other threats.

The team’s job is to thoroughly evaluate the safety and security pro-

cedures currently in place, identify where the institution is vulnerable, and

oduce two reports to the emergency preparedness committee (EPC) that

summarize its ﬁndings:

Report 1 is a vulnerability and asset analysis that recommends preparedness and

protection measures; that is, what should be done to prevent the loss of human

life in the event of an emergency and to reduce damage to the security aspect

of the institution’s functions. (See pages 114–20.)

Report 2 is an outline of response procedures and techniques, including the

role of the safety and security response team during an emergency. It should

include a list of equipment and supplies needed, as well as a list of any haz-

ardous materials stored on-site. (See pages 120–37.)

112 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Two tasks are necessary to begin the process of compiling this infor-

mation and developing your team’s portion of the emergency preparedness and

response plan.

Task 1 : Assemble the preparedness team.

Task 2 : Interact with other teams and with the EPC.

Security staff regularly review the plan, pointing out the gaps and deﬁcien-

cies. They have helped us develop realistic scenarios based on their experi-

ence. They are part of a general consultative process developed to empower

all staff in their particular roles. They are of considerable importance

in determining what preventive measures should be put in place, through

their observations on the status of the buildings, equipment, and so forth.

One member also is appointed to each of the six core response teams.

— Alissandra Cummins

Director

Barbados Museum and Historical Society

You are in charge of appointing the safety and security team and of guiding

team members in gathering accurate, efﬁcient information and in organizing a

well-coordinated response to any emergency. Building a successful team means

taking risks that involve resolving conﬂict, establishing trust, and encouraging

interdependence. Refer to chapter 5 on training for information on assembling

and building effective teams.

Select team members on the basis of three categories of skills: tech-

nical and functional, problem solving, and interpersonal. All efforts at team

building should focus on the process and on accomplishing the intended tasks.

Communication skills are important, as your team will be interacting with nearly

every department in the institution. Involve other members of the department

in the planning process so they will more readily support the recommended

ges in p

olicy and procedures. Identifying and appointing “true believers”

in emergency preparedness will help generate enthusiasm and create the

proper atmosphere. Include “nonbelievers” as well, to forge a well-balanced,

coh

esi

e unit that enables all members to do the best they can.

As part of the recommendations in Report 2, you and your team

will describe the roles and responsibilities of the safety and security response

team, whi

ch m

ay or may not include all members of the preparedness team.

This team, along with a team from each of the other three departments, will

respond in an actual emergency situation.

Task 1

Assemble the

preparedness team

Suggested

Exercise

To get team members thinking

about how familiar they are with

their surroundings, blindfold

them and take them to any part

of the institution. Tell them there

has been an earthquake or a hur-

ricane, the power is out, and they

cannot see and cannot use the

elevators (or a similar scenario).

Remove the blindfolds. Rope or

block off a stairwell or door

beforehand so they will have to

ﬁgure out an alternate escape

route. In addition, one person has

an injured leg and will need to

be car

ried out. After the exercise,

hold a debr

eﬁn

g sessi

on.

Supp

t an

d r

eassur

e t

hose who

were shaken by the experience.

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

113

To produce the two reports for the EPC, you and your team must work closely

with the three other departmental teams in certain areas, as indicated below.

Collections

•

Set

ting guidelines for relocating or evacuating objects

•

Identifying emergency shelters

Buildings and maintenance

•

Establishing evacuation routes for people

•

Establishing evacuation routes for collections

•

Determining preventive building maintenance

•

Identifying and preparing emergency shelters

•

Housekeeping in collaboration with the collections team

Administration and records

•

Setting guidelines for relocation or evacuation

•

Resolving administrative and legal issues regarding relocating and

evacuating people and property

•

Documenting activities

In collaborating with other teams, work through the EPC to set up meetings

between your team and the others. This hierarchical method helps avoid terri-

torial disputes that can occur during the process. It becomes a top-down

mandate rather than a lateral agreement. You may want to include a member

from the EPC during these meetings.

When needed, include a member of the other departmental teams,

as applicable. This works well as long as the team is discussing matters that

pertain to this person’s area of expertise. If discussions cover areas speciﬁc

only to safety and security, it can be a waste of time for the person from the

other team.

This collaboration is required for the overall success of the emergency

preparedness and response program and may require a shift in attitudes

on the part of colleagues. According to

A Manual of Basic Museum Security:

Too often the importance of the guard in the total scheme of the

museum has been overlooked, and no effort to train guards or to

upgrade their quality and status is undertaken. Guards have been

recruited from the ranks of the unskilled, unemployed, and retired;

or the museum simply contracts with the security agency. In both

cases, the guards are often poorly paid and they have enjoyed little

esteem and few opportunities for career advancement.

The emergency preparedness and response process and program are likely

to give security ofﬁcers a higher proﬁle, in terms both of image and responsi-

bilities. Administrators often discover during emergency drills that security

ﬁcers kno

w the institution better than anyone else does. The security staff

Task 2

Interact with other

teams and with

the EPC

114 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

is also the front line of defense against many emergencies, since security

ofﬁcers regularly inspect windows, doors, skylights, and other openings; look

for leakages in roofs and windows; identify ﬁre hazards; and secure locks.

The most common emergencies—ﬁre and water pipe breaks—usually occur

en only security ofﬁcers are present at the institution.

The role of security ofﬁcers at the Barbados Museum and Historical

Society expanded as a result of emergency planning. “This is particularly the

case when the plan was revised and, for the ﬁrst time, we developed alternate

plans for off-hour periods at the museum, with only one security ofﬁcer in

place,” says Alissandra Cummins. “Security staff have received further train-

ing in making a judgment and taking the initiative.”

As the emergency program develops, the value of a trained, efﬁcient

security force will become clear to everyone involved. This realization helps

break down any existing hierarchical barriers.

Preparing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

How vulnerable is your institution—its staff and its collection—to ﬁre, theft,

ﬂood, or any other emergency or hazard? The safety and security team’s job is

to work with the emergency preparedness manager (EPM) and the EPC to

assess this aspect.

The accuracy and thoroughness of the assessment will greatly affect the

success of the institution’s efforts to protect people and to prevent or minimize

damage to the collection. Some examples of potential vulnerabilities are listed

below. You and your department colleagues already may be aware of some of

these weaknesses; others may become apparent only in the analysis process. All

of them, however, ultimately affect the institution’s preparedness and response

capabilities.

•

Security personnel do not have a list outlining the chain of command

if a problem arises.

•

Secur

ity staff do not know ﬁrst aid or CPR, or where ﬁrst-aid kits are

stored.

•

First-aid kits are not regularly restocked.

•

Staff members do not have identiﬁcation cards, so law enforcement

may not allow them onto the property during a crisis.

•

There is no log-in system that could easily identify who was in a

particular building when a ﬁre broke out.

•

Few staff members know how to use ﬁre extinguishers.

•

Master keys may be inaccessible if only the security chief has the

combination to the safe.

The following tasks will lead you and your team through the process of infor-

ion gathering in order to prepare Report 1:

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

115

Task 1 : Conduct a security survey.

ask 2:

aluate the security force.

Task 3 : Evaluate the inventory systems.

Task 4 : Evaluate the monitoring of people.

Task 5 : Evaluate equipment needs.

Task 6 : Invite local agencies and individuals to participate.

Task 7 : Recommend security-related protective measures.

Task 1

Conduct

a security survey

The ﬁrst task is to survey the current safety and security system and evaluate

its efﬁciency. Encourage the team to look at the institution with a fresh eye

to jump-start their imagination in this search for vulnerabilities. Before you

begin, review with your team the hazard assessment prepared by the EPC,

which ranks the likely and/or potential risks to the institution. With these in

mind, the team’s job is to assess systematically the risk of speciﬁc types of

damage to safety and security. For example, if the EPC identiﬁes a signiﬁcant

risk of earthquake, you must assess what effect a quake might have on staff

and visitors and on the institution as a whole.

The following issues, excerpted from

A Manual of Basic Museum

Security, should be considered when determining security priorities and

vulnerabilities:

Building

•

Size of the institution

•

Type of facility—museum, archaeological site, and so on

•

Number of visitors and visitor ﬂow experience

•

Available alarm protection

•

Envir

onmental conditions and monitoring controls

•

Lighting

•

Number of public entrances

•

Exterior and interior wall openings: entrances, exits, and windows

Stafﬁng

•

Need for nighttime stafﬁng

Collection

•

Public image of objects on exhibit

•

Type of collection and threats to the collection

•

Size, location, support, and shape of objects on exhibit

•

Ownership of objects

•

Value (intrinsic, administrative, and research)

•

Display techniques used

•

Location in the museum

•

Construction and design of the exhibit area: ﬁre, safety, and

ability to patrol

•

Construction security of display cases

116 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Task 2

Evaluate the

security force

For ﬁnancial reasons, the institution may not be able to have twenty-four-hour

protection of the collection or an elaborate electronic system of alarms and

detec

tors. This is probably a mistake. Not only is the institution more vulnerable

to theft when no one is present, but should a ﬁre break out in a storage room,

how far would it spread before someone notices and activates a response?

Many institutions organize the security force around “states of security.”

The following states have been excerpted from Burke and Adeloye:

State 1: The museum or site is closed to public and staff. . . . In this

state there is minimal use of staff and the greatest use of alarm sys-

tems and physical security.

State 2: The museum is closed to the public, but staff is at work. . . .

Moderate to no use of security personnel is combined with moderate

use of alarm systems. Staff screens all entry and maintains an entry

and departure register.

State 3: The museum is opened to the public while staff is at work. . . .

In this state there must be a higher staff awareness in nonpublic areas,

a maximum use of security personnel in public areas, and moderate

use o

f alar

m s

tems, primarily for the protection of exhibits.

te 4:

e museum is op

ened to the public but staff is not work-

. Dur

g t

hese hours, the museum’s security program relies

most heavily on the staff or security personnel and its alarm system

d access con

rol systems to protect nonpublic areas.

If a contract security force is used, you may want to talk to the EPC about rene-

got

ting the contract. The portion of the contract that deﬁnes acceptable stan-

ds o

f p

erfor

ance of security ofﬁcers can be adjusted to include emergency

preparedness, mitigation, and response duties. You may also wish to discuss

ging the security staff onto the regular payroll.

Som

e ins

tut

ons do not have sufﬁcient resources to pay for the secu-

rity force’s expanded role, but the value of bringing security in-house may

comp

el seni

or administrators to locate the funds. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial

Museum in W

ashin

gton, D.C., is a case in p

oin

e museum’

s pr

otec

tion

Administration

•

Exhibition hours and schedule of operations

•

Insurance coverage of objects

•

Crime experience and exposure in the museum (from a crime and

cident analysis)

•

Funds available for protection, training, and additional staff or

consultants

•

Police and ﬁre response reliability, response time, and support

on arrival

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

117

services administrators wanted to replace contract security ofﬁcers with federal

employees because they believed the latter would “demonstrate greater initiative

in moni

toring security systems, recommending changes, and improving opera-

tions.” Senior management supported the idea and downsized in other areas

in order to hire ten full-time ofﬁcers.

•

How many security ofﬁcers are assigned at various posts?

•

Is there a backup force in the event of an emergency?

•

Do security ofﬁcers receive training in how to recognize damage to

objects on display? Are they trained in the art of observation?

•

Do supervising ofﬁcers receive any special emergency response

training?

•

Do ofﬁcers feel they have an important role in protecting visitors and

staff and in protecting and preserving the collections?

Questions to Consider

As you conduct the security survey, you will need to work with the collections

team and the administration and records team to review the institution’s inven-

tory systems. For instance, do the identifying marks contain a number or code,

and are the marks resistant to deletion or alteration so that they can be used to

identify a stolen object?

Important categories of information are identiﬁed in

Protecting Cultural

Objects in the Global Information Society:

•

photograph

•

Object ID

number

•

type of object

•

object name

•

title

•

materials and techniques

•

measurements

•

inscriptions and markings

•

distinguishing features

•

subject

•

date or period

•

maker

•

description

Task 3

Evaluate the

inventory systems

118 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Task 4

Evaluate the

monitoring of people

If an earthquake struck right now, would you know who is in the exhibit gal-

leries, ofﬁces, and laboratories and could be at risk? Whether they are staff

members or visitors, the people who travel through the institution’s doorways

are your responsibility once crisis strikes. A system should be in place to moni-

tor who is in the buildings at all times. This system can be as simple as a log or

a visitor count, but it must be maintained.

In addition, evaluate screening procedures for staff and volunteers. Are

staff and volunteers ﬁngerprinted? Is ﬁngerprinting necessary? Are security

screening devices needed for sensitive areas?

•

Are employee ID cards clearly visible and checked regularly by

security ofﬁcers?

•

Who has keys to the buildings? Are they taken home? What is the

procedure if keys are lost or missing?

•

Are temporary and unsalaried personnel supervised during

working hours?

•

Do the buildings have different entrances and exits for staff,

contractors, personnel, and visitors?

•

Are security ofﬁcers stationed at all staff exits to check contents

of briefcases, parcels, and so forth?

•

Is access to d

t areas of the institution controlled or restricted

based on the nature of the collections therein?

•

Are visitors in nonpublic areas registered in and out, and do they

wear temporary badges or other means of identiﬁcation?

Questions to Consider

Although these categories are intended for the collections, they can be used as

a guide for the inventory of furnishings and other assets. For a detailed list of

inventory considerations, refer to the Museum Security Survey.

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

119

•

If t

e ins

tution has a public announcement system, is it sufﬁciently

audible in all rooms? If not, how will you communicate emergency

d evacuation information to everyone in the building?

•

Does t

he sprinkler system have an automatic cutoff after a ﬁre

is ext

guish

ed?

•

Is t

e detec

ion/alarm/extinguishing system appropriate to the

objec

ts an

d t

e ar

ea co

ed in each case?

•

t kin

d o

f exter

or alar

m is in op

eration?

•

e alar

m but

tons loca

ted near en

ances?

•

e t

e r

ecor

ders connec

ted to telephones to r

ecord bomb threats

and extortion messages?

Questions to Consider

You cannot ask for additional security equipment such as walkie-talkies

or ﬁr

e extinguishers unless you have a realistic idea of what the department has.

Determine what the institution has on hand now. Based on the budget, and

given the particular risks associated with the institution’s location, what equip-

ment is needed most? The following are security-related types of equipment:

•

communications system

•

detectors, alarms, and sensors (to monitor heat, smoke, water,

and the entry to the institution or museum)

•

ﬁre detection systems

•

ﬁre extinguishers

•

ﬁre suppression systems

•

people-monitoring system

•

closed-circuit television cameras

•

defense equipment and ﬁrearms

•

emergency power supply

Task 5

Evaluate

equipment needs

Suggested

Exercise

Describe the following scenario

to your team members: Weather

forecasters say a storm is headed

toward an area that includes

your institution, bringing with it

gale-force winds and heavy

rainfall. The storm is expected to

hit tomorrow night. What is the

security force’s role during

emergency preparations? Should

you close the museum? When?

Who will check and stock

supplies? If power fails, will the

alarm system or telephones work?

Will any objects be at risk if the

temperature control devices fail?

What else should be considered?

120 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Protective measures are steps taken to reduce or eliminate hazards that

threaten people or the collections. They may be as simple as posting a chain-

of-command telephone list near telephones throughout the museum or as

complicated as installing an automatic ﬁre detection or suppression system.

Protection is a long process and one that never ends. Remind team

members from time to time that it is a priority. You also may need to remind

museum administrators of their commitment to emergency preparedness if you

ﬁnd yourself lobbying for funding to purchase a more costly protection device.

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedures and Techniques

In Report 2, you and your team will detail safety and security procedures

d techniques for r

esponding to any type of emergency. Instructions must

be included for ensuring the safety of people and objects. This includes

how to activate the chain of command, handle emergency equipment, and

eloca

te people and/or collections. The report must include lists of items, such

as emergency supplies and equipment available, on-site as well as off-site. Job

descriptions for the safety and security response team must also be provided.

here are plenty of emergency plan templates from other institutions

to h

elp y

ou get s

ted, but you must not simply copy sections from someone

else’s plan. It is not the written plan that prepares a museum for an emergency,

but t

ocess

f planning. The fact that you and your team are grappling

h t

ese issues no

w, in the comfort of a conference room, means you will be

better prepared to respond to a crisis.

he following tasks will help you contribute to an emergency response

plan t

t is simple, det

ailed, and ﬂexible:

Task 7

Recommend

security-related

protective measures

Task 6

Invite local agencies

and individuals

to participate

Staff members immersed in the emergency planning process often make the

mistake of overlooking local or regional services and resources. Fire depart-

ments, for example, can provide beneﬁcial information and sound advice. The

information ﬂow works both ways: You learn from ﬁre ofﬁcials, who in turn

lear

n about your institution and its special needs. Consider also inviting any or

all of the following agencies or services, either to make presentations to the

team or to walk through the institution. Coordinate your presentations with the

EPC, other teams, or all staff, since everyone may beneﬁt.

•

police

•

military (can be problematic in some countries)

•

local chapter of the U.S. National Guard

•

staff members or former staff members from institutions that have

experienced an emergency situation or the preparedness process

•

staff of state or national government emergency agencies

•

Red Cross search and rescue

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

121

Task 1 : Identify potential temporary bases of operations.

ask 2:

Iden

tify potential safe rooms and/or outside shelters.

Task 3 : Determine emergency evacuation routes.

Task 4 : Develop the safety and security response team.

Task 5 : Develop emergency procedures.

Task 6 : Detail recovery procedures.

Task 7 : Create lists of staff and resource contact information.

Task 8 : Create fact sheets and maps.

Task 9 : Stock emergency supplies and equipment.

Task 10 : Establish routines to keep the plan viable.

Task 11 : Identify and implement appropriate training.

In preparing your report, you and your team will have to address a number of

important issues. Some will be general to all the departmental team reports;

others will be speciﬁcally on safety and security issues. The following questions

will help you address some issues and prompt you to identify others.

•

Who decides when the emergency procedures should be put in place?

The director? The emergency response coordinator (ERC)? The chief

of security? What is the line of succession?

•

How will the command system work if the emergency happens

on a weekend or after hours (as emergencies have a tendency to do)?

•

How will the contact system work if telephone lines are down?

alki

e-t

alki

es? Bi

cycles? Cellular phones? Beep

ers?

•

ill t

e ch

ain o

f comm

and ﬁt into, and take into account, those from

emergency agencies such as the civil defense or the ﬁre department,

whi

ch will o

verride the institution’s procedures?

•

Who will be in ch

arge of keeping your part of the plan current?

ber

, p

eople change jobs, telephone numbers change, new

equipment is purchased and old equipment is discarded, companies

go out o

f business, and agency responsibilities change.)

•

o whom does your team report during an emergency?

•

Who will coordinate with emergency organizations, such as the

.S. F

eder

al Em

ergency Management Agency (FEMA), and with the

insurance company?

Questions to Consider

122 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Task 1

Identify potential

temporary bases

of operations

During an emergency, a central base of operations, or emergency command

center, must be established, from which the response and recovery teams

can operate following an evacuation. The location of this command post varies

depending on the nature of the disaster; a hurricane requires a different loca-

ion than an earthquake does. In some cases, it may be the security ofﬁce. In

others, the command post could be set up on or near the property.

When identifying potential sites for the command center, consider the

various threats facing the institution. If ﬂood is a potential hazard, make sure

the post is on the highest point in the surrounding area. If wildﬁres are a pos-

sibility, make sure heavy brush and trees do not surround the command post.

Work with the ERC and leaders of other departmental teams to identify

criteria for the base of operations. Once established, the command post should

be manned by the ERC and leaders of the departmental response teams. You may

want to consider limiting access to the command post to minimize interference

to critical decision making.

In general, command post locations should be based on

•

access to relevant emergency information and communication (on and

off the property) and communication equipment that will assist those

handling command operations;

•

location with minimal safety risk;

•

central location for easy access of staff and easy access to emergency

equipment; and

•

location near a road to allow for ready access by a radio-equipped

vehicle for use if other systems fail or extra communication facilities

are needed.

•

Is the security ofﬁce owned and operated by institution personnel?

•

Are the walls of the security ofﬁce of solid construction?

•

What is needed to set up an outdoor base of operations? In what

cases would this be advisable?

Questions to Consider

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

123

In some emergencies, safe rooms and/or outside shelters will be needed to

house staff members, visitors, and the collection. As with the temporary

emergency command center, the ideal shelter location will vary depending on

the type of threat. Work with the buildings and maintenance team to identify

d evaluate potential sites. Consult with the collections team to determine

shelter needs for objects. Solicit the administration and records team’s input in

identifying shelter needs for equipment and documents, and in considering

the legal issues involved in moving people and property.

The following recommendations for emergency shelters have been been

adapted from

Steal This Handbook!

with input from advisers to this book:

Size. Ensure that the shelter is large enough to ﬁt the maximum number of

staff and visitors likely to be at the institution at any one time. Allow 5–6

square feet (0.47– 0.56 square meters) per adult and 3 square feet (0.28 square

meters) per child. It also should be large enough to accommodate emergency

supplies and priority objects.

Accessibility. Take into account the route necessary to reach the shelter and the

size of the openings through which objects must pass.

Security. The shelter must offer the highest level of security. This means a min-

imum number of openings so the shelter can be sealed and access controlled

completely.

Physical safety. The shelter should be isolated from the exterior by adjacent

rooms or corridors. Walls and ceilings should be free of plumbing, pipes, and

so forth.

Environmental stability. Make sure the shelter is environmentally stable. Add

materials such as carpets and curtains to buffer the relative humidity, and have

humidiﬁers or dehumidiﬁers on hand.

Lighting. Make sure adequate lighting is provided. There should be no windows

or skylights if the institution is in a seismic area or subject to tornados, to avoid

he danger of broken glass.

An ideal shelter should not have any of the following:

•

exterior walls that are likely to be partially or completely destroyed

•

roofs with windward edges (usually south and west), long spans,

overhangs, or load-bearing wall supports

•

corridors and ends of corridors that have exit doors facing directly

to the outside

•

spaces with windows facing the direction from which a storm or

hurricane is likely to approach

•

interior locations containing glass (display cases, glass doors, skylights)

Task 2

Identify potential

safe rooms

and/or outside shelters

124 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

•

From which direction do potential natural hazards (e.g., hurricanes,

win

dstorms, brush ﬁres, ﬂash ﬂoods, volcanic ash) come in your

institution’s area?

•

How does the local emergency management agency’s plan for

placement of civil shelters affect your plan?

•

In a general-area emergency, the institution itself may become

a shelter. How will you protect the collections in such a situation?

•

Does anyone other than the maintenance staff know where the

toilet paper, plastic bags, and disinfectant are?

Questions to Consider

Work with the buildings and maintenance team to determine evacuation routes

for emergency situations. The evacuation plan should include

•

two separate means of exit from each ﬂoor, including basements;

•

an exit plan for every location in each building;

•

routes that provide speedy exit, simplicity, access (including disability

access), and safety (lighting, no possible obstructions);

•

designation of a safe area where people can gather once they are

evacuated;

•

a procedure for what to do with staff and visitors once they are gath-

ered in the safe area, bearing in mind that considerable time may

pass before reentry is possible or, potentially, proves to be no longer

possible at all;

•

a system that veriﬁes whether everyone has evacuated the building

and reached the designated safe area;

•

maps showing evacuation routes and exits posted in all public and

taff areas on each ﬂoor;

•

ﬁrst-aid kits, ﬂashlights, ﬁre extinguishers, keys to shelter/supply

sites, and a copy of the emergency plan handbook and staff emergency

procedures posted by every exit; and

•

wheelchairs at a variety of locations.

In planning an evacuation, keep the following in mind:

•

People are the ﬁrst priority. Special care and consideration should be

made for the well-being of staff during and following response activities.

•

Some natural emergencies allow time for the implementation of stages

of response activities. There may be two days’ warning for hurricanes

d ﬂoods, but onl

y a f

ew hours for tornadoes and brushﬁres and no

warning at all for earthquakes.

Task 3

Determine emergency

evacuation routes

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

125

•

Are emergency exits equipped with emergency lighting?

•

Are stairwells adequately lighted?

•

Are all ramps and stairways equipped with guard rails?

•

Are ﬁrst-aid kits well stocked and in appropriate places?

•

Do elevators return to the ground ﬂoor when the alarm is activated?

•

Where are the “safe areas” or “areas of refuge” for disabled staff

and visitors who are unable to use the stairs?

Questions to Consider

•

rovide staff members with badges so they can be identiﬁed quickly

by police or ﬁre department ofﬁcials.

See appendix C for sample evacuation plans from the Getty Center and the

Barbados Museum and Historical Society.

The security staff, in the case of ﬁre or earthquake, has to take the public

out of the building. The guards also have a list of the twenty most impor-

tant objects in the museum. In the case of a bomb threat, they call in the

special police. Also, every afternoon they check the exhibits and bathrooms

for bombs after we close the museum.

— Johanna Maria Theile Bruhns

Coor

inator, restoration program

acul

ad de Ar

te, Universidad de Chile, Santiago

Task 4

Develop the safety and

security response team

Compile a list of necessary actions

e r

ole o

f t

e sa

fety and security team will vary depending on the institution

and the emergency. One team member probably will need to

•

ake dec

isi

ons to r

eloca

te or e

acuate people and objects, if necessary

(the collections response team must be consulted, but the safety and

secur

y team must know when they may take action in regard to the

collec

—

for example, a

t night, if no collections staff are present);

•

activate the chain of command;

•

con

act emergency organizations;

•

ten

d to injur

es;

Step 1

126 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

•

restrict movement of nonemergency personnel; and

•

secure the buildings and grounds.

The Getty Center’s safety and security team has the following responsibilities

during an emergency:

•

Establish priorities for staff and visitor safety and physical security.

•

Oversee the safety and welfare of all people on the site, the secu-

rity of the site and buildings, emergency communications, and the

allocation and distribution of all emergency equipment, supplies,

and transportation.

•

Conduct search-and-rescue operations, direct ﬁrst-aid teams, and coor-

inate food, shelter, and sanitation.

•

Allocate and deliver all emergency supplies, equipment, and vehicles

during emergency operations, and distribute communications tools

(cellular phones, radios, walkie-talkies).

•

Ensure effective operation of all technical security, ﬁre, and emergency

communication systems; oversee notiﬁcation of evacuation and reloca-

tion of building occupants (Fig. 5).

At the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, museum security ofﬁcers are

expected to contact management if an emergency threatens or occurs. The

safety and security team oversees evacuations of staff and visitors. A disaster

team, which includes the director, the curators, the administrator, a special

events manager, a structural engineer, and an architect, takes over after an

ergency. Members of the disaster team enter the buildings to ascertain the

physical condition of the buildings and the collections. Disaster team members

determine if and how the recovery team begins its work.

Figure 5 Security ofﬁcers setting up an emergency shelter and supplies during an evacuation drill at

the Getty Center. Photo: Valerie Dorge.

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

127

At the Mystic Seaport Museum, every department, including security,

undertakes a series of procedures as a storm approaches. Forty-eight hours

before a storm is due, security personnel meet with the chief protection ofﬁcer

to review plans, adjust schedules, and implement storm watch procedures.

hirty-six hours before the storm, security personnel prepare emergency sup-

plies for movement from storage to the central control station. At eighteen

hours, security personnel clear the museum and parking lot of visitors, transfer

emergency supplies to the central control station, and assume posts at the

property gates, at a ﬁrst-aid station, at the central control station, and in patrol

vehicles. Just before the storm hits, security personnel return to the central

control station and remain there until authorized to return to their posts.

Suggested

Exercise

Propose the following scenario

to team members: It’s a hot

summer night. At 7 P. M. , a

passerby tells the security ofﬁcer

that he believes he saw smoke

coming from the attic window of

the main building. A group,

mostly senior citizens, is meeting

in that building.

List the steps that must be taken

over the next twenty-four hours

to save those in the building, put

out the fire, and protect and sal-

vage objects. Who does what?

If a key person is not around, who

takes his or her place?

Develop response team job descriptions

We have paid much more attention to the ability of security staff to commu-

nicate clearly and effectively, whether in written or verbal form. Meticulous

observation and reporting are crucial. One senior security ofﬁcer now joins

the management staff in interviewing and evaluating new ofﬁcers.

— Alissandra Cummins

Director

Barbados Museum and Historical Society

Now that the necessary actions have been designated, they must be assigned to

team member positions. Give each job a title that accurately reﬂects the chief

function of the job. For instance, you may want to assign team leaders to

certain areas or functions, such as conducting the evacuation, setting up the

command center, or administering ﬁrst aid. Next, list that position’s duties

and responsibilities. Pay particular attention to the types and number of duties.

Match similar duties (e.g., leadership duties, assistance duties, and physical

duties) so that one person is not expected to fulﬁll completely different tasks.

Following that, list the staff position assigned to the role, along with at

leas

t tw

o al

ternates in a line of succession. The number of alternates you des-

ignate depends on how important certain skills are to the position. The admin-

istration and records team, which is experienced in writing job descriptions as

t of its human resources function, can coordinate the writing of job descrip-

tions in each of the four departmental response teams.

The response team job description for responsibility in safety and wel-

e of employees and visitors (appendix D) is from the Seattle Art Museum’s

Emergency Planning Handbook.

Note that in addition to simple and clear

responsibilities, the description also designates which staff position should

ulﬁll t

he role. If the person in that position is unavailable, the ﬁrst alternate

takes on these responsibilities. The description also states whom this team

member reports to and provides a checklist of actions expected of the position.

In shor

t, nearly anyone could ﬁll the position if necessary.

Step 2

128 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

•

Who is responsible for summoning help? What is the best way to

reach local authorities if the phones are not working?

•

Who will have the authority to allow staff back into the buildings?

•

Who documents all signiﬁcant activities and events?

•

Who announces the location of the emergency command center?

•

Who calls in off-duty security personnel, if necessary?

•

Who coordinates the deployment of arriving staff, ensuring that all

needs are met according to priority?

•

Who patrols the perimeter to prevent trespassing, theft, and looting?

Use the buddy system here, particularly at night.

Questions to Consider

Commi

tting to paper the responsibilities of each position helps to

deﬁne roles. In addition to familiarizing the persons in the primary and backup

positions with their role and that of colleagues, putting it in writing makes

it easier for an alternate to run down the “checklist” of work to be carried out.

This will help keep the emergency recovery on track.

What should a receptionist do if he or she receives a bomb threat? What should

a security ofﬁcer do immediately following an earthquake? What should a

maintenance worker do if he or she detects a suspicious odor? These are the

types of questions that should be answered in a staff emergency procedures

handout, which your team will submit to the EPC as part of Report 2. The

handout should

•

give prominent placement to the telephone numbers for security staff;

•

include the operating hours of the security ofﬁce;

•

include a telephone number to call if security is unreachable;

•

descr

ibe available emergency supplies;

•

explain how long emergency generators will operate;

•

describe locations of ﬁrst-aid kits;

•

give step-by-step instructions on what to do in the event of any likely

emergencies (including medical emergencies; ﬂooding and water dam-

age; power outage; suspicious behavior and personal safety; chemical

spills, gas leaks, and suspicious odors; earthquakes; ﬁre; telephone

mail threats; suspicious objects; explosion; civil disturbance; and

elevator entrapment; and

•

describe employee evacuation procedures.

The staff emergency procedures handout should be concise, should address

all relevant emergencies, and should be printed in bright, readily identiﬁable

colors so i

t can be qui

ckl

y found in a crisis. Give all employees a copy and have

Task 5

Develop emergency

procedures

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

129

Recovery measures occur after an event has happened. They are designed

to enable the museum—and its collection—to return to normalcy in

an orderly, phased, reasoned and methodical fashion. Recovery measures

begin when the disaster situation has stabilized and professionals have

evaluated the damage and suggested further, long-term actions. Recovery

can be a long process, taking years in some cases.

— John E. Hunter

Supervisory staff curator

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Task 6

Detail recovery

procedures

Consider damage assessment issues

Working with the three other departmental preparedness teams, you and your

team will build damage assessment procedures into the response plan. Deter-

mine what role safety and security will play in the damage assessment process.

Once an area of the institution has been identiﬁed as a hazard, how will it be

marked? In what cases will a security ofﬁcer be posted at a hazard site?

Documentation of physical damage is critical not only for salvage and

conservation of historic buildings, but also for insurance claim purposes.

Claim forms and documentation equipment, such as still cameras or video

cameras, should be safely stored and easily accessible. If visual documentation

equipment is unavailable, do the documentation in writing.

Step 1

them sign a checklist indicating that they have read it. Remind them that they

should read the handout on a regular basis and update it whenever necessary.

Determine recovery procedures

ou and your team should coordinate efforts with the three other teams to

identify recovery procedures that move the museum from a state of emergency

into the state of normal operations. In the aftermath of an emergency, these

ecovery procedures can be used as a guide in developing a recovery plan.

Secur

ty-related recovery procedures include the following:

•

Secur

e t

he building and grounds with extra security, if necessary.

•

ork wi

h t

e build

ings and maintenance team to ensure a safe work

envir

onm

t for s

f an

d v

olun

teers.

•

ork wi

th the collections team to secure the collection.

•

Help de

elop an

d implem

t t

he recovery plan.

Step 2

130 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Address issues of mental and physical well-being

We recognize that many of you will want to go home as quickly as possible

following an emergency. We understand and support that desire. If you

do leave the property, please proceed carefully. If you ﬁnd you are unable to

get to your destination, we welcome you to return to the Getty Center.

— The Getty Center

“Emergency Planning Handbook”

The above statement reﬂects the conﬂict staff members will have in the event

of an emergency—such as ﬂood, forest ﬁre, or major seismic activity—that

threatens their families and homes as well as the institution. If the disaster

occurs while they are at work, their ﬁrst concern will be for their families and

homes; if they are at home, no matter how committed those employees are

to their institution, they will be hesitant to leave until they are conﬁdent that

everything is under control at home.

If the emergency takes place during work hours, the ERC and response

team leaders must put the well-being of staff ﬁrst during response, salvage,

and recovery operations. Jerry Podany, head of antiquities conservation at the

J. Paul Getty Museum, recalls how workers assisting in recovery efforts after

an earthquake in Japan were highly organized and worked at a high energy level

for extended hours. In the end their extreme fatigue negatively affected their

work. As team leader, be sure to schedule regular breaks, as well as provide food,

a place to eat and rest, and bathroom facilities.

“You have to respond in a reasonable way and work that into the plan,”

Podany says. “If you do not have a plan in place, you respond emotionally.”

In Japan, Podany witnessed one recovery group patching one painting amid a

rubble of pottery shards. “I thought it was silly to patch a painting when

there was so much devastation around them,” he recalls. “But it made a huge

difference to that group. It really energized them.”

Step 3

Require frank after-action reports

Every encounter with a disaster or an emergency is an opportunity for learning.

t is t

e purp

ose of after-action reports that detail the actions taken

and the results observed. First, it is important to emphasize and praise what

t right, then examine problems encountered or mistakes made. Do

not allo

w t

ese r

ts to be after-the-fact justiﬁcations and defenses of what

e r

esp

onse team d

d; t

y mus

t be candid assessments of what occurred—

oblems an

d all.

Step 4

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

131

Indicate to team members your desire to learn from mistakes, not to

punish people for them. Encourage an atmosphere of honest self-assessment,

starting with yourself. What could you have done differently? What would have

worked better? How could you improve your response next time? What did you

lear

n that could be applied to the next emergency?

Task 7

Create lists of staff

and resource contact

information

Once you have the list, do not rest on your laurels, thinking, Well, we have

a list so we’re done! Lists go out of date quickly, so it is important to update

them at least once a year.

— Gail Joice

Senior deputy director and registrar

Seattle Art Museum

Furnish the EPC with the names of all staff members, along with their work

and home telephone numbers and home addresses. This information makes

it easier to notify staff during an emergency, and the institution also can check

whether staff members are OK if they have not reported to work following a

large-scale emergency. Develop other means of contact in the event of a wide-

spread emergency in which the telephone system may not be functioning. Make

sure employees have contact numbers for out-of-state family members in the

event that all local telephone services are jammed. Make a list of special skills

available from among the staff; for example, is someone a former nurse, search-

and-rescue team member, or National Guard member? It is also important to

establish relations with individuals and organizations that the team might

have contact with during an emergency. With help from the other departmental

preparedness teams, produce lists with names, telephone and fax numbers,

street and e-mail addresses, and contact persons.

Update all lists and check the contacts regularly. Are the listed com-

panies still in business? Are the contact persons still at the company? Have

phone numbers or e-mail addresses changed? Use signiﬁcant dates to help

ou r

emember to update the contact lists. For example, if the institution is

in an earthquake-prone area in the United States, do the updating on April 1

(April is National Earthquake Preparedness Month).

Her

e are some external resources you may wish to include:

•

sources o

f additional security ofﬁcers

•

health and water-testing authorities

•

doctors and hospitals

•

ental health advisers

•

emergency equipment rental resources

•

sources for supplies and materials (include name of staff person

authorized to purchase)

132 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

•

ve you posted a list of emergency numbers in strategic places in

the buildings for staff emergency reference?

•

Who is r

esponsible for updating the lists?

•

Does the central security control station have the list permanently

posted for immediate response?

•

Is there a copy of the list outside the buildings for use after an

evacuation?

Questions to Consider

The safety and security team is responsible for developing the following

fact sheets:

•

a ﬂow chart of chain of command in emergencies

•

operating instructions for emergency equipment, such as generators,

radios, walkie-talkies

•

step-by-step instructions for turning off valves for gas, electricity,

water, and so forth

•

basic ﬁrst-aid recommendations

The safety and security team also is responsible for creating maps that identify

emergency exits, describe evacuation routes, and alert staff members to where

hey can ﬁnd the following:

•

ergency shelter, supplies, and ﬁrst-aid locations

•

emergency equipment, such as extinguishers

•

communications devices

•

keys to such areas as supplies and storage

Task 8

Create fact sheets

and maps

Task 9

Stock emergency

supplies and

equipment

Emergency supplies should be stored in two locations: inside the institution,

in case it becomes a shelter itself, and outside the institution, for situations

that require evacuation or if the building is not occupied when the emergency

occurs. Large quantities of expensive items or perishable materials need not be

stockpiled. Instead, identify suppliers and make arrangements for emergency

delivery as needed.

Security personnel often are responsible for checking and replenishing

emergency supplies. Keep lists readily available, and make sure all staff

members know where the supply caches are and who has access, including keys.

Emergency supplies should include the following:

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

133

•

ater (three days’ supply: one gallon [4.5 liters] per person per day,

as recommended by the American Red Cross)

•

food

•

blankets

•

ﬁrst-aid kits

•

battery-powered radio and/or walkie-talkies

•

ﬂashlights

•

spares of each type of battery

•

sanitary supplies

Other supplies:

•

cash and/or traveler’s checks to purchase supplies not on hand

•

camera, ﬂash unit, batteries, and rolls of ﬁlm

•

suitable clothing—hard hats, gloves, eye protection, ﬁre-retardant

overalls

•

carts and dollies

•

boxes, buckets, and other containers for carrying smaller objects

•

waterproof labels, tape, and pencils

•

emergency generator and fuel (operate only in proper ventilation)

•

ﬁre extinguishers

•

breathing equipment, such as respirators and dust masks

•

small backpacks or carrying bags for tools and supplies needed for the

initial response

Note: Candles are not recommended because of their potential for causing ﬁre

and/or an explosion if there are any gas leaks. Other supplies should be based

on the types of potential emergency situations identiﬁed in the risk assess-

ment. For example, if the institution is in a ﬂoodplain, clothing such as rubber

boots and raincoats, as well as plastic sheeting and bags of sand, should be

kept on hand. For ﬁre, store buckets, shovels, rakes, and hoes.

See appendix E for a list of supplies and equipment needed for a

mobile/portable ﬁrst-aid box, an emergency response cart, and a disaster

supply box.

Suggested

Exercise

Dur

g a m

eet

ing of the security

staff, conduct a mental exercise.

sk s

aff members to close their

es, t

en gi

e t

hem an emer-

gency scenario. Say the sprinkler

tem acc

identally discharges, or

a ﬁr

e br

eaks out in a w

orkr

oom.

Ask a volunteer to describe, step

by s

tep, ho

w h

e or she would

esp

d. A

sk det

ailed ques

tions:

What do you do ﬁrst? Whom do

ou call? Wh

at phone do you use?

e ar

e t

e ke

ys? Where are

the necessary tools, supplies,

aps, an

d lists? Encourage oth-

ers to m

ake r

ecomm

tions.

134 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

The following are a few examples of possible daily and periodic checklist activi-

ties for the safety and security team. You may be inspired to think of others.

Compare lists with the other departmental preparedness teams.

Daily checklist activities:

•

Exhibit gallery cases remain secure and all display objects are

accounted for.

•

All external doors and windows and appropriate internal doors are

locked, and the keys are in their designated locations.

•

After closing time, no visitors are in public areas, such as washrooms.

•

Computer ﬁles and systems are backed up.

•

Staff members who have not signed out are accounted for in the

building.

iodic checklist activities:

•

Upd

te the contact information lists.

•

Reorder emergency supplies if necessary.

•

Replace batteries in emergency equipment, such as ﬂashlights and radios.

•

Ensur

e t

hat ﬁre extinguishers are inspected and recharged if necessary.

•

Test all alarms and protection systems after closing to the public

and when most staff members are not in the building (after notifying

taff, as appropriate).

•

Provide the emergency preparedness manager (EPM) with updated

documents that are part of the emergency plan, including ﬁre exits,

anges in visitor ﬂow, and operating instructions for new equipment.

•

Review collection inventory documents, including loan forms.

Task 10

Establish routines

to keep the plan viable

•

ve you determined what supplies and equipment are likely

to be needed?

•

ve you provided sufﬁcient protection for the supplies so they will

be available and undamaged in the event of a disaster?

•

Are supplies and equipment available to remove water and debris

from affected objects or institution areas?

•

What are the nearby sources for the replacement of damaged or inac-

cessible materials previously assembled? Where is the “shopping

list”? Who can purchase the materials?

Note: Remember, credit cards may not be usable in a disaster if telephone

lines are down; a cash economy will be in effect.

Questions to Consider

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

135

Task 11

Identify and implement

appropriate training

What skills and knowledge do security personnel need? Training and support

are available from many sources, including international and national security

organizations, such as the International Committee on Museum Security of

the International Council of Museums. Local police, ﬁre, and military are the

most immediately available resources. Extensive literature is available for each

particular security need, including security ofﬁcer training, emergency plan-

nin

g, alarms, and access control. Major museums and museum associations,

such as the American Association of Museums (AAM) security committee, may

be willing to share their training procedures for security managers and ofﬁcers.

Members of the security force should be trained not only to perform

guarding tasks, but also to recognize material damage and deterioration and to

be familiar with the museum, its collections, and its history.

A Manual of

Basic Museum Security

suggests the following training skills related

speciﬁcally to responding to emergencies:

•

Exemplify leadership, calm, and authority in handling persons in any

emergency.

•

State the four ﬁre response steps of reporting, annunciating, evacuating,

and ﬁghting the ﬁre, in that priority order.

•

State each individual’s role and responsibility in evacuating the area,

only as instructed by security supervisors.

•

Recognize major life-threatening medical emergencies, and respond

by calling immediately for emergency assistance.

•

ake commonsense m

easur

es in a m

edical emergency to support

breathing and prevent excessive bleeding, keeping ill or injured per-

sons comfor

able an

d out of public sight as much as possible.

•

ecognize gener

al cr

es agains

t p

ersons, pr

operty, and the museum,

and report them immediately.

•

otec

t people over property and collections in criminal or violent

tua

ons.

•

Respond to bomb threat signals by searching the assigned area with-

out touchin

g anyt

hin

g, and report any unusual condition or suspected

objec

ts imm

tel

y by phone.

Practice evacuation procedures

Security personnel are responsible for carrying out evacuations. Security ofﬁ-

cers need pr

tice in conducting an evacuation, as does the rest of the staff.

Does e

one on s

aff know what immediate action to take when

the emergency alarm sounds? After seeing to the personal safety of staff and

•

Upd

ate the duty roster to reﬂect staff and other institutional changes.

•

Verify that outside experts and/or resource information is up to date.

In addition, make sure that evacuation drills are conducted regularly.

136 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

visitors, thoughts turn to the collection. Do employees know which objects in

the collection to evacuate ﬁrst? If not, can they ﬁnd the priority list quickly? Do

they know where supply kits of packaging materials are, and do they have

access to that location? Do they know the routes to internal or external shelters?

Do t

hey know who is in charge and to whom they need to report?

Teach observation techniques

Year-round, emergency-response training for your security or other

designated staff is imperative and should include basic ﬁre ﬁghting, ﬁrst

aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, utility shutoffs, and emergency

collections movement.

— Wilbur Faulk

Dir

ector of Getty Center Security

The J. Paul Getty Trust

Security ofﬁcers are trained to watch for suspicious behavior and threats to

security. Every staff member must understand that security is of prime con-

sideration within his or her delegated duties. Staff should receive training in

security and ﬁre protection, including good observation techniques.

Talk with the EPC about including security- and safety-related duties

in job descriptions for every employee and allowing security personnel to

train other staff members. Sales clerks in the gift shop and receptionists at

the entrance can act as security ofﬁcers, not only for their immediate area but

also for adjacent areas. Volunteers also can be instructed in security; in some

museums they provide a vital link in the security chain.

Following are a few basic training methods. You may choose to employ

several, either independently or simultaneously. (See chapter 5 for more

information on training.)

•

group discussions

•

simulations/role-playing

•

supplementary handouts

•

deos

•

review sessions

•

self-assessment exercises

•

hands-on workshops

•

presentations by colleagues or consultants who have hands-on

knowledge of the scenarios the institution might face

apter 6: Safety and Security Team

137

Notes

1. Robert B. Burke and Sam Adeloye, A Manual of Basic Museum Security (Leicester, Great

Britain: International Council of Museums and the International Committee on Museum

Security, 1986), 12. Reproduced by permission of the ICOM Committee for Conservation.

2. Ibid., 10. Reproduced by permission of the ICOM Committee for Conservation.

3. Ibid., 6–7. Reproduced by permission of the ICOM Committee for Conservation.

4. Suzanne Ashford, “A Contract Guard Force Versus a Proprietary Force” (presentation to the

National Conference on Cultural Property Protection, Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 20–24, 1995),

31–33.

5. Robin Thornes,

Protecting Cultural Objects in the Global Information Society: The Making of

Objec

t ID,

ed. Mar

yn Schmitt and Nancy Bryan (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Trust, 1997), 25.

6. Object ID is a standard system, developed by the Getty and its partners, for identiﬁcation of

orks o

f ar

t an

d artifacts. For free copies of an eight-minute video on Object ID, a one-page

ecklist, or the Getty publication

rotecting Cultural Objects in the Global Information Society,

write to the Getty Information Institute, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049

USA; or send a request by e-mail to objectid@getty.edu.

ter

national Committee on Museum Security,

Museum Secur

y Survey

, ed. Dian

a Menkes,

rans. Marthe de Moltke, based on the document by George H. H. Schröder (Paris: Interna-

tional Council of Museums, 1981), 24–25.

8. Adapted from International Committee on Museum Security, Museum Security Survey, 26 –28,

h input f

rom advisers on the compilation of this book.

9. Adapted from “Command Post: Establishing” in Getty Center, “Emergency Planning Hand-

book” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1997, photocopy), Fact Sheets section.

10. Adapted from Allyn Lord, Carolyn Reno, and Marie Demeroukas,

Steal This Handbook! A

Template for Creating a Museum’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (Columbia, S.C.: Southeastern

Registrars Association, 1994), 177–79. Used by permission.

11.

apted f

om “Summ

ary of Emergency Response Roles” in Getty Center, “Emergency

Planning Handbook,” Checklist section.

•

Do ofﬁcers and key staff members know how to operate electrical and

ater supply systems or other important building systems?

•

Are ofﬁcers trained in what to do in unusual situations or those situa-

tions requiring special skills or instructions beyond their routine or

beyond their level of skill?

•

Does anyone check to make sure that visitors and staff members sign

in and use their real names when they enter the buildings?

•

Can security staff conduct ﬁre extinguisher training for other staff ?

•

Do all staff members know how to get to the roof of the building, and

how to direct others to the roof ?

•

Does everyone know the location, both off-site and on-site, of

emergency keys, hard hats, ﬂashlights, fresh batteries, hoses, and

ﬁre hydrants?

•

Is any staff member trained to use a ﬁre hose? Should any employees

be trained?

Questions to Consider

138 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Chapter Summary

This chapter

•

outlined the role of the safety and security team in the emergency

preparedness process;

•

described the information required in the two reports prepared by the

safety and security team for the emergency preparedness committee;

•

guided you, the team leader, through the process of assessing the

vulnerability of your institution’s safety and security program;

•

helped deﬁne the roles and responsibilities of the safety and security

response team; and

•

identiﬁed tasks to guide your team through the process of designing

a response and recovery plan that is simple, detailed, and ﬂexible.

In review, the emergency preparedness process is a long-term commit-

ment on the part of staff, teams, and committees. You cannot, and

should not, expect changes to come quickly or easily. Interdisciplinary

teamwork is difﬁcult and requires a change in attitude that may be

slow in coming at ﬁrst. The payoff—in peace of mind, in the safety of

people, and in the protection of cultural objects and irreplaceable

records—will be great.

12. Seattle Art Museum, Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed. (Seattle: Seattle Art Museum,

1994).

13. John E. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” in Southeastern Museums Conference,

1991 Disas

ter Preparedness Seminar Proceedings

, ed. Mar

tha E. Battle and Pamela Meister (Baton

Rouge, La.: Southeastern Museums Conference, 1991), 53– 66.

14. Getty Center, “Emergency Planning Handbook,” Evacuation section.

15. Taken from Gail Joice, “Questions to Ask Yourself When Preparing a Disaster Plan” (AAM

Risk Management and Insurance Committee, American Association of Museums, Washing-

ton, D.C., April 1994, typescript).

16. Burke and Adeloye,

Basic Museum Security, 95. Reproduced by permission of the ICOM

Committee for Conservation.

17. Wilbur Faulk, “Are You Ready When Disaster Strikes?”

History News 48 (Jan./Feb. 1993), 9.

Used by permission of the American Association for State and Local History.

HAPTER SEVEN

The Collections Team

As the institution’s emergency plan is developed, several collections-related

issues must be addressed. This chapter is designed to be a resource for you,

the leader of the collections team. For an overview of the emergency pre-

paredness and response planning process, please consult chapters 1–3. For

training ideas, see chapter 5.

Your Role in the Process

It is a wet and windy day. A huge ﬁre has broken out in the west wing of the

museum, threatening the entire building but leaving enough time to evacuate

a few items from the collection. As you watch in horror, a well-meaning vol-

unteer attempts to save a prized painting. In his hurry, he grabs the painting

and accidentally damages the frame while rushing out the door. Or, instead,

the volunteer bypasses that valuable painting to save a bronze, one of several

identical ones owned by the museum.

Now, picture the same scenario, only this time a staff member trained

in emergency art-handling removes the painting, taking care not to touch its

surf

ace, bypasses the replaceable bronze cast, and walks quickly but calmly to

the evacuation door.

Effective emergency planning can make a difference when it comes to

your institution’s collections. This is why you and your team’s contribution

to the overall emergency preparedness and response program is so important.

Emergency planning can be no better than the information on which it is

based, and no other department of the institution has more knowledge of the

collections than you and your staff.

The job of the collections preparedness team is to evaluate the collec-

tion thoroughly to determine where the institution is vulnerable and what

to do dur

g an em

ergency. The team produces two reports for the emergency

planning committee that summarize its ﬁndings:

139

Report 1 is a vulnerability and asset analysis that identiﬁes the collection’s

vulnerability to damage and recommends measures for preventing damage.

(See pages 142–53.)

Report 2 is an outline of recommended procedures and techniques for evacu-

ating, salvaging, and recovering prioritized objects, and the role of the collections

response team. (See pages 154–71.)

With the information you provide, the institution will be able to

•

set priorities in the institution’s efforts to prevent damage to the

collection;

•

know which objects to evacuate ﬁrst, if necessary, and how to handle

them properly; and

•

recover and preserve as much of the collection as possible and as

quickly as possible in the event of a disaster.

As you begin the process of compiling this information and developing your

portion of the response plan, as team leader you will need to perform the

following tasks:

Task 1 : Assemble the preparedness team.

Task 2 : Interact with other departmental teams and with the emergency plan-

ning committee (EPC).

You and your department colleagues may have spent much of your adult lives

tending to the objects in the collection—so much time, in fact, that they may

feel like family. As a result, the process of deciding which objects should be

saved ﬁrst can be painful. Similarly, the notion that people not accustomed or

rained in handling collections may handle them in an emergency is near

blasphemy to many collections managers and staff. An important role of the

collections preparedness leader is to address this issue with all collections

staff members and prepare them for such an event.

“The collections people need to recognize that everyone on staff will

want to help them,” says conservator and hazard mitigation consultant Barbara

Roberts. “They can manage it quite well and with joy on their faces if they

have trained every member of the museum staff in how to carry a tapestry or

a table or whatever.”

At the same time, it is important to keep the collections in perspective.

Though they are the heart of the institution, they are not the sole focus of

emergency planning. People take precedence. No object is worth a human life.

140 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

apter 7: Collections Team

141

Task 1

Assemble the

preparedness team

Personnel functioning as one well-oiled machine during emergencies produce

dramatically better results than scattered, chaotic responses by individuals.

That is why team building is such a critical component of true emergency pre-

paredness. Building a successful team means taking risks that involve resolving

conﬂi

ct, establishing trust, and encouraging interdependence. Refer to chapter

5 on training for information on assembling and building effective teams.

You are in charge of appointing the collections preparedness team

and of guiding team members in gathering accurate, efﬁcient information and

in organizing a well-developed preparedness and response plan. Select team

members on the basis of three categories of skills: technical and functional,

problem solving, and interpersonal. All efforts at team building should focus

on the process and on accomplishing the intended tasks. Communication

skills are important, as your team will be interacting with nearly every depart-

ment in the institution. Involve your department colleagues in the planning

process so they will more readily support the recommended changes in policy

and procedures. Identifying and appointing “true believers” in emergency

preparedness will help generate enthusiasm and create the proper atmosphere.

Be sure to include “nonbelievers” as well; this will forge a well-balanced, cohe-

sive unit that enables all members to do the best they can.

As part of the recommendations in Report 2, you and your team will

describe the roles and responsibilities of the collections response team, which

may or may not include all members of the preparedness team. This team,

along with a team from each of the other three departments, will respond in

an actual emergency situation.

Task 2

Interact with other

teams and with

the EPC

Before you begin your vulnerability and asset assessment, you will need to

obtain from the EPC the overall hazard analysis. This identiﬁes what emer-

gencies may threaten the institution and characterizes the types of damage

associated with each. It will help focus your team’s efforts.

Dur

g y

our plannin

g, work closely with the other three departmental

teams on cer

ain ar

eas, as in

ted below:

y an

d secur

•

Security of emergency shelters

•

Scr

eenin

g o

f volunteers to help in evacuation/emergency salvage

•

Secur

y o

f t

e build

ing if there is structural damage

•

Security of the collection in the event of relocation or evacuation

Build

gs and maintenance

•

Places to s

tor

e cul

tur

al objec

•

Preventive building maintenance

•

Housekeepin

g pr

actices

•

Secon

y s

tor

age si

tes

•

Evacuation routes for collections

142 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Administration and records

•

Collections insurance issues

•

Inventory and intellectual control

•

Documentation of activities

In collaborating with other teams, work through the EPC to set up meetings

between your team and the others. This hierarchical method helps avoid terri-

torial disputes that can occur during the process. It becomes a top-down man-

date, rather than a lateral arrangement. You may want to include a member

from the EPC during these meetings. When needed, include a member of the

other departmental teams, as applicable. This works well as long as your team

is discussing matters that pertain to this person’s area of expertise. If discus-

sions cover areas speciﬁc only to collections, it can be a waste of time for the

other person.

This collaboration is required for the overall success of the emergency

preparedness program. The planning process is likely to give buildings, main-

tenance, and security staff a higher proﬁle, in terms of both image and respon-

sibilities. It may also require— or cause—a shift in attitudes on the part of

other professional staff.

Preparing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

To the collections team, vulnerability means how much loss or damage the

collections will sustain in an emergency or a disaster, or from exposure to

a hazard.

When assessing the collections’ vulnerability, look for weaknesses,

checking every area of the collections to determine how susceptible the objects

are to damage from potential risks. The accuracy and thoroughness of the

assessment greatly affects the success of efforts to protect against or minimize

damage to the collections, so it is not an effort to be taken lightly.

Some examples of potential vulnerabilities are listed below. No doubt

you and your colleagues are aware of some, if not all, of these weaknesses.

Som

e may become apparent only during the analysis process. All, however, may

ultimately affect the institution’s potential preparedness and response capabili-

ties. Discuss with your team the ramiﬁcations of

•

objects stacked on the storage room ﬂoor;

•

sloppy housekeeping practices;

•

unreliable inventory and documentation of the collections;

•

display objects not appropriately secured; and

•

the institution’s low priority in an energy crisis.

In Report 1, you will suggest protective measures to reduce the identiﬁed

vulnerabilities. The next section of this chapter contains a more in-depth dis-

cussi

on o

f t

hose measures.

apter 7: Collections Team

143

Task 1

Look at the collections

with a fresh eye

I myself feel stress in having to set priorities for what should be saved in an

emergency situation. My entire career is built on caring for art, and so

to think that I might have to leave something behind is very difﬁcult. These

are hard choices.

— Gail Joice

Senior deputy director and registrar

Seattle Art Museum

It is not unusual in cultural institutions, large or small, to ﬁnd people who have

worked with the collections for many years. These individuals ﬁnd it especially

difﬁcult to look at the same objects in a new way.

Guide your team in regarding the collection objectively, engaging

their imagination in the search for vulnerabilities. A painting by Monet, for

example, becom

es, for a mom

ent, only a piece of fabric with oil paint on its

surface and four pieces of wood around it, hanging on a wall. What happens to

canvas and wood when soot lands on it? What does intense heat do to oils on

canv

as? Can one person remove and package the painting? These are the kinds

of observations your team should make. Remind them that imagining and

planning for the worst will help protect the collection during an emergency.

he type of exercise described here, which is used by many institu-

tions engaged in emergency planning, requires a “stop, think, listen, talk it

out” routine that is immensely helpful in facing the reality of an emergency.

Exp

erts recommend doing these scene-setting exercises often, with a different

scenario each time.

With your team, take a “worst-case

stroll” through a small area of the

museum. Decide on an emergency

scen

io, such as a hurricane that

slams ashore just ﬁfteen miles from

your location. Be speciﬁc. How

g is the wind? What time of

day is it? Imagining details makes

the exercise more real and the end

esul

ts mor

e useful. Now list all

the possibilities of damage that

can occur to collections in that area.

w lon

g w

ould it take to remove

and package each of the objects,

if you could do so before the emer-

gen

cy s

trikes? What are the top

twelve items that three people

could move to a safer environment?

w lon

g would that take?

The vulnerability and asset analysis also involves determining which

items or groups in the collections should receive priority in protection (before

an event) and in handling and moving and/or salvage (during/after an event).

When you set priorities in advance, you gain time and do not try to protect

or sa

ve objects of lesser importance or risk at the expense of those that truly

deserve attention.

The following tasks will help your team complete the assessment:

Task 1 : Look at the collections with a fresh eye.

Task 2 : Assess risks of damage.

Task 3 : Evaluate your documentation and inventory systems.

Task 4 : Invite local agencies and individuals to participate.

Task 5 : Set priorities for the collections.

Task 6 : Recommend preventive measures.

Suggested

Exercise

144 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

How vulnerable is the institution—its people and the collection—to the threats

of ﬁre, ﬂood, and any other emergency or hazard? Your team’s job is to work

with the emergency preparedness manager (EPM), the EPC, and other depart-

mental preparedness teams to assess this vulnerability from a collections

oint of view.

You and your team need to assess systematically the risk of speciﬁc

types of damage to the collections. In other words, you will focus on the myriad

effects that the hazards can cause for the collections. If the EPC identiﬁes a sig-

niﬁcant risk of ﬂooding, what effect will water and/or mud have on the collec-

tions? Since water can swell, warp, split, rot, corrode, dissolve, and contaminate,

how would it speciﬁcally affect items in the collections? The obvious answer

is that water would affect different objects differently.

The following steps will ease the assessment process.

Task 2

Assess risks of damage

Group objects that would be affected in similar ways

Place the collection items into categories of potential damage by asking ques-

tions such as

•

What are the most likely hazards identiﬁed by the EPC?

•

Which items (ceramics, unreactive metal, etc.) will be minimally

affected by muddy water?

•

Which items (leather, paper, wool-based textiles, etc.) are susceptible to

bacterial or mold contamination?

•

What could shatter in an earthquake (large sculptures, glass specimen

jars, ceramics, etc.)?

Remember that ﬁre is the leading cause of damage to cultural institutions and

ir collec

tions. No institution is immune to this hazard and the damage it can

g f

om w

ter

, mold, smoke, an

d structural collapse.

Step 1

Separate categories into components for further study

Once you set up the categories, separate each into components and study

these in more detail. Would you handle wet textiles differently from wet paper?

Can a stone ax head remain in water longer than a glass bowl without potential

damage?

ese kin

ds o

f exercises not only are critical to the preparedness

process, but also can inspire your team to view the collection in new and

creative ways. If the institution’s staff is small or does not include a conservator,

Step 2

apter 7: Collections Team

145

Task 3

Evaluate your

documentation and

inventory systems

Unfortunately, very few objects have been documented to a level that can

materially assist in their recovery in the event of theft. Even for objects that

have been so documented, the information collected is extremely variable.

— Robin Thornes

Protecting Cultural Objects in the Global Information Society

As you conduct the survey, make sure you evaluate your inventory system.

Work with the safety and security team in this regard. All objects brought into

a collection should be identiﬁed immediately. Do the identifying marks con-

tain a number or code, and are these marks resistant to deletion or alteration so

that they can be used to identify a stolen object? Consider that a lack of pre-

paredness and/or prevention could be an invitation to a robbery.

Important categories of information are identiﬁed in Thornes:

•

photograph

•

Object ID

number

•

type of object

•

object name

•

title

•

materials and techniques

•

measurements

•

inscriptions and markings

•

distinguishing features

•

subject

•

te or period

•

maker

•

description

Several levels of documentation are relevant:

Object identiﬁcation. Collection records ideally include a written description

and image (sketch, photograph, video) of each object or group of holdings, kept

in a safe storage location. Store duplicate records off-site, along with duplicate

photographic records, if the budget permits. If possible, consider digitized stor-

age of images.

Object condition assessment. Keep this written assessment with the object

records, and store duplicates off-site.

Basic inventories. These are a generalized accounting of the types of objects

in the collection. “If, during an emergency, you can account for only 420

there is much conservation literature available to assist in setting priorities.

An outside conservator, conservation center, or conservation training program

also may be consulted. Another useful tool is the Emergency Response and

Salvage Wheel.

146 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

sculptures and the institution has 450, you know you have a problem,” explains

Barbara Roberts. “Keep in mind that wet books, for example, swell and will

take up more shelf space than when dry.” This basic inventory is the minimum

form of object-tracking recommended; however, most institutions have no

orkable inventories. For a detailed list of inventory considerations, refer to

Museum Security Survey.

•

If there is an electronic inventory, have you stored a hard-copy printout

of the contents of each storage area inside the room, as well as off-site?

(If electricity is out, a computer cannot generate an inventory list.)

•

Who has access to copies of the collection inventory?

•

Are the registration and conservation records up to date?

•

Has each object been photographed and have duplicate copies

been made?

•

Have copies of the inventory been included with the off-site

duplicate records?

•

Is there an updated loan list with contact information?

Questions to Consider

Task 4

Invite local agencies

and individuals

to participate

Institutions often make the mistake of overlooking local or regional services

and resources. Fire departments, for example, are reservoirs of valuable infor-

mation and practical assistance. The information ﬂow works both ways: You

learn from the ﬁre ofﬁcials, who in turn learn about the institution and its spe-

cial needs. Consider inviting any or all of the following to make presentations

to the team, and coordinating such presentations through the EPC. Other teams

or all s

taff also may beneﬁt by participating.

•

police

•

military (can be problematic in some countries)

•

local chapter of the U.S. National Guard

•

newspaper reporter who has covered disasters

•

retired or current staff of institutions that have experienced emergen-

cies (be sure to keep track of current phone numbers and addresses)

As a visual aid, ask presenters to bring along news clippings, videotapes, and

photogr

aphs o

f em

ergen

cies and the damage they cause. Acquire more advice

d infor

on by t

alkin

g with staff of institutions or emergency response

organizations that have been through the emergencies you are studying. This

kin

d o

f r

esearch is w

orth the effort.

apter 7: Collections Team

147

“I ﬁnd that it is so easy for people to abstractly talk about a ﬂood,”

reports Jerry Podany, head of antiquities conservation at the J. Paul Getty

Museum. “But it is a whole other thing when they have seen photos and talked

to people who were there, wading through the muck. There is so much that

does not get r

ecorded but should have been.”

Task 5

Set priorities for the

collections

•

What is the institution’s collection mandate?

•

What is the institution prepared to lose, and what is vital to save?

•

What are the criteria for setting priorities, and who establishes it?

•

Would standard forms be helpful in the process?

•

What procedures will be established for protecting these and all

objects in an emergency?

•

Who will review the prioritization lists before they go to the EPC?

Who has ﬁnal approval?

Determine how value is to be assessed

e ar

e various ways to assess the importance of an object to the institution.

ou m

y w

t to consi

der a com

bination of the following options:

•

his

tor

cal

cul

tur

al/religious value

•

economic value

•

vulner

abili

y of certain object to speciﬁc hazards (e.g., remove

photogr

aphs, p

, an

d text

iles ﬁrs

t in a ﬂood)

•

your institution’s mandate

•

ty or replacement possibilities (e.g., classify as “irreplaceable,”

“r

eplaceable a

t a high cos

” or “easil

y r

eplaceable”)

Step 1

Questions to Consider

Setting priorities helps determine how important each asset is to the institu-

tion, thereby indicating which assets should be protected before others. It also

enables staff to concentrate on saving the most important assets during sal-

vage and recovery operations following an emergency. Each institution’s priori-

ties will be different. If your institution does not already have a priority list,

consider the questions above before beginning the process. If a priority list does

exist, have these questions been considered? Your team might want to reevalu-

ate the list.

148 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

loan s

tatus

•

condition of and/or damage to objects (e.g., rescue all objects not

yet damaged)

•

Should objects on loan take precedence over others?

•

Do you have written permission from lenders to handle the objects

they own in an emergency?

•

Are the items on the priority list covered under the institution’s

insurance policy?

•

Who has copies of the priority list? Where are copies stored?

What are the security considerations for this list?

•

When and how often will you update the priority list?

Every time a new exhibit is installed? Who will update it?

•

How and to whom will you distribute updates?

(Be sure to include dates.)

Questions to Consider

Set priorities for handling and possible

evacuation and/or salvage

Based on the criteria chosen in step 1, which items would you take if you had

only thirty minutes to evacuate? If you had sixty minutes? If you had three

hours? What items would you move ﬁrst in a ﬂood? Which would you move

after an earthquake?

You may know the answers, but what if you are not present at the

institution when an emergency strikes? Even if you are, how will others know

which pieces are the most important to the institution? That is why a list is

needed that indicates, in descending order, what objects are most important to

save. A “top ten” list could be compiled for every section (which could amount

to as many as 300 to 400 objects), or a ranking could be done of every single

item in the collection. Remember, the criteria may be different for each type

of hazard.

If conservators are on staff, have them discuss the list with the cura-

tors, collections managers, and/or preparators from the point of view of objects

vulnerability for their areas of expertise. If no conservators are on staff, you

may need to consult conservation literature or an outside conservator. See the

list of conservation organizations at the end of the book (pages 261–62).

Also, curators should assist in reviewing the priority list. The ﬁnalized list will

become part of the overall emergency plan.

Step 2

apter 7: Collections Team

149

Task 6

Recommend

preventive measures

Perhaps it is human nature to deny what we cannot predict, but as

conser

vators who are continually ﬁghting nature—human or otherwise—

preparation for the unseen is, or should be, a daily activity.

— Jerry Podany

Head of antiquities conservation

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The vulnerability analysis indicates ways to eliminate hazards that threaten the

collection and ways to reduce the potential effects of those hazards. These

measures must be implemented immediately, for a plan without execution is

like having no plan at all.

Implementing protection measures can be as easy as having an insti-

tutionwide cleanup day or as complex as installing an automatic ﬁre detection/

suppression system. Often, however, protection efforts advance only as far

as the cheapest and easiest solutions, leaving the more complex and expensive

issues until later—which often means never.

“It is like moving paintings away from leaky pipes because you spotted

vulnerability, but never ﬁxing the pipes,” says Jerry Podany. “Eventually the

paintings will ﬁnd their way back to the same dangerous situation, and nothing

has been achieved.”

Instill a prevention state of mind in your team members. Protecting

the collections is an ongoing process that never truly ends, and you may have to

remind your team of this from time to time. You will know you are in the

right frame of mind when you make it a regular practice to walk through the

galleries, looking for ways to improve protection. To foster this type of thinking

among your team members, consider the following:

•

a weekly team trip to a different section of the institution to look

speciﬁcally at prevention options

•

a “pr

otec

on suggestion” list posted in a central location, on which any

staff member may offer ideas either by name or anonymously; a “pre-

vention suggestion of the week” award could be given to the employee

who

com

es up with the most effective or innovative measure; incentives

could range from tickets to a local cultural event to a half day off

•

a one-time “detect, protect, and collect” contest to see who can come up

th the most protection measures in a speciﬁed amount of time

Resources for measures to help protect the collections can be found far and

de—and as close as the local ﬁre department, your institution’s insurance

agent, and other museums or institutions in your area. Colleagues, particularly

those who have helped develop their institution’s plan or have participated

in an emergency, may offer useful tips you may not have thought of.

Which measures should you implement ﬁrst? This will vary from

institution to institution, depending on budget and ability. A recommended

approach is to focus ﬁrst on the collections as a whole, then on storage areas,

and ﬁnally on display objects.

150 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Protect the collections as a whole

A simple an

d inexpensive prevention measure is to use a day normally closed

to the public and devote it to a thorough cleanup. This simple step alone

can signiﬁcantly lower the ﬁre hazard. Cleaning up in itself makes everyone

feel good and costs nothing except possibly the rental of a large trash

container. It is advisable to consult local authorities on hazardous waste

disposal for paint or chemicals prior to this process.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

You will need to work closely with the buildings and maintenance team—

because the structure and the physical plant play a leading role—and with the

safety and security team. Consider all factors and elements that affect the entire

collection, such as poor electrical wiring and leaky roofs.

A look at common factors in library ﬁres is telling. According to the

National Fire Protection Association, factors common to the most destructive

ﬁres in libraries without automatic ﬁre protection systems are arson, delayed

discovery, delayed reporting, and the absence of any automatic suppression

or detection capability.

All are factors that libraries and museums can

protect against.

Simple smoke detection systems could aid in quicker discovery, and

automatic suppression systems help provide a quicker response. (Consider ways

to avoid water damage as a result of sprinkler systems, as in installing water

deﬂectors.) Guidelines regarding when to call emergency services versus when

to attempt to put out a ﬁre by yourself are helpful in avoiding delayed reporting;

developing close relations with the local ﬁre department is also helpful.

though it is impossible to eliminate the threat of arson, taking

precautions can greatly minimize the likelihood of a serious ﬁre. Precautions

include increased security measures, perimeters around objects, and ﬁre

extinguishers installed throughout the institution. In some cases, simply taking

an inventory of the collection can be the most effective protection measure.

How can you begin to protect what you do not know you have?

An incident at the Huntington Library Art Collection and Botanical

Gardens in San Marino, California, indicates that tidiness goes a long way.

Rare, leather-bound books on the desks of scholars were soaked and nearly

ruined during a “sprinkler ﬂood” set off by a ﬁre alarm in the building. Had the

books been returned to their proper cases or otherwise protected on the desks,

they would not have become wet.

The following are ideas for protecting the collection as a whole:

•

Keep collections out of areas that contain physical hazards (water

pipes, boilers, steam lines, etc.).

Step 1

Look around your ofﬁce. What per-

sonal items can you take home?

at books can be returned to

the institution library or the pub-

lic library? What paperwork can

you ﬁle, and how much clutter

can y

ou elimin

ate? Be brutal in

our e

for

t to clear a

ay as much

as p

ossible. While y

ou ar

e a

t i

look for signs o

f insect pests and

oden

ts. Im

agine ho

w high t

pile o

f unnecessar

y boxes an

apers would be if all staff mem-

bers clear

ed t

ir o

fﬁces as well.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 7: Collections Team

151

•

If appli

cable in your country, have the institution listed as a cultural

institution instead of as an industrial user. This may exempt it from

energy cutbacks, which can cause humidity crises.

•

If you are part of a large institution, such as a university, make

sure you have (or attempt to gain) control over the temperature and

humidity in the collections areas (i.e., exhibit galleries, storage).

•

Work with the buildings and maintenance team to ensure the sound-

ness of the building and its systems and to establish strict construction

rules to prevent ﬁres.

•

Work with the safety and security team to adopt adequate security

screening procedures and to establish no-smoking rules and restric-

tions on food and drink in all areas that contain collections.

•

With the buildings and maintenance team, consider methods to

increase insulation in historic buildings to protect against weather

or loss of heat during a power outage.

As you implement protection procedures, document as many as possible.

Documentation is a powerful tool for communicating progress in emergency

preparedness and provides evidence of the measures taken for insurance

purposes. The best documentation is photographs with captions, such as

“Item before/after being tied down” and “Shop before/after cleanup.” Video-

taped records also work well.

Display photos on walls or bulletin boards in staff areas so employees

can see the progress being made toward preparedness, or distribute an emer-

gency preparedness bulletin to all staff. This builds not only conﬁdence in the

emergency preparedness and response program but also morale on your team.

Be sure to credit those on (or off ) your team whose suggestions resulted in

measures undertaken.

Protect storage areas

It is common for a f

ull tw

o-t

hir

ds or mor

e o

f a collec

tion to be in storage

(Fig. 6). Securing this space and making it as safe as possible in advance

ables y

ou dur

ing an actual emergency to turn your attention to the display

objec

ts. Of course, if mos

t o

f t

e collec

ion is on display rather than in storage,

then the display objects would take priority over storage protection.

ork wi

h your colleagues in buildings and maintenance on some of

ese ac

ies. Ask collections staff members at other institutions for innova-

tive and practical ideas for protecting stored collections. Considerable literature

on t

his topi

c also is available.

Step 2

152 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Figure 6 Sculpture and decorative arts storage area at the Seattle Art Museum, showing preventive

measures implemented to protect against earthquake—the museum’s main hazard. Courtesy

Seattle Art Museum. Photo: Paul Macapia.

•

Are all storage shelves and cabinets off the ﬂoor? Are they secured

together or to the wall?

•

Do all staff members who have access to storage know where ﬁre

extinguishers, ﬂashlights, and hard hats are located in each area?

•

Is emergency lighting found in each area?

•

Is t

ere padding between objects so they do not knock against one

another? Is padding used as a covering for shelves?

•

Do w

ter

, steam, or gas pipes run through storage areas?

•

e w

ter detector alarms located on storage room ﬂoors? Do they

connect to a central station?

•

Are hard copies of all computer collection inventories available in case

computers are inoperable? Where are the printouts stored?

Questions to Consider

Protect objects on display

Once storage areas are protected, attention can shift toward protecting the

exhibits. Commonsense measures play a signiﬁcant role in this area.

Step 3

apter 7: Collections Team

153

•

Are suspended objects (paintings, chandeliers, mobiles, etc.) hung

from structurally secure locations?

•

Are objects displayed beneath suspended items (i.e., a table below

a chandelier in a room setting)? If so, is the chandelier securely held

in position?

•

How well attached are light tracks and security cameras?

•

Are barriers in place to prevent visitors from touching objects on

open display?

•

Are small objects in open-room settings out of reach of visitors?

Are they secured to an immovable support?

Questions to Consider

An important factor in protecting the collections is to minimize ﬂuctu-

ations in relative humidity and temperature, excessive light levels, and long

periods of display for the various objects in the collection. Work with buildings

and maintenance colleagues on these activities. If no one on staff has exper-

ise on recommended environmental conditions for collections and historical

buildings, consult with experts. Considerable literature also exists on these topics.

Budget for preventive measures

The planning phase not only gives you an emergency plan, but also builds

the budget to carry out these activities ahead of time so that the institu-

tion’s vulnerability is reduced.

— Barbara Roberts

Conser

tor an

d hazard mitigation consultant

Prevention is the most cost-effective phase of developing preparedness plans.

e an

d money spent in this area pays enormous dividends. The priorities

for pr

otec

on t

t you set will determine the budget for resolving these prob-

lems. It is easier to request funding or to raise money within the community

for sp

iﬁc, con

crete projects than for the amorphous goal of achieving emer-

gen

cy pr

edness.

The problem in “selling” prevention lies in measuring intangibles.

In ot

er w

ords, you may never know how many emergencies your prevention

for

ts ac

tuall

y elimin

ated.

Step 4

154 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedure and Techniques

The second report you and your collections team will prepare for the EPC

con

tains the recommended procedures and techniques for responding to an

emergency from a collections point of view. It should include instructions for

handling, evacuating, salvaging, and recovering prioritized objects. The report

should also contain lists, such as telephone numbers of emergency storage

contacts, and emergency supplies and equipment. Job descriptions for the col-

lections response team are provided as well.

Do not kid yourself or your team: The process is a long one. The

300-w

ord job description for the J. Paul Getty Museum emergency response

collections manager— one position among many—took hours and hours of

deliber

ations to develop.

Of course, there are plenty of emergency plan templates to help you

get started. Remember, however, that your work is not done simply by copying

applicable sections verbatim from another manual. The institution’s greatest

resource is a well-trained staff that is accustomed to thinking through emer-

gencies. This is what the

process of preparedness and response planning provides.

Establish an effective response system

The following tasks will help you craft a simple, detailed, and ﬂexible

response plan:

Task 1 : Identify potential safe rooms and/or outside shelters.

Task 2 : Develop the collections response team.

Task 3: Set guidelines for moving objects.

ask

Det

ail r

eco

very procedures.

Task 5 : Create lists of staff and resource contact information.

Task 6 : Create fact sheets and maps.

Task 7 : Stock emergency supplies and equipment.

Task 8 : Establish routines to keep the plan viable.

Task 9 : Identify and implement appropriate training.

In preparing your report, you and your team will have to address a number of

important issues. Some will be general to all the team reports; others will be

issues speciﬁc to collections. The questions on page 155 will help you address

some issues and may prompt you to identify others.

apter 7: Collections Team

155

•

Who will be in charge of keeping your part of the plan current?

(People change jobs, telephone numbers change, new equipment

is purch

ased and old equipment is discarded, companies go out

of business, and agency responsibilities change.)

•

To whom does your team report during an emergency?

•

What will be the effect on the collections of a long-term disruption

of services? A short-term disruption?

Task 1

Identify potential

safe rooms and/or

outside shelters

In some emergencies, safe rooms and/or outside shelters will be necessary to

house staff members, visitors, and objects. Consult with the safety and security

and the buildings and maintenance teams to determine the best locations for

these safe rooms and to coordinate their preparation. You may want to have

storage options outside the institution as well. For example, you may want

to freeze water-damaged books and papers and store them in the appropriate

facility, such as a local icehouse or meat locker. After a major ﬁre in 1988

at the Soviet Academy of Science Library in Leningrad, millions of books were

safely dried by citizens using home refrigerators and returned without loss.

The following recommendations for an effective safe area have been

been adapted from

Steal This Handbook!

with input from advisers to this book:

Size. Ensure that the shelter is large enough to ﬁt the maximum number of

staff and visitors likely to be at the institution at any one time. Allow 5–6

square feet (0.47– 0.56 square meters) per adult and 3 square feet (0.28 square

eters) per child. It also should be large enough to accommodate emergency

supplies and priority objects.

Accessibility. Take into account the route necessary to reach the shelter and

the size of the openings through which objects must pass.

Security. The shelter must offer the highest level of security. This means a min-

imum number of openings so the shelter can be sealed and access controlled

completely.

Physical safety. The shelter should be isolated from the exterior by adjacent

rooms or corridors. Walls and ceilings should be free of plumbing, pipes, and

so forth.

Environmental stability. Make sure the shelter is environmentally stable. Add

ter

ials such as carpets and curtains to buffer the relative humidity, and have

humidiﬁers or dehumidiﬁers on hand.

Questions to Consider

156 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Lighting. Make sure adequate lighting is provided. There should be no win-

dows or skylights if the institution is in a seismic area or subject to tornadoes,

to avoid the danger of broken glass.

Coor

dinate efforts with the safety and security team on questions such as

•

Who has authorized access to the safe rooms? (Color-coded badges

could visually indicate authorization.)

•

How will the museum maintain security for the safe rooms or outside

storage/shelters?

This is one of the most critical tasks in all of emergency preparedness and

response planning. It is the crux of the plan: Who does what? It is not a case

of assigning an individual name to a function, but rather determining which

functions are necessary and then incorporating those into job descriptions. A

number of alternates in a line of succession should be designated to ﬁll each

role should the primary appointee be unavailable. This ﬂexibility is crucial,

since no one knows when an emergency will strike or who will be in the build-

ing at the time.

Task 2

Develop the collections

response team

Compile a list of necessary actions

Remember that there may seem to be a lot to do. Take problems one step

at a time, and slowly but surely it will all come together.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

t should h

app

en wh

en an em

ergen

cy occurs a

t the institution? The follow-

ing are but a few of the many activities that may be required from the collections

esp

onse team, dep

ding on the nature and/or seriousness of the situation:

•

elop t

e initial response strategy, based on the speciﬁc emergency.

•

tempt to isola

te t

e a

fected area.

•

Retrieve emergency supplies.

•

Con

t emergency organizations, area support institutions, and so forth.

•

ssess d

age.

•

Initiate relocation, evacuation, and possibly salvage measures for

e collec

tion.

•

Docum

t all r

esp

onse ac

ivities (a crucial function).

Lookin

g a

t other emergency response plans can inspire other activities that may

not h

e occur

ed to y

ou or your colleagues. One of the most productive ways to

assemble this kind of information speciﬁc to the institution is to create scenar-

os such as t

he “worst-case stroll” exercise described on page 143.

Step 1

apter 7: Collections Team

157

Develop response team job descriptions

this step, the responsibilities of team members must be designated. Give each

job a title that accurately describes the chief function of the job. For instance,

you may want to assign teams and team leaders to the areas of salvage, stabili-

zation, and supplies. Next, list each team member’s duties and responsibilities.

Pay special attention to the type and number of duties. Match similar duties

(e.g., leadership duties, assistance duties, and physical duties) so that one per-

son is not expected to fulﬁll completely different tasks.

Following that, list the staff position assigned to the responsibility, along

th at least two alternates. The number of alternates you designate depends on

how important certain skills are to the position. For example, if it is critical to

have a person with conservation experience directing the collections response

team, the team leader job description should list a number of backup people for

the position. For the movement of objects, a preparator or other departmental

person could serve as a backup. Remember that “appropriate training” is the

operative phrase. More damage can occur as a result of careless handling than

of the emergency event itself. The administration and records team, which is

experienced in writing job descriptions as part of its human resources function,

can coordinate the writing of job descriptions in each of the four departmental

response teams.

The job description for the collection safety manager (appendix F)

is from the Seattle Art Museum’s

Emergency Planning Handbook.

Note that in

addition to simple and clear responsibilities, the description also lists ﬁve other

positions in a line of succession to ﬁll the role. The description also states to

whom this team member reports and provides a checklist of actions expected

of the position. The museum’s plan also lists positions for conservation super-

visor

, art registration supervisor, and art relocation supervisor, with the appro-

te ch

ecklis

ts o

f r

esp

onsibili

ties.

In a smaller institution, these responsibilities would be allocated accord-

y (see a sample r

esp

onse plan in appendix G—guidelines for evacuating

e collec

ons f

om t

he Barbados Museum and Historical Society).

ecklis

and guidelines help staff stay focused in their positions and follow the most

ﬁc

ient course of action, without missing details due to fear and confusion.

y also r

eﬂec

t t

e “big picture” for the EPM and the institution. If only the

ﬁrst two priority tasks are completed, other teams can consult the checklist

to ﬁn

d out wh

t is happening and how to coordinate their actions accordingly.

his pr

ocedur

e enh

ces communi

tion and saves time.

Step 2

158 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

Who dec

ides when and how to remove water from a ﬂooded gallery?

Who carries this out?

•

Who a

uthorizes the relocation or evacuation of collections?

•

Who is authorized to operate fork lifts and freight elevators?

•

Who is responsible for bringing materials to the designated

salvage area?

•

Who is responsible for maintaining supply levels?

•

Who will drive the vehicles to transport objects to a new site (and

where are the keys)? Who will load and unload?

Questions to Consider

Task 3

Set guidelines for

moving objects

Resist the urge to move anything in the ﬁrst steps. Even with a well-trained

team, damage can occur during a relocation or evacuation process;

therefore, nothing should be moved without a compelling reason to do so.

— Brian Considine

Conservator of decorative arts and sculpture

The J. Paul Getty Museum

Establish authority for deciding if,

and at what point, objects should be moved

Generally, the person designated as the collections response team leader will

give the go-ahead to move objects, if conditions require. But who may move

them and under what circumstances? At the Seattle Art Museum, staff mem-

bers who ar

e authorized to move objects wear blue photo identiﬁcation badges

during work hours. If the emergency happens after hours, the collections leader

will authorize blue-badge access to those in charge of evacuating objects.

ou will have to decide what to do if an object or sections of the collec-

tion are in imminent risk of damage or further damage, and no qualiﬁed staff

members are available to assist in removal. Should you authorize an inexperi-

ced person to remove the objects?

Step 1

apter 7: Collections Team

159

Coordinate with the safety and security team and the

administration and records team to screen volunteers

Depending on the magnitude of the emergency, strangers may offer to help.

Together with members of the safety and security team and the administration

and records team, you will have to decide the following:

•

Should strangers be allowed to handle objects? (Most institutions

recommend that you ﬁnd work for them other than working with the

collections.)

•

What sort of security screening and sign-in and -out procedures would

be required of those volunteering to work with the collections?

•

t kin

d o

f supervision would be needed? What kind of training

would be needed and is practical on short notice? A golden rule is:

Stop! Think! Organize! Have no more than ﬁve persons on a team,

clud

g t

he team leader.

Step 2

•

Must an emergency be ofﬁcially declared before you can move

an object?

•

Do you need physically strong people on the collections

response team?

•

Should teams be designated for moving large objects?

•

What are insurance policy guidelines regarding moving objects?

•

Is it better to train people to put out a small ﬁre rather than to move

objects?

Provide guidelines for handling objects

As team leader, you need to decide how to provide special instructions for han-

dling priority objects. Some institutions print the instructions directly on the

iority list or an attachment. Often it will depend on your speciﬁc collection.

Ideally, every staff member and daily volunteer should be trained in the

basics of emergency art handling. Some of those personnel should be trained

in ho

w to train others. For example, during a large-scale disaster, the military

Step 3

Questions to Consider

160 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Task 4

Detail recovery

procedures

Recovery measures occur after an event has happened. They are designed

to enable the museum—and its collection—to return to normalcy in an

orderly, phased, reasoned and methodical fashion. Recovery measures begin

when the disaster situation has stabilized and professionals have evaluated

the damage and suggested further, long-term actions. Recovery can be a

long process, taking years in some cases.

—

John E. Hunter

Supervisory staff curator

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

or National Guard may be assigned to guard and/or assist in evacuation and

will need to be trained on the spot. “[These individuals] are going to be part of

the response effort—good or bad—and they are likely to trudge through your

building and collection,” cautions Jerry Podany. “With a little training, they

could be a gr

eat resource.”

See task 9 (pages 167–71) for further discussion of training in emer-

gency art handling.

Consider damage assessment issues

Who will carry out the damage assessment? A staff conservator? A curator?

A registrar? An outside conservator? This must be incorporated into the

response team job descriptions, unless outside conservators will be called

in. If your institution is small, you may have to assess the damage yourself.

You may need to answer the following questions at that time:

•

Who will give authorization that a building is safe to reenter?

•

What objects are damaged?

•

What is the type and extent of the damage?

•

What are the priorities (depending on the criteria— e.g., damage type,

object value, etc.)?

•

What can be safely moved elsewhere?

•

How will damage and salvage operations be documented?

•

What equipment and supplies are needed?

Remember, never enter a damaged structure until it is designated as safe to

do so by the authorized person (which may be the ﬁre department ofﬁcial). Use

the “buddy system,” have a means of communication with those outside, and

report out regularly.

Documentation of the damage is critical not only for salvage and con-

ser

vation, but also for insurance purposes, possible legal action, fund-raising,

Step 1

apter 7: Collections Team

161

and controlled media coverage. Documentation equipment, such as cameras or

video cameras, should be safely stored and easily accessible, along with insur-

ance damage claim forms. If a photographic or video camera is unavailable, do

the documentation in writing. Prepared checklists can make written documen-

ation more effective.

In the United States, federal conservation money is available when a

federally declared disaster has taken place and museum objects have been dam-

aged.

However, documentation of damage, along with photographs of objects before

they were damaged, is required

. Additional funding for temporary relocation of

objects, equipment purchases, and so forth, also may be available through the

Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the

Humanities in Washington, D.C.

Determine salvage and stabilization priorities

Salvaging involves retrieving collections, objects, or fragments of objects from

damaged areas. Stabilizing means minimizing the damage done or damage

that could occur soon. Together, the two constitute “ﬁrst aid” for the collection,

covering everything from completely wetting a partially wet textile (to avoid

water stains) to freezing water-soaked books to applying a facing paper onto

lifting paint layers.

What is salvaged and stabilized ﬁrst depends on the nature of the

emergency situation and on what was damaged and how. In a ﬂood, for example,

you may choose to turn your attention to a number of soaked rare books,

whereas after an earthquake you may decide to focus on the shattered sculpture

in the gallery entrance. Do not forget to refer to your collections priority list

established during the planning phase.

Any salvage and stabilization procedures must be accompanied by the

ecaution that before such activities take place, consideration should be given

to whether further damage would occur if the objects were (a) left in their pre-

sent location and (b) simply protected for the time being until a clearer idea

can be obt

ained of the situation and, if no conservator is on staff, a conservator

can be consulted.

Step 2

162 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

What requirements does your insurance carrier have regarding

salv

age/stabilization priorities and procedures?

•

What priority do on-loan objects receive in salvage operations?

Does your loan agreement address the issue? Who communicates

with lenders? How?

•

Who will document all the stabilization procedures? How will this

be done? Do the emergency kits contain a supply of standard forms?

•

Who establishes the procedures? Who will carry them out?

When? Where?

Questions to Consider

Determine recovery procedures

You and your collections team should work with the three other departmental

teams to identify recovery procedures that move the institution from a state of

emergency to the state of normal operations. These recovery procedures can be

used as a guide in developing a recovery plan in the aftermath of an emergency.

Collections-related recovery procedures may include some or all of the

following, depending on the emergency:

•

Secure the collection.

•

Determine speciﬁc recovery needs and goals.

•

Determine what resources are needed and mobilize them. Resources

could include the department recovery team, external specialists, and

suppl

y or s

torage vendors.

•

Gather supplies and equipment.

•

Arrange for conservation assistance if objects have been damaged

d the institution does not have a conservation department.

•

Relocate or evacuate objects, if necessary.

•

Begin object stabilization.

•

Docum

ent procedures with photographs, videotape, and written

records.

•

Work with the administration and records team to review and

coor

dinate claims and conservation work with insurance agents.

•

Begin long-term conservation.

•

Return objects to galleries or storage.

Step 3

apter 7: Collections Team

163

Address issues of mental and physical well-being

important part of preparedness is planning for the potentially long period

of time before the building or buildings can be reoccupied. It could be hours.

It could be weeks. It can be a difﬁcult period—a time when something hap-

pens followed by another long waiting period. How do you take care of all

the people in the meantime? This needs a lot of organization.

— Jerry Podany

Head of antiquities conservation

The J. Paul Getty Museum

During salvage and recovery, team leaders need to pay attention to pacing and

motivation. Jerry Podany recalls how workers assisting in recovery efforts after

an ear

thquake in Japan were highly organized and worked at a high energy

level for extended hours. In the end, their extreme fatigue negatively affected

their work. As team leader, be sure to schedule regular breaks, as well as pro-

vide food, a place to eat and rest, and bathroom facilities.

“You have to respond in a reasonable way and work that into the plan,”

Podany says. “If you do not have a plan in place, you respond emotionally.”

In Japan, Podany witnessed one recovery group patching one painting amid a

rubble of pottery shards. “I thought it was silly to patch a painting when there

was so much devastation around them,” he recalls. “But it made a huge differ-

ence to that group. It really energized them.”

Step 4

Require frank after-action reports

Every encounter with a disaster or emergency is an opportunity for learning.

That is the purpose of after-action reports that detail the actions taken and the

results observed. First, it is important to emphasize and praise what went right,

then examine problems encountered or mistakes made. Do not allow these

reports to be after-the-fact justiﬁcations and defenses of what the response

team did instead of a candid assessment of what occurred—problems and all.

Indicate to team members your desire to learn from mistakes, not to

punish people for them. Encourage an atmosphere of honest self-assessment,

starting with yourself. What could you have done differently? What would

have worked better? How could you improve your response next time? What

did you learn that could be applied to the next emergency?

Step 5

164 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Once you have the list, do not rest on your laurels, thinking, Well, we

have a list, so we’re done! Lists go out of date quickly, so it is important

to update them at least once a year.

— Gail Joice

Senior deputy director and registrar

Seattle Art Museum

Furnish the EPC with the names of all your staff members, along with their

work and home telephone numbers and home addresses. This way, staff can

be reached at home during an emergency. If the event happens during work

hours, one person can be delegated the task of telephoning each person’s home

to avoid jamming the phone lines. Also, develop other means of contact in

the event of a widespread emergency in which the telephone systems may not

be functioning. Make a list of special skills—for example, is any employee

a former nurse, search-and-rescue team member, or National Guard member?

It is also important to establish communication with individuals and

organizations that your team may need to contact during an emergency. For

instance, if your team determines that it might need to use refrigerated trucks

to move objects to a commercial freezer off the premises, you must make the

arrangements now, not during the emergency. Now is also the time to create lists

of names, street and e-mail addresses, and telephone and fax numbers so they

are easily accessible during an emergency.

Update the lists regularly, and check the contacts at the same time.

Are the listed companies still in business? Are the contact individuals still at

the company? Have telephone or fax numbers or e-mail addresses changed?

Use signiﬁcant dates to help you remember to update the contact lists. For

example, if the institution is in an earthquake-prone area in the United States,

do this on April 1 (April is National Earthquake Preparedness Month).

Here are some external resources you may wish to include on the lists:

•

conservators/conservation centers

•

insur

ance agents

•

warehouses/commercial freezers

•

moving trucks/refrigerated trucks

•

volunteers trained in emergency response and handling procedures

•

emergency organization contacts (e.g., a ﬁre chief who is familiar with

the sensitivities of the collection)

•

emergency equipment rental resources such as freeze-drying

companies

•

construction contractors

•

sources for supplies and materials (including the name of the staff

member authorized to make purchases)

Task 5

Create lists of staff

and resource contact

information

apter 7: Collections Team

165

Task 6

Create fact sheets

and maps

These lists are developed in collaboration with the other preparedness teams,

particularly safety and security. You will have to balance security concerns with

the need for fast access in an emergency. Deposit duplicates of all these items

in a safe but accessible place both inside and outside the building. Coordinate

his effort with the administration and records team.

Collections department fact sheets should include the following:

•

object priority list

•

guidelines for protecting and handling objects

•

operating instructions for special equipment

•

protective measures for scientiﬁc equipment

•

object relocation form

•

object damage assessment report

•

hazardous materials lists (work with the buildings and maintenance

team to produce this list, which must be available to ﬁre departments)

Maps that your department should produce or areas that should be included in

general maps:

•

gallery and collection storage areas, including location of priority

objects

•

chemical storage cabinets

•

interior and exterior emergency supplies and equipment

•

emergency shelter and storage areas

•

access and keys to such areas as supplies, storage, electrical circuit

boxes (carefully discuss who is authorized to hold keys for emergency

situations and how to override automatic closing devices or obtain

access to areas with card key entry)

See appendix H for the fact sheet list from the Getty Center’s emergency plan-

ning handbook; see appendix B.2 for a page from the Seattle Art Museum

plan’s table of contents.

Task 7

Stock emergency

supplies and

equipment

An up-to-d

te and adequate supply of materials and appropriate equipment

can m

ean

difference between minimal or no damage to the collections and

complete disaster. You may want to coordinate supply stocking with other

teams. Large quan

tities of expensive items or perishable materials need not be

tockpiled. Ins

tead, i

den

ify suppliers and make arrangements for emergency

delivery, as needed.

Dep

ending on your speciﬁc collections, these supplies and equipment

y in

clude (but ar

e not limi

ted to) these essentials:

•

con

ainers an

d p

acking material for relocating objects

(pads, tape, scissors, boxes, markers, paper, etc.)

•

a backup generator and extra fuel

•

y vacuums

166 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

ﬁr

e extinguishers

•

ﬂoor fans

•

plastic covering sheets

•

trolleys and carts

•

freezers

•

ﬂashlights and batteries

•

water and high-energy food (Power Bars, trail mix, etc.) for staff

•

cameras, ﬁlm, pens, paper, and other items for documentation

More extensive lists are included in appendix E.

The ﬁrst rule of thumb regarding supplies and equipment is to store

separate caches of them internally and externally so that staff members have

access to undamaged supplies. Post maps of supply locations.

Some people recommend including instruction sheets for recovery

methods in supply kits. Jerry Podany says handouts of that nature are an

excellent backup to training and can be distributed

before an emergency occurs.

Doing so during an emergency is ineffective and only adds paper clutter to the

disaster site.

•

Who is in charge of ensuring that supplies are kept current (e.g., bat-

teries) and full (e.g., fuel)? How often should supplies be checked?

(Annually? After drills?)

•

Do all staff members know where supplies are located? Are maps

showing these locations posted?

•

Are supplies labeled clearly? (The Seattle Art Museum keeps supplies

in large crates painted bright yellow to visually orient staff to the

supply caches.)

•

Do supplies include operating manuals and instructions for

equipm

Questions to Consider

Task 8

Establish routines

to keep the plan viable

The following are a few examples of possible daily and periodic checklist activi-

ties for the collections team. You may be inspired to think of others. Compare

lists with the other department preparedness teams.

Daily checklist activities:

•

Conﬁrm with the security department that exhibit gallery cases remain

secure and that all display objects are accounted for.

•

Collection storage areas are locked, and the keys are in their designated

locations.

apter 7: Collections Team

167

Task 9

Identify and implement

appropriate training

You will need to train staff members in relocation or evacuation procedures,

but more important, you will need to instruct them when to move collection

items and when not to do so. Training in general salvage techniques also is

required. Consider teaching your staff how to train volunteers for collections-

related activities that you have identiﬁed as an added resource in an actual

emergency.

Training is only the ﬁrst step. You also must practice and conduct drills

epeatedly to help determine the plan’s weaknesses and to reﬁne procedures.

Work with the EPC in coordinating all training and drill exercises.

Who should be trained?

Collections are the heart of an institition. Therefore, most experts recommend

that all staff members be trained in basic procedures that can save or minimize

damage to these cherished objects. If a ﬁre starts early one morning, the re-

ceptionist and three volunteers may be the only ones in the building. An earth-

quake late at night may ﬁnd only a night security ofﬁcer and a janitor on the

premises. Everyone on staff should practice being the ﬁrst person on the scene of an

emergency. Your collection will be that much better off.

Training others connected to the museum, such as volunteers, trust-

ees, and docents, can provide an additional layer of support in an emergency.

Publicizing such efforts can raise community awareness and help in fund-

raising for prevention efforts.

•

Elec

trical equipment, such as hot plates in the conservation laboratory,

is turned off.

•

Hazardous materials are safely stored, and waste materials containers

are ready for disposal, as appropriate.

•

Computer ﬁles and systems are backed up.

Periodic checklist activities:

•

Maintain scientiﬁc equipment according to manufacturers’

speciﬁcations.

•

Reorder emergency supplies, if necessary.

•

Duplicate new inventory documents and store them off-site with other

duplicates.

•

Provide the EPM with updated documents that are part of the emer-

gency plan, including operating instructions for new equipment and

a list of hazardous supplies.

•

Review collection inventory documents, including loan forms.

•

Update the duty roster to reﬂect changes in staff and other institu-

tional changes.

•

Verify that outside experts and/or resource information is up to date.

168 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

What skills and knowledge are needed?

Evacuation procedures. Does everyone on staff know the immediate action

to take when the emergency alarm sounds? Jerry Podany likes to test his

staff’s readiness with impromptu drills. He walks in, announces a scenario,

and listens to employees call out their actions. If the scenario is an earthquake,

a number of people will inevitably discover that they do not ﬁt under their

desks because of all the material they have accumulated in that space.

In a disaster, after the personal safety of staff and visitors is ensured,

staff should turn their attention to the collections. Like lines in a play, response

actions must be rehearsed regularly, but with different scenarios each time.

•

Do staff members know which objects to evacuate ﬁrst? If not,

can they ﬁnd the priority list quickly?

•

Do staff members know where supply kits of packaging materials are,

and do they have access to that location?

•

Do staff members know the routes to internal or external shelters?

Do supplies include operating manuals and instructions for

equipment?

•

Do staff members know who is in charge and to whom they

should report?

Questions to Consider

Good intentions have ruined many an artifact. A well-meaning staff mem-

ber from another department may think he or she is helping by gathering

a f

w pr

ecious artifacts for evacuation, when in fact he or she may be

doing more harm than good. You have to make sure that the urge to be a

Good Samaritan does not supersede appropriate precautions for art handling.

— Gail Joice

Senior deputy director and registrar

Seattle Art Museum

Basic art handling. The following information regarding art handling, adapted

from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook, emphasizes

the importance of having only trained personnel handle art objects, except in

extreme circumstances.

What if an emergency occurs and no staff members specially trained in

handling works of art are on the scene? Who will protect the art? Will they know

what to do without causing further damage?

All staff members must be trained in the basic procedures to protect

the collections during an emergency. All art should be moved only by trained

apter 7: Collections Team

169

•

Under what circumstances is it advisable

not

to handle objects?

•

What is the process by which a staff member decides what to handle

and what not to handle? Who makes these decisions?

•

What happens when no staff member trained in art handling is

available and there is no alternative but to move an object?

Questions to Consider

personnel, unless it is threatened by imminent destruction. Because most

objects require special handling, it is preferable to await the instructions of the

appropriate collections staff. There are, however, situations where clear and

present danger to a collection will require those who are in the area to act

swif

tly. It is thus crucial that all staff members receive at least minimal training.

Here are some basic rules to follow:

•

Do not move an object unless and/or until it is absolutely necessary

to do so.

•

Never pick up an object until you have identiﬁed a safe place to

put it down.

•

Never leave objects on the ﬂoor.

•

Never attempt to carry more weight than is comfortable for you.

•

Recruit the help of several people if the object is heavy or awkward.

•

Never handle or lift a sculpture by a projecting member, such as an

arm or head, and use both hands to support the sculpture.

•

Walk slowly and carefully. Do not walk backward.

•

Do not smoke while handling objects or while you are in the same

room with them.

•

Report all object damage immediately to the appropriate staff member.

The guidelines you and your team develop will be speciﬁc to the collections.

As examples, see appendix I for art-handling fact sheets from the Seattle Art

Museum and the Barbados Museum and Historical Society.

Salvage techniques. The ﬁrst thing to remember about salvage efforts is that

managing the situation is more important than the salvage itself. Once the situ-

ation is under control, efforts should focus on deciding if and when objects

have to be moved, whether to follow the priority lists, or if the objects require

salvage treatment.

170 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Many variables come into play during salvage efforts. If enough staff

members are present and there is minimal damage, collections staff with

salvage expertise can handle the situation. But there may be times when staff

members with no salvage expertise must assist. If, in your team’s vulnerability

assessm

ent, potential damage effects were categorized, those can now be used

to develop training activities on salvage techniques for speciﬁc types of damage.

(See steps 1 and 2 under task 2, “Assess risks of damage,” pages 144– 45.) For

example, in the case of water-damaged fabric, it may be appropriate to wet

the fabric completely before it dries to avoid water stains. You can demonstrate

and/or practice this with staff using noncollection textiles.

If no conservators are on staff, contact the conservation department of

other institutions in the area, or local, state, or national professional conserva-

tion organizations for assistance.

Remember that caution must be used in appling any general guide-

lines to salvage steps, as there are a variety of determining factors in the pres-

ervation of individual objects or groups of objects. It is better to concentrate

efforts on collections care and mitigation of potential damage to the collections.

The following are a few basic emergency “ﬁrst aid” principles for sal-

vage, if immediate action is absolutely necessary. They do not address all prob-

lems that will arise, but they can minimize the damage that may occur until

help arrives.

The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel is an ideal resource for

further basic guidelines.

•

Do not move objects unless absolutely necessary.

•

Protect objects from further damage (this may or may not require

moving them).

•

When secure space is available, separate the damaged objects from the

undamaged objects and try to maintain pre-emergency environmental

conditions for both groups.

•

Bag or lightly wrap damp objects made of organic materials (other than

paper) in plastic and store them in a cool, well-ventilated space away

from undamaged objects. Examine daily for mold growth. If any is

found, open the bag to allow air drying and increase air movement.

•

y wet or otherwise damaged paintings horizontally, face up, supported

at the corners to ensure air circulation beneath them. Allow to air-dry.

•

Wrap wet books or interleave wet documents with waxed paper or

freezer paper as soon as possible and freeze them, or air-dry them

in an adequate airﬂow.

•

Quickly air-dry wet metal, glass, or ceramic objects. If necessary,

gently mop with clean, dry, lint-free cloths.

•

Keep objects that have dried in a cool, well-ventilated place, away from

those that never got wet.

•

Inspect partially damp objects daily for mold. Wipe off any mold with

a dr

y clot

h an

d increase air circulation. Isolate the objects from other

objects to prevent spread of mold.

apter 7: Collections Team

171

•

Han

dle smoke-damaged, scorched, charred, or dirt-caked objects as

little as possible. Do not try to clean them at this point. If they are dry,

treat as dry; if wet, treat as wet.

Training methods. The following are basic methods that can be used in training

activities. You may choose to employ several, either independently or simulta-

neously. See chapter 5 for more information on training.

•

group discussions

•

simulations/role playing

•

supplementary handouts

•

videos

•

review sessions

•

self-assessment exercises

•

hands-on workshops

•

presentations by colleagues or consultants who have hands-on

knowledge of the scenarios the institution might face

Does everyone on your staff know

•

how to direct ﬁreﬁghters and others through local streets to the

institution;

•

how to get to the roof of the building or direct others to the roof;

•

where emergency alarms and ﬁre extinguishers are;

•

the location, both off-site and on-site, of hard hats, ﬂashlights, fresh

batteries, hoses, ﬁre hydrants;

•

where supply kits for packaging the ofﬁce equipment are (do staff

members have access to that location?);

•

the routes to internal or external shelters;

•

who is in charge and to whom to report; and

•

how to evacuate computer ﬁles?

Questions to Consider

172 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Notes

1. John E. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” in Southeastern Museums Conference,

1991 Disaster Preparedness Seminar Proceedings, ed. Martha E. Battle and Pamela Meister

(Ba

ton Rouge, La.: Southeastern Museums Conference, 1991), 56.

2. T

he Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel

ashington, D.C.: National Institute for the Con-

servation of Cultural Property, 1997) was published in cooperation with the National Task

Force on Emergency Response, an initiative that also involved FEMA and the Getty Conserva-

tion Institute. It can be purchased by contacting the National Task Force, 3299 K St. NW,

Washington, DC 20007.

3. Robin Thornes,

Protecting Cultural Objects in the Global Information Society: The Making of

Object ID, ed. Marilyn Schmitt and Nancy Bryan (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Trust, 1997), 1.

4. Ibid., 25.

5. See page 137, note 6.

6. International Committee on Museum Security,

Museum Security Survey, ed. Diana Menkes,

trans. Marthe de Moltke, based on the document by George H. H. Schröder (Paris: Interna-

tional Council of Museums, 1981), 24–25.

7. National Fire Protection Association,

NFPA 910 Protection of Museums and Museum Collections

(Quincy, Mass.: National Fire Protection Association, 1991), 8.

8. Adapted from Allyn Lord, Carolyn Reno, and Marie Demeroukas, Steal This Handbook! A

Template for Creating a Museum’s Emergency Preparedness Plan

(Columbia, S.C.: Southeastern

Registrars Association, 1994), 177–79. Used by permission.

9. Seattle Art Museum,

Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed. (Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1994).

10. Barbados Museum and Historical Society, “Emergency Plan” (Barbados Museum and

Historical Society, St. Michael, 1994, photocopy), 28 –29.

11. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” 58.

12. Seattle Art Museum,

Emergency Planning Handbook, 67–69.

13. Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel.

Chapter Summary

This chapter

•

outlined the role of the collections preparedness team in the

emergency preparedness process;

•

described information required in the two reports to be delivered to

e em

ergen

cy pr

eparedness committee;

•

ded gui

ance through the process of assessing the vulnerability

of the collection;

•

helped deﬁne the roles and responsibilities of the collections

response team; and

•

identiﬁed tasks to guide you and your team through the process of

designin

g a r

esp

onse plan t

hat is simple, detailed, and ﬂexible.

In r

w, the emergency preparedness process is a long-term commit-

ment on the part of the institution’s staff, teams, and committees. You

cannot and should not expect changes quickly or easily. Interdisciplinary

teamw

ork is d

ﬁcult and requires a change in attitude that may be slow

in coming. The payoff—in peace of mind, in the safety of staff and visitors,

and in the protection of objects and irreplaceable records—will be great.

173

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Buildings and

Maintenance Team

his chapter addresses the issues involving the buildings, the systems, and

their maintenance that must be dealt with as the emergency plan is developed.

It is designed to be a resource for you, the leader of the buildings and main-

tenance team.

For an overview of the emergency preparedness and response program,

please consult chapters 1–3. For training ideas, see chapter 5.

If the building withstands the wind, holds back the water or retains structural

integrity during an earthquake; if sufﬁcient safety precautions have been

installed such as ﬁre sprinklers, alarmed water and ﬁre sensors, ﬂood drains,

and structural supports, then complete loss can be avoided. Because of

this, where your building is located, what condition it is in, how the contents

are distributed, what protection it offers and receives, and how often it

is maintained are just as important as deﬁning the threats from without.

If t

he building fails during an event, there is little, if anything, to protect the

eople an

d collec

ion.

—

Jerry Podany

Head of antiquities conservation

e J

. P

ul Get

y Museum

Your Role in the Process

Because a building shelters the institution’s most important priorities—people

ﬁrst, and collections second—it can be the ﬁrst and strongest line of defense

in an emergency or disaster. At the same time, poorly maintained buildings

and equipment can cause or worsen emergency situations.

As head of the buildings and maintenance team, you probably are

ately familiar with your institution’s structure and systems. You and other

members of the buildings and maintenance staff know its structural short-

comings, its strengths and weaknesses, and its vulnerabilities. You nurse along

174 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

old and outdated systems on a daily basis, and you are aware that emergencies

are a very real possibility.

If you are not the head of the buildings and maintenance department,

you will have to depend heavily on the head to provide advice and guidance

in em

ergency planning. If the institution is small, or one in which buildings

and maintenance workers come from city or university work crews, you

may not have building engineers or supervisors on staff; in these cases, you will

have to rely on outside expertise.

The job of the buildings and maintenance preparedness team is to

thoroughly evaluate the building and its systems to determine where the vul-

nerabilities are and what to do during an emergency. The team produces

two reports for the emergency planning committee (EPC) that summarize its

ﬁndings:

Report 1 is a vulnerabilities and assets analysis that recommends preparedness

and protective measures: what to do to prevent damage to the building and, by

extension, to people and collections, in an emergency.

Report 2 outlines the role of the buildings and maintenance response team

during an emergency. It also should include lists of repair and service vendors

and their contact information, as well as equipment and supplies needed, and

it should address training issues pertinent to the team’s expertise.

As you begin the process of compiling this information and developing your

portion of the response plan, you, as team leader, will accomplish two tasks:

Task 1 : Assemble the preparedness team.

Task 2 : Interact with other teams and with the EPC.

Task 1

Assemble the

preparedness team

Personnel functioning as one efﬁcient, well-oiled machine during emergen-

cies produce dramatically better results than scattered, chaotic responses by

dividuals. That is why team building is such a critical component of true

emergency preparedness. Building a successful team means making decisions

and discussing and taking risks that involve resolving conﬂict, establishing

trust, and encouraging interdependence. Refer to chapter 5 on training for infor-

mation on assembling and building effective teams.

You are in charge of appointing the buildings and maintenance pre-

paredness team and of guiding team members in gathering accurate, efﬁcient

information and in organizing a well-coordinated response to any emergency.

Select team members on the basis of three categories of skills: tech-

nical and functional, problem solving, and interpersonal. All efforts at team

building should focus on the process and on accomplishing the intended tasks.

Communication skills are important, as your team will be interacting with

nearly every department in the institution. Involve your department colleagues

in the planning process so they will more readily support the recommended

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

175

Task 2

Interact with

other teams

and with

the EPC

To produce workable recommendations for the emergency plan, you and

your team must work closely with the other three departmental teams in the

following areas:

Safety and security

•

Evacuation routes for people

•

acua

tion routes for collections

•

Safety of emergency shelters

•

Safety of buildings, if there is structural damage

Collections

•

Location of and requirements for emergency shelters

•

Additional storage requirements

•

Guidelines for relocating and evacuating objects

•

Housekeeping practices

Administration and records

•

Building-insurance issues

•

Repair and maintenance record keeping

•

Utilities and environmental systems documentation

•

Documentation of activities

In collaboration with other teams, work through the EPC to set up meetings

between teams. This hierarchical method helps avoid territorial disputes that

changes in policy and procedures. Identifying and appointing “true believers”

in emergency preparedness will help generate enthusiasm and create the

proper atmosphere. Be sure to include “nonbelievers” as well—this will forge

a well-balanced, cohesive unit that enables all members to do the best they can.

s part of the recommendations in Report 2, you and your team

will describe the roles and responsibilities of the buildings and maintenance

response team, which may or may not include all members of the prepared-

ness team. This team, along with a response team from each of the other

three departments, will respond in an actual emergency situation.

There often is an adversarial relationship between collections and the

buildings and maintenance staff. Collections people ask the impossible

of buildings and maintenance people. Many do not understand the

extent to which they have to make do with second-rate machinery, second-

rate systems, and second-rate help in some cases. These people know

the problems. They can tell you stories that will make your hair go

white overnight if you listen to them. They must be given credence and

they must be heard during the planning process and in training.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

176 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

can occur during the process. It becomes a top-down mandate, rather than a

lateral agreement. You may want to include a member of the EPC during these

eetings. When needed, include a member of the other departmental teams,

as applicable. This works well as long as your team is discussing matters that

pertain to this person’s area of expertise. If discussions cover areas speciﬁc only

to buildings and maintenance, it can be a waste of time for the other person.

This collaboration is required for the overall success of the emer-

gency preparedness program. The planning process is likely to give buildings,

maintenance, and security staff a higher proﬁle, in terms of both image and

responsibilities. It also may require— or cause—a shift in attitudes on the part

of other professional staff.

At the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, emergency planning

has given the so-called white-collar staff members a greater appreciation for the

abilities and input of building maintenance staff (Fig. 7). “Emergency planning

has helped to break down a lot of barriers and misconceptions among various

types of staff,” says director Alissandra Cummins.

Figure 7 Buildings and maintenance staff of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society installing

shutters on the museum’s windows to protect against an advancing hurricane. Courtesy of the

Barbados Museum and Historical Society. Photo: Alissandra Cummins.

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

177

Preparing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

In cul

tural institutions, the consequences of physical damage to the building

are often more crucial than the actual damage itself. For example, shingles torn

from the roof during a hurricane cost little in time and money to repair, but the

damage from wind and rain to precious collections, interior furnishings, collec-

tions records, and so forth, can be devastating.

How vulnerable is the building (or buildings) and its systems to ﬁre,

ﬂood, hurricane, earthquake, and other hazards? Your team’s job is to work

with the emergency preparedness manager (EPM) and the EPC to assess this

vulnerability from a buildings and maintenance point of view.

The accuracy and thoroughness of your analysis will greatly affect the

success of the efforts to protect against or minimize loss of human life and dam-

age to the collections. Report 1 should suggest protective measures to reduce

the identiﬁed vulnerabilities. Examples of potential vulnerabilities are listed

below. You and your colleagues are already aware of some or all of these weak-

nesses; others may become apparent only in the analysis process. All, however,

ultimately may affect the institution’s preparedness and response capabilities.

•

The building is not secured to foundation.

•

The machine room is kept spotless, but access corridors are jammed

with crates, catalogues, and cafeteria/special events equipment and

supplies (sloppy housekeeping practices that could increase the ﬁre

hazard, block exits, etc.).

•

The institution has low priority in an energy crisis and no independent

means of generating backup electricity (this could ruin objects sensi-

tive to heat or low humidity).

•

There is neither time nor equipment to keep gutters and drains clear.

•

No regulations are in place regarding construction work crews

(such as no sup

visi

on dur

g cons

truction activities).

•

Fire, smoke, or water detection and/or suppression alarm systems are

adequa

te.

•

w emplo

ees kno

w ho

w to use ﬁre extinguishers.

•

Electrical chain saws are on hand for landscape maintenance and emer-

gen

cy use, but no h

ard hats, work boots, or hand tools are on hand.

•

Outdoor lan

dscapin

g m

ter

ial, f

urniture, or other items that could

become airborne in a hurricane or tornado are not secured.

•

Stor

age areas are infested with insects or rodents. (Should your team

or t

e collec

ons team address this problem?)

•

Attics have no ﬁre doors.

•

feteria food deliveries use the collections freight elevator.

•

eques

ts ar

e r

eatedly made for money to upgrade systems but fall

on deaf ears.

•

Electrical wiring does not meet code standards. There are few power

outlets, an

d extensi

on cor

ds ar

e in constant use.

To get your new team thinking

about the building’s vulnerabili-

ties, describe a disaster scenario.

For example, a worn electrical

cable begins to smolder in the

carpentry shop. It is midnight.

You have asked repeatedly for

smoke alarms, but none have

been purchased.

The more details you provide for

the scenario, the more useful the

esul

ts will be. Have team mem-

bers close their eyes and picture

the scene in their minds as you

talk. Give them ﬁve minutes to

list every possible type of damage

to the structure they can think of

in such an event. Encourage

them to share their results. Con-

sider rewarding the person who

has the most creative or most

number of items listed. Hold a

debrieﬁng session afterward.

Remind the team that the emer-

gency preparedness process will

make everyone safer and help

protect the building and its

collections and, therefore, jobs.

Suggested

Exercise

178 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

The following tasks will help you complete the vulnerability and asset analysis:

Task 1 : Survey the buildings, surroundings, and systems, and identify

priorities.

Task 2 : Evaluate buildings and maintenance staff.

Task 3 : Evaluate equipment needs.

Task 4 : Invite local agencies and individuals to participate.

Task 5 : Recommend building-related protective measures and list priorities.

Task 1

Survey the buildings,

surroundings, and

systems, and identify

priorities

There is no sense in putting all this padded shelving and seismic storage

in if your building is going to cave in around you.

— David Mathieson

Supervisor of conservation

Mystic Seaport Museum

Evaluate the building and its systems

Damage to objects is often the result of structural damage to the building that

houses those objects.

Yet the severest damage is usually from the ﬁres and

ﬂooding that occur if system failures cause broken water, sewer, and fuel lines.

Review the facilities with various professionals, such as structural

and seismic engineers, architectural conservators, electricians, plumbers, and

emergency preparedness experts, who can help you determine the building’s

tegr

ity and weaknesses. These professionals also can make recommendations

for upgrading and improving the building. “You deﬁnitely need to know and

understand the capabilities of the building containing the collection,” advises

Alissandra Cummins. She recommends an outside professional survey every

ﬁve years.

Outside assessments have ﬁve main advantages:

1. They provide outside expertise your staff may not have.

2. They provide an “ofﬁcial” perspective for consideration by the board or

governing body (especially if capital improvements are required).

3. They provide a fresh outlook.

4. Their conclusions often spark ideas and/or creative solutions by staff.

5. The surveys are usually solution-oriented (staff may know a problem

exists but may not know how to solve it).

Step 1

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

179

At the same time, you must call on the expertise and experience of your team

members and staff. Administrators all too often will listen only to an outside

voice, yet staff members are the ones who know the building best, as they work

in it daily. Be sure to consult with all workers. Talk with custodians and jani-

tors, as w

ell as with building engineers and supervisors. “Make everyone part

of this process,” says David Mathieson. “No one is beneath it.”

When performing assessments, be sure to ask: What types of prob-

lems would have the most serious consequences on the building? On people?

On building services? On the building’s contents? Below are several inspection

checklist activities found in

Protecting the Past from Natural Disasters.

Some

depend on the building type.

Foundation and masonry

•

Check foundations, masonry, basements, and exterior walls for

seepage and condensation problems.

•

Check foundation walls, steps, retaining walls, walks, patios, and

similar areas for settling, cracks, heaving, and crumbling.

•

Ensure that the foundation is attached to the structure.

Roofs and gutters

•

Look for damaged, loose, or missing shingles or tiles. Check ﬂat roofs

for blisters, cracks, and other damage. Is there any sagging that might

indicate previous damage covered with a new roof?

•

Check for leaking, misaligned or damaged gutters, downspouts, straps,

gutter guards, and strainers. All water-carrying elements should be

cleared and free from obstructions. Downspouts should direct water

away from the structure.

•

Be sure that ﬂashings around roof stacks, vents, skylights, and

chimneys are not sources of leakage.

Doors and windows

•

Check caulking and decay around doors, windows, corner boards,

joints, and similar areas.

•

eck glazing around windowpanes.

•

Check weather stripping.

180 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

ill structural failure block any exits?

•

Are stairs, treads, and banisters secure?

•

Is plastic sheeting on hand?

•

Is emergency backup lighting available throughout the building and

regularly tested?

•

Is the institution totally dependent on a local utility for power?

•

How old is the plumbing? The wiring? Is this a problem?

•

Is asbestos a problem that needs to be addressed?

•

Will any new construction of facilities necessitate a change in the

emergency plan?

•

Are electrical circuits labeled correctly, and are boxes easily

accessible?

•

When was the last time ﬁre department personnel were given a tour

of the facility, and was their advice sought on disaster mitigation?

Questions to Consider

According to the National Fire Protection Assocation,

an adequate ﬁre safety

survey considers at least the following:

Heating plant. Does it have the capacity to heat the building without overtaxing

the system? Is it adequately cut off from the rest of the building by walls, ﬂoors,

and ceiling having the appropriate ﬁre resistance rating with all openings con-

necting the building to the heating plant properly protected with ﬁre doors? If

the plant is to be replaced, will the heating capacity provide for future museum

exp

ansi

on?

Electricity. Have circuits become overloaded because of additions? Has insula-

tion become worn or deteriorated? Do fuses and circuit breakers provide pro-

tection? Has temporary wiring been eliminated? Can darkened storage areas

be adequately lighted in an emergency? Are exit lights on separate circuits tied

into a backup power supply, and does the building have emergency lighting in

the event of power failure?

Concealed spaces. Are walls ﬁre-stopped between ﬂoors? If not, can such

defects be remedied by the introduction of noncombustible material? Do ﬁre

walls extend through the roof? Is the attic divided by ﬁre partitions? Are attics,

suspended ceilings, and other concealed spaces equipped with automatic ﬁre

detectors?

Lightning protection. Is it adequate? Is it in good repair and properly grounded?

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

181

Many s

taff members know little

about the buildings and how they

work. Schedule a walk-through

of the buildings with your team

and members of the EPC to

acquaint them with the buildings

that house them and the collec-

tions. Open every door and look

at every nook and cranny. Show

them where the dangers are

and what is in dire need of ﬁxing.

Be sure also to point out what is

working well and is not a source

of worry. This walk-through

may be spread out over several

days and will take time, but it

is extremely valuable, especially

when all parties discuss differing

priorities.

Suggested

Exercise

Fir

e protection equipment.

e automatic sprinklers or other extinguishing

systems, standpipes, and ﬁre detection devices installed? Are they regularly

inspected, tested, and maintained? Are they connected to a supervisory agency?

Is t

he water supply adequate? Have alterations to the building or other changes

nulliﬁed or reduced the effectiveness of the ﬁre extinguishing or detection

equipment?

Evaluate the grounds and surrounding areas

If one has not already been done, consider obtaining a geological survey to

help determine what the building is sitting on. Was it or is it marshland? Is it

sitting on top of a landﬁll (which may liquefy during an earthquake)? Perhaps

the site was built in what was once a riverbed (and, given enough rain, may

become one again).

Your survey should include a look at whether the site is protected or

threatened by trees or other buildings, or is completely exposed with no natural

or human-made windbreaks. Is there a large amount of readily combustible

dry grass or brush nearby? Are there risks from nearby trees, telephone poles,

or buildings, such as tree limbs extending onto or over roofs? Become as

familiar as possible with the activities of nature and their impact on safety.

Other questions your grounds survey should answer:

•

Does landscape grading slope away from foundation walls?

•

What hidden dangers exist that should be incorporated into your

scenarios (e.g., gas mains near the building, nearby water mains)?

•

Are lightning conductors installed?

•

Are chimneys secure?

•

Are there outdoor furnishings or landscape materials that could

become projectiles in a tornado or hurricane? How can they be properly

secured?

•

Do trees near buildings need to be stabilized with guy wires?

•

Is access to main roads a problem if trees come down?

•

Do nearby buildings, structures, or grounds not afﬁliated with the

institution pose any danger? If you cannot see the entire site from

your grounds, request permission from the appropriate parties to go

on-site to evaluate possible safety or security risks.

Set priorities for making changes. Remember that the task of preparedness

can seem overwhelming unless it is taken step by step. Prioritizing needs

also will help in approaching administration colleagues regarding allocation

for necessary funds.

Step 2

Evaluate housekeeping and maintenance procedures

Cleaning up can lower the ﬁre hazard in a building signiﬁcantly. Closing

the institution for a day and devoting it to clearing out and cleaning up is

a step that in itself makes everyone feel good and costs nothing more than

possibly rental of a dumpster to remove the rubbish.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

The best safeguard against building-related emergency situations is a well-

managed facility program that includes regular inspection and maintenance

and prompt repair and upkeep.

Step 3

182 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Pay attention to details

The Mystic Seaport Museum consists of more than sixty buildings spread

across 40 acres (16.2 hectares) of land. Its buildings encompass all types of

construction and conﬁguration possible in several different geographic

plains. It is the kind of place where small details, if forgotten or not properly

addressed, could create huge problems.

In their planning phase, museum staff members measured every

doorway before constructing carts designed for evacuating the collections. All

oil and fuel tanks buried underground are kept full so that the tanks do not

explode through the soil when the ground above becomes saturated with water.

Step 4

•

Do y

ou sch

edule r

egular visi

ts f

om utilities experts to inspect

the systems?

•

Are staff ofﬁces cluttered?

•

Do maintenance staff members regularly inspect the building for

oblems, such as leaks or birds’ nests in chimneys or gutters?

•

ve overgrown trees and bushes or overhanging branches near the

build

g been cut back?

•

Is equipm

t ser

ced accor

ding to manufacturer recommendations?

•

e dr

ains clear an

d clean?

•

ﬂamm

able

and/or hazardous materials stored properly?

Questions to Consider

With your team, walk through

every nongallery room in your

institution, staff ofﬁces included.

Mentally create one big pile of

the unnecessary clutter—boxes,

papers, rags, trash, and so forth—

that you see in all the rooms.

What kind of bonﬁre would result

if an electric wire shorted out or

careless smoker tossed a ciga-

rette on the pile? What hazardous

materials do you observe? Can

you minimize the amount stored?

Do you have a list of all hazard-

ous materials stored? Is it readily

available for the ﬁre department

(a legal requirement in some

U.S. states)? Note and move

immediately any combustibles,

such as paper, wood, or textiles,

that are near gas pipes or steam

piping and ducts.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

183

Task 3

Evaluate

equipment needs

You cannot ask to purchase additional emergency equipment unless you have a

realistic look at what the department currently has on hand. What is the highest

priority of need, given the particular risks associated with the institution’s loca-

tion and based on its budget? Here are just a few items you may wish to have:

•

ﬁre detection systems

•

mist systems or sprinklers to suppress ﬁres

•

ﬁre extinguishers (and training for staff in how to use them)

•

water detection devices

•

water removal tools (wet-vacuum pump, squeegees, sump pump,

sandbags, etc.)

•

emergency generator and fuel

•

portable fans, humidiﬁers, dehumidiﬁers

Task 2

Evaluate

buildings and

maintenance staff

Buildings and maintenance workers are often asked to maintain the machinery,

clean drainpipes, handle electrical work, do light construction, paint, and more.

Realistically, however, these are very separate trades. Listen carefully to how

workers represent themselves. Find out what really is in their job descriptions.

Can one person handle all aspects of a position? Does the department need to

hire additional workers? Can it get by with subcontractors? What if the mainte-

ance crew also has responsibilities elsewhere (i.e., if crew members are univer-

sity employees or city workers)? What happens when maintenance employees

are away on holiday or vacation? What can be done by staff members who are

not engineers or electricians?

•

Where is the emergency standby equipment located, and who knows

how to use it?

•

Can the equipment be moved to alternative storage locations?

If so, is an adequate power supply nearby?

•

Is the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system

sufﬁcient for an emergency?

•

Are sources of large-volume air-handling equipment listed in

the emergency plan (for smoke removal or for air circulation in damp

buildings)?

•

Are supplies and equipment available to remove water and debris

and to isolate affected areas?

Questions to Consider

Staff also gauged and recorded the distance between mean sea level and each

building, discovering that many second-ﬂoor emergency evacuation locations

would be underwater in a ﬂood. The museum’s experience illustrates the impor-

tance of both addressing the ﬁne details when creating an emergency plan and

tes

ting the plan regularly to catch details that have been overlooked.

184 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Task 5

Recommend

building-related

protective measures

and list priorities

Protective measures are steps taken to eliminate hazards (as in ﬁre prevention

efforts) or to reduce the effects of threats to the building (as in securing build-

ings to their foundations in earthquake-prone areas), thereby protecting people

and the collection. You and your team are to make recommendations to the EPC

for both types of protection.

otec

ion is a long process and one that never ends. From time to

e, r

emin

d t

e adminis

tration and your team members that protection is a

priority. You also will need to remind administrators of their commitment to

ergen

cy pr

eparedness as you lobby for funding for structural or landscape

impr

ts. T

e administrators must understand that proper maintenance

of the building strengthens its capacity to withstand disasters.

e pr

iorities for protection that you set will inﬂuence the budget for

esolvin

g t

ese pr

oblems. It is easi

er to request funding or to fund-raise within

the community for speciﬁc projects than for the amorphous goal of achieving

ergen

cy preparedness. Set priorities for short-, medium- and long-term

on an

d f

ding.

The planning phase not only yields an emergency plan, but also builds

e budget to protect people and assets ahead of time, as well as reducing

e ins

tut

ion’s vulnerability. The problem in “selling” prevention is that intan-

gibles cannot be measured. In other words, you may never know how many

ergencies your prevention efforts have actually eliminated.

Task 4

Invite local agencies

and individuals

to participate

Do not overlook local or regional services and resources for advice and input.

Fire departments, for example, are reservoirs of beneﬁcial information and

tips. Make invitations only with the agreement of the museum director and the

EPC, which may itself initiate ﬁre department visits. Initial visits should

be infor

mal to avoid code violation citations; keep in mind, though, that any

identiﬁed ﬁre hazards must be ﬁxed. The information ﬂow works both ways:

You learn from the ﬁre ofﬁcial, who in turn learns about the institution and its

special needs.

Consider inviting any or all of the following to make presentations

to your team. Coordinate all visits with the EPC so that other teams or all staff

may beneﬁt.

•

police

•

military (can be problematic in some countries)

•

local chapter of the U.S. National Guard

•

retired or current staff of institutions that have experienced

emergencies

As a learning tool, ask presenters to bring news clippings, videotapes, and

photographs of emergencies and the damage they cause. It is also helpful to

talk to colleagues at other institutions around the world. The purpose, however,

should be to research what those institutions did correctly and incorrectly dur-

ing emergencies, not to copy their plans.

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

185

Some protection efforts may cost very little. For example, upon the rec-

ommendation of a professional structural engineer who surveyed the building,

staff members at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society replaced all the

nails in the roof shingles with screws and placed the screws two inches closer

to each ot

her. The project, which cost about US$200, ensured that the roof would

not blow off in a strong hurricane. “Here was something practical that did

not require huge amounts of money or training,” reports Alissandra Cummins.

When resources for mitigation are limited, they should be directed

where they will be most effective—toward the elements of the buildings that

are most at risk. Your building surveys provide the data for making these

decisions. Develop priorities: for example, protect people ﬁrst, then collections

as a whole, then storage areas, and ﬁnally display objects. Make your protection

goals clear. Recognize that there may be conﬂicting interests within the insti-

tution, and iron these out as best as possible

before an emergency occurs. The

exercise on page 186 will help you set priorities.

The publication Steal This Handbook!

contains numerous building

and maintenance protective measures. Use this information only as research

in your own planning process. When you simply copy information, you

lose the valuable thought process that produces an effective disaster plan.

In addition to undertaking major structural and/or landscaping

improvements and establishing a good building maintenance plan, consider

the following two steps as essential protective measures.

Develop an exemplary ﬁre protection program

It never fails. Flood alarms are put in after the ﬂood. Fire alarms and

spr

inklers get put in after ﬁres. How many times have people done things

like t

his

ter

e e

t? T

y’re always closing the door on the barn

after the horses are out.

—

David Mathieson

Supervisor of conservation

Mys

c Seap

t Museum

e NFP

A recommends that a ﬁre protection program include the following:

•

selec

on, location, and maintenance of all ﬁre protection equipment

d de

ces

•

indoctrination of all employees in the importance of ﬁre safety and

e necessi

ty for complying with smoking regulations

•

assignm

t o

f t

e bes

t qualiﬁed personnel to ﬁre brigade duties

•

information regarding the function and operation of automatic

spr

inkler s

ystems and the location of control valves

Step 1

Describe the following scenario to

team members: Weather forecast-

ers say a storm is headed in your

direction, with gale-force winds

and heavy rainfall. The storm is

expected to hit tomorrow night.

What is the role of buildings and

maintenance staff during prepa-

rations for the storm? Who will

check and stock supplies? If the

power fails, will the alarm system

or phones work? Will any objects

be at risk if temperature control

devices fail? Do windows need

to be boarded up? If so, are mate-

rials on hand? Where are they

stored? Are objects outside the

building chained down? Are rain

gutters clear? What else should be

considered?

Suggested

Exercise

186 Part III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

otection of the museum collection through cooperation with the

ﬁre department

•

selection and training of night security ofﬁcers

•

inspection and maintenance of ﬁre doors and exit facilities to ensure

they are in working order and unobstructed

•

daily inspection to ensure a high standard of housekeeping, which

is one of the most important factors in the prevention of ﬁre

•

supervision of the installation and use of all electrical appliances,

particularly those with extension cords

•

supervision of storage and use of ﬂammable liquids

The Mystic Seaport Museum was formerly lax about its smoking policy. Employ-

ees were allowed to smoke in staff rooms until a lit cigarette that had been

tossed into the trash ignited a ﬁre that burned down a retail shop. “Now,” David

Mathieson jokes, “if you want to smoke, you get in a raft in the river with

water all around you.” The museum no longer allows smoking anywhere on

the premises.

Fire suppression systems. Nobody questions the effectiveness of sprinkler

systems for putting out a ﬁre, but there is some reluctance to install automatic

sprinklers in cultural institutions for fear of water damage to the collections.

In fact, extensive water damage usually results from ﬁre department hose lines.

Sprinkler systems avoid this by placing a small amount of water directly on

the ﬁre area and, in the best of cases, alerting the ﬁre department at the same

time.

Every expert consulted for this book agreed that automatic sprinkler systems are

essential. A few examples support their recommendation. Investigate the new

mist systems. These use a great deal less water by volume and are probably the

future of ﬁre suppression for cultural institutions.

In May 1988, a torch being used to solder a copper downspout appar-

ently ignited the combustible felt paper or wood in the roof during exterior reno-

vation of the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans. An estimated 500,000

gallons (1,892,500 liters) of water were used to control the ﬁre. The museum

lost the attic, the third ﬂoor (which was used for collections storage), and the

historic building’s roof. Total estimated loss was US$5 million. According to

the ﬁre chief in charge, had the museum been protected by a sprinkler system,

only two sprinkler heads probably would have been necessary to control or

extinguish the ﬁre.

Also in May 1988, the 185-year-old home of American statesman and

former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun, which is now a museum in

Clemson, South Carolina, was set on ﬁre by burglars seeking to create a diver-

sion. Three heads of the museum’s sprinkler system, installed twenty years

earli

er, extinguished the ﬁre before the ﬁre department arrived. Less than

1 percent of the museum and its contents was damaged by ﬁre or water.

Alterations or reconstruction activities. The major cause of damage to cultural

institutions and their collections is ﬁre, and the majority of ﬁres occur during

Appoint two members of your

team to play the roles of director

and chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer. Ask

each of the remaining members

to prepare a list of the ten most

important repairs and/or prepa-

rations to make the building and

its systems safe during an emer-

gen

cy. Have each person pre-

sent that list to the “director” and

“chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer” and make

a case for why the institution

should spend precious resources

to accomplish those items. At the

end of the exercise, ask the entire

group to come to a consensus

as to what the top ten needs are.

Now ask them to agree on

the top ﬁve needs for funding.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

187

renovation or construction activities. To lessen these dangers, construction con-

tracts should specify methods and responsibility for controlling these hazards,

such as the following points adapted from Protection of Museums and Museum

Collections:

•

Ensure that construction and service workers are accompanied at all

times. (If staff is small, a volunteer could help with this.)

•

Partition off construction areas from the rest of the building.

•

Allow acetylene torch or welding operations by permit only, and have

security staff supervise this work, equipped with extinguishers

and ﬁre resistant blankets.

•

Prohibit smoking in construction areas.

•

Ensure that workers store construction materials away from the building

and remove all rubbish and debris daily.

•

Do not permit gasoline-powered engines inside the building.

•

Limit use of paint thinners and solvents and ensure that containers are

safely stored in safety cabinets. (Use water-based paints whenever

possible.)

•

Protect ﬁre detection systems from operations that could cause false

alarms or contaminate the detectors (e.g., keep them free of dust).

•

Supervise closely all hot-tar rooﬁng projects.

Special events. Cultural institutions often host special events, such as fund-

raisers, lectures, recitals, exhibition openings, and private parties. In each of

these events, the institution is used for a purpose for which it was not intended.

Overcrowding, catering operations, highly combustible decorations, smoking,

and other associated factors can create hazardous conditions.

Work with the EPM, the collections team, and other relevant staff

to establish guidelines to bring party planners and well-intentioned volunteers

into the prevention and preparedness process. The following points are adapted

from

Protection of Museums and Museum Collections:

•

eview plans before the event to prevent overcrowding, exit blockage,

introduction of hazardous materials, unsafe cooking appliances, and

unsafe demonstrations. Monitor the event to ensure that the occupancy

limit set by the ﬁre marshal is not exceeded.

•

Ensure that nothing visually or physically obstructs or compromises

an exit or exit sign, and that wiring or cords are not placed across

exit routes.

•

Limit all cooking and warming to museum kitchen facilities, or off the

premises if there is no kitchen. Prohibit open ﬂames in the museum

area, opting instead for electric warming pans and the like. Keep a

ﬁre extinguisher within 30 feet (9.14 meters) of any cooking, warming,

or hazardous operation, and ensure that contract catering employees

know how to use it.

188 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

rohibit smoking inside buildings, as well as any demonstrations

involving ﬂammable, explosive, or toxic material.

•

Ensure that all tents and canopies are noncombustible or certiﬁed ﬁre

resistant, and that all draperies, buntings, textiles, wood, and miscel-

laneous support and decorative materials used inside the building are

ﬁre retardant.

•

Require catering staff to remove food scraps and garbage immediately

after events to avoid attracting insects or rodents.

•

Ensure that key staff members (event coordinators, volunteers, etc.) are

familiar with all exit routes.

Note: Some of the foregoing may already be prohibited or restricted by state or

federal regulations.

Document all protection efforts

Document protection procedures as you implement them. The two purposes

of documenting are to create a powerful tool for communicating progress

in emergency preparedness, and to provide evidence of the implemented pro-

tective measures for insurance or legal purposes. Use photographs, video-

tapes, and written records to document building interiors and exteriors and

grounds. Photos should have captions, such as “Building before/after tree-

trimming” and “Workers replacing roof nails.” Videotaped records also work

well. Remember to date all records.

Post copies of the photographs on walls or bulletin boards in staff

areas to show employees the progress being made toward preparedness.

Or, distribute an emergency preparedness bulletin to the entire staff. These

ces build not only conﬁdence in the emergency preparedness and

esp

onse pr

ogr

am but also mor

ale on y

our team. Be sur

e to cr

edit those on

or off your team whose suggestions resulted in measures undertaken.

eep add

ional copies of all documentation in a safe location and

anot

er set o

f-si

te, balan

ing the need for duplicate documentation with

security concerns. Review and update documentation at least once a year.

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedures and Techniques

In R

t 2, you and your team will put together a buildings and maintenance

esp

onse team an

d r

ecomm

d related procedures and techniques for respond-

ing to any type of emergency. The report should give instructions for ensuring

e safety of people and objects, including how to trigger notiﬁcation of chain

f comm

d, h

dle em

ergency equipment, and relocate people and/or col-

lections. It also should include lists of items such as emergency supplies and

Step 2

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

189

equipment available on-site as well as off-site, and job descriptions for response

team members.

There are plenty of emergency plan templates to help you get started,

but do not simply copy sections from someone else’s emergency plan. It is not

itten plan

hat prepares an institution for an emergency, but the

ocess

planning for an emergency. The fact that you and your team are grappling with

these issues now, in the comfort of a conference room, means you will be bet-

ter prepared to respond to a crisis. (Note: If necessary, ask for assistance during

the writing phase, or work closely with a staff member responsible for typing

or computer input work.)

The following tasks, undertaken

before an emergency happens, will

help you design the buildings and maintenance team’s portion of the response

plan in a simple, detailed, and ﬂexible way:

Task 1 : Identify potential safe rooms and/or outside shelters.

Task 2 : Develop the buildings and maintenance response team.

Task 3 : Detail recovery procedures.

Task 4: Create lists of staff and resource contact information.

Task 5: Create fact sheets, maps, and plans.

Task 6: Stock emergency supplies and equipment.

Task 7: Establish routines to keep the plan viable.

Task 8: Identify and implement appropriate training.

In preparing the report, you and your team will need to address a number of

important issues. Some will be general to all the team reports; others will

be issues speciﬁc to buildings and maintenance. The questions below will help

you address some issues and may prompt you to identify others.

•

o whom does y

our team r

ort during an emergency?

•

Who will be in ch

arge o

f keepin

g y

our part of the plan current?

(People change jobs, telephone numbers change, new equipment

is purchased and old equipment is discarded, companies go out

f business, an

d agen

cy r

esponsibilities change.)

•

Who does t

e build

ing engineer report to and take instructions from

in an emergency? Outside agency personnel? The emergency response

coordinator (ERC)? The director? The curators?

•

Who will coordinate with collections staff regarding when the building

will be sa

e to r

eenter and when damage assessment or salvage

operations can be undertaken?

Questions to Consider

190 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Task 1

Identify potential

safe rooms and/or

outside shelters

You and your team’s input into the decision on where to establish safe rooms

and/or outside shelters is invaluable. Work with the collections team and the

safety and security team to identify potential locations, which may vary depend-

ing on the type of emergency. When selecting a shelter, consider the various

hreats facing the institution. If ﬂooding is a potential hazard, the shelter must

be on the highest point in the surrounding area. If wildﬁres are a possibility,

make sure heavy brush and trees do not surround the shelter.

The following recommendations for emergency shelters have been

adapted from

Steal This Handbook!

and from interviews with advisers to

this book:

Size. Ensure that the shelter is large enough to ﬁt the maximum number of

staff and visitors likely to be in the museum at any one time. Allow 5–6 square

feet (0.47– 0.56 square meters) per adult and 3 square feet (0.28 square meters)

per child. It also should be large enough to accommodate emergency supplies

and priority objects.

Accessibility. Take into account the route necessary to reach the shelter and the

size of the openings through which objects must pass.

Security. The shelter must offer the highest level of security. This means a min-

imum of openings so the shelter can be sealed and access controlled completely.

Physical safety. The shelter should be isolated from the exterior by adjacent

rooms or corridors. Walls and ceilings should be free of plumbing, pipes, and

so forth.

Environmental stability. Make sure the shelter is environmentally stable and

that it has good air circulation.

Lighting. Make sure adequate lighting is provided. There should be no windows

or skylights if the institution is in earthquake or tornado country to avoid bro-

ken glass.

he shelter should be selected according to the likely threats. For internal

shelters, choose a space on the lowest ﬂoor (e.g., basements) for tornadoes and

hurricanes, and on upper ﬂoors if the institution is on a ﬂoodplain or near a river.

An ideal shelter should

not have any of the following:

•

exterior walls that are likely to be partially or completely destroyed

•

roofs with windward edges (usually south and west), long spans, over-

hangs, or load-bearing wall supports

•

corridors that have exit doors facing directly to the outside

•

spaces with windows facing the likely direction of a storm or hurricane

•

interior locations containing glass (display cases, doors, or skylights)

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

191

•

In your institution’s area, from which direction do potential natural

hazards (hurricanes, windstorms, brush ﬁres, ﬂash ﬂoods) come?

•

How does the local emergency management agency’s plan for place-

ment of civil shelters affect your plans?

•

In a general area emergency, the museum itself may become a shelter.

How will you protect the physical plant in such a situation?

•

Does anyone other than the janitorial staff know where the toilet

paper, plastic bags, and disinfectant are stored?

Questions to Consider

Task 2

Develop the buildings

and maintenance

response team

Compile a list of necessary actions

The role of the buildings and maintenance response team will vary depending

on the institution and on the emergency. The team’s top priorities should be

(1) to ensure that the weather is kept out and (2) to get systems back on-line

as soon as possible. What buildings and maintenance staff members generally

should not be expected to do is to assess the safety of the building after an

emergency, unless they are structural or electrical engineers or are trained or

qualiﬁed to do such an assessment. Emergency authorities and/or other build-

ing experts should make those determinations.

It is essen

ial t

t the buildings and maintenance response team

be allowed to concentrate on the building and its systems. Team members should

not be pulled off for security or collections priorities until

they themselves

eel t

hey have their equipment under control. Cooperation with other teams is

important in making the building safe enough for people to reenter so the

needs of the collections may be addressed. The director and the ERC should

kno

w buildings and maintenance staff capabilities

in adv

ance

so t

hat impos-

sible requests and expectations are not made. It is also critical to ensure that

team members work sensible shifts, allowing them sufﬁcient time to rest and eat.

Her

e are some types of actions for which your team may be responsi-

ble (not necessarily in this order):

•

Turning off the main gas valve, all electrical power, and other appli-

cable utilities (depending on the nature and extent of the emergency).

•

Conducting an initial site survey of the building and grounds as soon

as possible after authorities have deemed the building safe to reenter.

Step 1

•

Secur

ing shutters and/or nailing plywood sheeting to windows

and doors.

•

Sandbagging doors.

•

Surveying the buildings and grounds for lock-down preparedness.

•

Gathering emergency supplies and equipment for buildings and

maintenance work.

•

Topping off gasoline tanks in cars, trucks, chain saws, generators,

and pumps.

•

Checking all electrical equipment and unplugging if appropriate.

(Staff members who use computers should be trained in what to do

and when to do it.)

•

Arranging for backup electricity. Coordinate with the safety and secu-

rity team regarding clean water, recovery operation areas, and so forth.

•

Documenting building and/or equipment damage with photographs,

videotapes, and/or written records, or coordinating this task with other

documentation teams.

•

Contacting specialists (e.g., structural engineers, electricians, etc.)

as soon as possible after discussion with the ERC.

•

Shoring up damaged structural elements if team members have the

appropriate knowledge.

•

Trying to bring the building environment under control, while keeping

the collections team updated.

•

Clearing plant debris and downed trees to permit access where

necessary.

At the Mystic Seaport Museum, staff members in every department—

including building and ground maintenance—have a series of procedures

to go through as a storm approaches, beginning forty-eight hours before a

storm is expected to hit and extending until after the storm.

192 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Develop response team job descriptions

Designate responsibilities by position title, rather than by individual, so that

if the person who is the primary designate for the response role is unavailable,

the person who is next in the line of succession assumes the responsibilities of

the response role. You may want to assign team leaders in the areas of grounds,

utilities, and site. Group similar duties (e.g., leadership duties, assistance duties,

and physical duties) so that one person is not expected to carry out too many

different duties.

How many positions you assign in the line of succession will depend

on how important certain skills are to the role. For example, if it is critical to

have a person with engineering experience directing the buildings and mainte-

nance response team, it would be advisable to designate a number of backups

Step 2

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

193

Describe the following scenario to

team members: Imagine that the

basement is under water. Who is

in charge of emergency response

actions in this situation? The per-

son who can operate the pump?

The collections staff members

wading in the water trying to

evacuate objects? The person

who knows the most about how

to drain out the water? The ERC?

(Correct answer: the ERC.) Have

team members discuss the impli-

cations of each answer given.

Suggested

Exercise

for the team leader. For sandbagging and boarding up windows, most people

can ﬁll the position if they have some training and are physically capable.

Committing the responsibilities of each person to paper helps to deﬁne roles

and familiarizes each person with his or her role and that of colleagues.

Be sur

e to build in ﬂexibility. The goal in establishing a response team

is to create generic positions that anyone can ﬁll in an emergency. In other

words, staff members should not be rigidly bound to a speciﬁc position. Chances

are just as good that the night janitor will end up shutting off utilities and

shuttering windows.

The administration and records team, which most likely is experi-

enced in writing job descriptions as part of its human resources function, can

coordinate the writing of job descriptions for each of the four departmental

response teams.

The response team job description (appendix J) for the building sys-

tems supervisor position is from the Seattle Art Museum’s

Emergency Planning

Handbook

Note that in addition to simple and clear responsibilities, the

description also lists three positions in the line of succession in the event that

the person in the primary designation position is unavailable. The description

also states to whom this team member reports, and provides a checklist of

actions expected of the position. In short, nearly anyone could ﬁll the position

if necessary.

Task 3

Detail recovery

procedures

Recovery measures occur after an event has happened. They are designed

to enable the museum—and its collection—to return to normalcy in an

orderly, phased, reasoned and methodical fashion. Recovery measures begin

when the disaster situation has stabilized and professionals have evaluated

the damage and suggested further, long-term actions. Recovery can be a

long process, taking years in some cases.

— John E. Hunter

Supervisory staff curator

al P

ark Ser

vice, U.S. Department of the Interior

Consider damage assessment issues

When is it safe to enter the building? Who will make the damage assessment?

How will this assessment be conducted? Working with the three other depart-

ental preparedness teams, you and your team will build damage assessment

procedures into the response plan.

One person must be responsible for assessing the condition of build-

gs and building systems, including the structural and nonstructural integrity

of buildings; the functioning of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems;

and the functioning of data and telecommunications systems. Consider the

Step 1

194 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

Who will oversee the containment and cleanup of spills?

•

Who will mark hazards and hazardous areas? How will these

areas be marked?

•

Who prioritizes the need for repairs and restoration of essential ser-

vices and repairs of damaged utilities, buildings, and equipment?

Questions to Consider

qualiﬁcations of your staff ﬁrst, then determine whether outside expertise

will need to be brought in to conduct this assessment.

If there is adequate expertise in-house, have the team develop check-

lists for assessing the damage. The checklist for assessing structures would

clude such items as “walls of primary and outlying buildings structurally

sound,” “roofs intact and structurally sound,” and “shelving securely bolted

and upright.” If the institution has more than one structure, determine the

order of priority for the damage assessment.

Documentation of physical damage is critical not only for salvage and

conservation of historic buildings, but also for insurance purposes. If the insti-

tution has a risk manager, involve that person in the planning process. Docu-

entation equipment, such as a camera or video camera, along with insurance

damage claim forms, should be safely stored and easily accessible. If visual docu-

mentation equipment is unavailable, do the documenting in writing. Prepared

checklists can make written documentation more effective.

In the United States and other countries, federal funding is available

when a museum is affected by a natural emergency.

Documentation of damage,

along with photographs of objects before they were damaged, is required. In the

United States, additional funding for temporary relocation of objects, equip-

ment purchase, and so forth, may be available through the Institute of Museum

and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities in

Washington, D.C.

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

195

Determine recovery procedures

ork with the three other departmental teams to identify recovery procedures

that move the institution from a state of emergency to the state of normal

operations. In the aftermath of an emergency, these recovery procedures can be

used as a guide in developing a recovery plan. Remember that in many emer-

gency situations, staff can reenter the building only after it has been declared

safe to do so by the relevant authorities (e.g., the ﬁre department).

Buildings and maintenance recovery procedures include the following:

•

Help determine speciﬁc recovery needs and goals.

•

Organize resources, including recovery and cleanup teams, supplies,

d equipment.

•

Arrange for backup electricity, clean water, recovery operation areas,

and so forth.

•

Secure the buildings and grounds, installing barricades if necessary.

•

Secure the services of structural engineers, architects, qualiﬁed con-

tractors, and architectural conservators, as appropriate.

•

Thoroughly inspect and repair power and mechanical systems and

equipment before activating them.

•

Monitor buildings and grounds for long-term damage.

Step 2

Address issues of mental and physical well-being

An imp

ortant part of preparedness is planning for the potential long period

f t

e be

for

e t

e build

ings can be reoccupied. It could be hours. It could be

weeks. It can be a difﬁcult period—a time when something happens followed

anot

long waiting period. How do you take care of all the people in

e m

ean

e? Y

ou h

ave to respond in a reasonable way and work that into

the plan. If you do not have a plan in place, you respond emotionally.

— Jerry Podany

Head of antiquities conservation

The J. Paul Getty Museum

Dur

g salv

age an

d r

eco

ery, team leaders need to pay attention to pacing and

motivation. Be sure to schedule regular breaks, as well as provide food, a place

to ea

t an

d r

est, and bathroom facilities. Jerry Podany recalls how workers assist-

g in r

eco

y e

fforts after an earthquake in Japan were highly organized and

worked at a high energy level for extended hours. In the end, their extreme

tigue negatively affected their work.

Step 3

196 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

After the same earthquake, Podany witnessed one recovery group

patching one painting amid a rubble of pottery shards. “I thought it was silly to

patch a painting when there was so much devastation around them,” he recalls.

“But it made a huge difference to that group. It really energized them.”

Require frank after-action reports

Every encounter with a disaster or an emergency is an opportunity for learning.

After-action reports that detail actions taken and results observed are a key

teaching tool. It is important ﬁrst to emphasize and praise what went right,

then to examine problems encountered or mistakes made. Do not allow these

reports to be after-the-fact justiﬁcations and defenses of what the response

team did; rather, they should be a candid assessment of what went on, prob-

lems and all.

Indicate to your team your desire to learn from mistakes, not to punish

people for them. Encourage an atmosphere of honest self-assessment, starting

with yourself. What could you have done differently? What would have worked

better? How could you improve your response next time? What did you learn

that could be applied to the next emergency?

Step 4

Task 4

Create lists of staff

and resource contact

information

Once you have the list, do not rest on your laurels, thinking, Well, we have a

list, so we’re done. Lists go out of date quickly, so it is important to update

them at least one a year.

— Gail Joice

Senior deputy director and registrar

Seattle Art Museum

You will need to furnish the EPC with the names of all your staff members,

along with their work and home telephone numbers and home addresses. This

infor

ation will allow staff to be reached at home during an emergency. Also,

make a list of special skills at hand—for example, is an employee a former

nurse, search-and-rescue team member, or National Guard member?

Put toget

her lists of names, telephone and fax numbers, and street and

e-mail addresses of individuals and organizations with which your team might

have contact during and after an emergency. Update the lists regularly. Make

con

tact with each of these organizations or individuals now, apprising them of

their projected role in the institution’s response plan. Coordinate your lists with

those of the other departmental teams.

The following are sources you may wish to include in your lists. Check

to ensure that each vendor is insured and licensed, if applicable. Work with

administration to establish credit with the sources to be used in the event of an

emergency.

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

197

Task 5

Create fact sheets,

maps, and plans

Develop fact sheets, maps, and plans with other teams, particularly safety and

security. Deposit duplicates of these documents in safe but accessible places

inside and outside the building, and coordinate the storing of off-site copies

with the administration and records team. Security concerns will need to be

balanced against availability in an emergency.

Department-related fact sheets should include

•

operating instructions for emergency equipment, such as generators

and radios;

•

location and instructions for turning off valves for gas, electricity,

water, and other utilities and mechanical systems; and

•

a list of hazardous materials (work with the collections team to produce

this list, which must be made available to ﬁre departments).

•

Where do you keep your resource list?

•

Who is keeping it current?

•

How often is it updated?

•

Where is the off-premises copy located?

•

Who will be responsible for contacting these people?

•

ﬁre department/police/ambulance

•

ility companies

•

structural engineers and architects

•

heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) and other systems

service engineers

•

carpenters

•

fumigation companies

•

equipment supply or rental companies

•

locksmiths

•

hardware stores, lumberyards

•

roofers

•

plumbers

•

glaziers

•

electricians

•

landscape services

Questions to Consider

Task 6

Stock emergency supplies

and equipment

Coordinate with other teams and the EPC to acquire general supplies, such as

boxes, ﬁrst-aid kits, and tape. Supplies and equipment speciﬁc to the tasks of

your team are also needed. Store emergency supplies in two locations: inside

the institution for quick access, and outside the institution in case of evacua-

tion or if the building is not occupied when the emergency occurs. Large quan-

tities of expensive items or perishable materials need not be stockpiled. Instead,

identify suppliers and make arrangements for emergency delivery, as needed.

Buildings and maintenance on-site emergency supplies should include

the following:

•

ladders

•

bol

t cut

ters

•

plastic tarpaulins, duct tape

•

axes

•

d sa

•

nonelectric tools, as well as cordless, rechargeable hand drills (with bits)

•

car

ts an

d t

rolleys

•

ergen

cy gener

tor an

d f

uel

•

ﬁre extinguishers

•

ood

•

ails, scr

ws, assor

ted f

teners

•

rope, twine, binding wire

•

wbar

•

able humi

iﬁers, dehumi

diﬁers, fans (or easy access to rental

equipment through a prearranged contract)

•

blot

ing paper, towels, sponges

198 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

Maps should include

•

ergency exits and evacuation routes;

•

emergency shelter, supplies, and ﬁrst-aid kit locations; and

•

access to and location of keys to such areas as supplies, storage, and

electrical circuit boxes.

Note: Carefully discuss who is authorized to hold keys for emergency events

and how to override automatic closing devices or obtain access to areas with

card-key entry.

Plans should include

•

utility systems (electricity, water, gas, and telephone);

•

architectural blueprints, with number and location of all doors,

windows, and stairways (“as built” drawings are well worth the

extra expense);

•

mechanical system plans (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning); and

•

ﬁre detection and suppression systems.

Dur

g a m

eet

g of the buildings

and maintenance team, conduct

a mental exercise. Ask members

to close t

heir eyes; then propose

an emergency scenario. For

example, a violent earthquake

ts, or a ﬁre breaks out in a work-

room. Ask a volunteer to describe,

step by step, how he or she would

respond. Ask detailed questions:

What do you do ﬁrst? Whom do

you call? What telephone do you

use? Where are the keys? Where

are the necessary tools, supplies,

maps, and lists? Encourage

others to make recommendations.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

199

Task 7

Establish routines

to keep the plan viable

The following are a few examples of possible daily and periodic checklist

ties for the buildings and maintenance team. You may be inspired to think

of others. Compare lists with the other departmental preparedness teams.

Dail

y ch

ecklis

t ac

tivities:

•

Elec

ical tools are unplugged.

•

Hazardous materials are returned to appropriate storage each night.

•

Construction and/or renovation areas have been fully checked to

ensur

e t

at equipment is turned off and unplugged, as appropriate.

•

Cigarette disposal containers have been emptied.

odic checklist activities:

•

eck t

hat ﬁre extinguishers are inspected and recharged as necessary

(this responsibility may be shared with or assumed by the safety and

security team).

•

buckets, sho

vels, rakes, hoes

•

ﬁre retardant overalls, gloves, hard hats, boots

For ideas on other supplies and equipment—for a mobile/portable ﬁrst-aid

box, an emergency response cart, and a disaster supply box—see appendix E.

Supplies should be based on the types of potential emergency situations

identiﬁed in the risk assessment. For example, if the institution is in a ﬂood-

prone area, relevant items—such as squeegees, brooms, and pumping devices,

as well as plastic tarps, sandbags, antibacterial soaps, and clean drinking water—

should be stocked in sufﬁcient quantities.

•

Have you provided sufﬁcient protection for the supplies so they will

be available and undamaged in the event of a disaster?

•

Are two ladders enough during an emergency? Four hammers?

•

What emergency equipment can the museum borrow from local emer-

gency authorities (e.g., barricades, tarpaulins, tents, drying or pump-

ing equipment, vehicles, auxiliary lighting, etc.)? Remember, however,

that you’ll be on your own in a big event.

•

What are nearby sources to replace damaged or inaccessible materi-

als? Where is the “shopping list”? Who can purchase the materials?

•

Have you communicated clearly to all staff members where these

supplies are located; have you labeled them clearly; and have you

posted maps showing where emergency supplies and shut-off valves

and switches are located?

Questions to Consider

Task 8

Identify and implement

appropriate training

Getting buildings and maintenance people to train others to help them can

be difﬁcult. They are used to working alone and being criticized for every-

thing they do; therefore, gaining their conﬁdence is hard.

— Barbara Roberts

Conservator and hazard mitigation consultant

After Hurricane Hugo devastated the Caribbean and the southeastern seaboard

in 1989, the staff of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society actively

pursued a policy of disaster preparedness. As outlined in the case history in

chapter 1, the museum adopted a basic model plan in 1990 that simply outlined

major activities to be taken during an emergency. “We thought we were won-

derful because we had a plan,” director Alissandra Cummins says. “But we had

never practiced it, and we had not properly adapted it to our needs.” Once

the museum began practicing the plan, a multitude of deﬁciencies were noted,

including the need for a team approach to disaster response. Now each team

drills at least once a year, reporting all suggestions for improvement to the

museum’s central planning committee.

Training and regular drilling enables everyone on staff to react auto-

matically in emergencies. It can make the difference between a smoldering

wastebasket ﬁre and a ﬁre-gutted building. With regard to buildings and main-

tenance activities, you will need to train all staff members in activities such as

•

shutdown procedures;

•

loca

ion of utilities switches and how to turn them off; and

•

use of specialized tools.

en training staff to shut off utilities, be sure to indicate which, if any, should

not be shut off. “If you shut off water to some steam boilers, they will explode,”

Barbara Roberts warns. “You cannot just say, ‘Shut off the systems.’” Color-

coded pip

es and switches can help, but training and familiarity are the most

important preparedness steps.

Consider sending building managers to national training sessions, or

holding a one-day brainstorming session for area building managers. The

following are a few basic training methods. You may choose to employ several,

either independently or simultaneously. See chapter 5 for more information

on training.

200 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

•

Ensure that updated documents (revised plans, etc.) are given to

the adminstration and records team for inclusion in the institution’s

off-site set of records.

•

Ensure that equipment is inspected and serviced according to manu-

facturer speciﬁcations.

•

Check emergency supplies and reorder if necessary.

•

Verify updated contact information for outside experts and/or resources.

After your institution’s emergency

plan is in place, do impromptu

tests of various staff members

to see if they can follow such

instructions as “Go to chiller no. 2

and turn the cog,” or “Go and

shut off electricity to the west

wing.” If they do not know what

to do, walk them through the

procedure. If they successfully

follow the instruction, acknowl-

edge their good work.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 8: Buildings and Maintenance Team

201

•

oup discussions conducted while standing in front of the equipment

being discussed

•

simulations/role-playing

•

supplementary handouts

•

videos

•

review sessions

•

self-assessment exercises

•

hands-on workshops

•

presentations by colleagues or consultants who have ﬁrsthand knowl-

edge of the scenarios the institution might face

Does everyone on staff know

•

how to direct ﬁreﬁghters and others through local streets;

•

how to get to the roof of the buildings and direct others to the roof;

•

where emergency alarms and ﬁre extinguishers are;

•

location, both off-site and on-site, of hard hats, ﬂashlights, fresh

batteries, hoses, ﬁre hydrants;

•

location of supply kits for packaging the ofﬁce equipment, and

if staff members have access to that location;

•

the routes to internal or external shelters;

•

who is in charge and to whom to report; and

•

how to evacuate computer ﬁles?

Questions to Consider

Notes

John E. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” in

Sout

heastern Museums Conference,

1991 Disaster Preparedness Seminar Proceedings

, ed. Martha E. Battle and Pamela Meister

(Baton Rouge, La.: Southeastern Museums Conference, 1991), 55.

2. Carl L. Nelson, Protecting the Past from Natural Disasters (Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press,

National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1991), 87–88.

3. Reprinted from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), NFPA 911 Protection of Museums

and Museum Collections (Quincy, Mass.: National Fire Protection Association, 1991), 15–16.

ter

ial is not the complete and ofﬁcial position of the National Fire Protection Association,

on the referenced subject which is represented only by the standard in its entirety. Used by

permission.

4. Adapted from Allyn Lord, Carolyn Reno, and Marie Demeroukas, Steal This Handbook!

A Template for Creating a Museum’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (Columbia, S.C.: Southeastern

Registrars Association, 1994).

5. NFPA, Protection of Museums, 8–9. Used by permission.

6. Ibid., 6. Used by permission.

Ibi

d. Used by permission.

202 P

art III: For Departmental Team Leaders

8. Ibid., 16–17. Used by permission.

9. Ibid., 19–20. Used by permission.

10.

Adapted from Lord, Reno, and Demeroukas,

Steal T

his Handbook

! 177

–79. Used by

permission.

11. Seattle Art Museum,

Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed. (Seattle: Seattle Art Museum,

1994).

12. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” 58.

13. Gail Joice, “Questions to Ask Yourself When Preparing a Disaster Plan” (AAM Risk Manage-

ment and Insurance Committee, American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C.,

April 1994, typescript).

Chapter Summary

This chapter

•

outlined the role of the buildings and maintenance preparedness

team in the emergency preparedness process;

•

described information required in the two reports, to be delivered

to the emergency planning committee;

•

provided guidance through the process of assessing the vulnerability

of the institution’s buildings and maintenance program;

•

helped deﬁne the roles and responsibilities of the buildings and

maintenance response team; and

•

identiﬁed tasks to guide your team through the process of developing

a response plan that is simple, detailed, and ﬂexible.

In review, the emergency preparedness process is a long-term commit-

ment on the part of staff, teams, and committees. You cannot, and

should not, expect changes quickly or easily. Interdisciplinary teamwork is

difﬁcult and requires a change in attitude that may be slow in coming at

ﬁrst. The payoff—in peace of mind, in the safety of staff and visitors,

and in the protection of objects and irreplaceable records—will be great.

203

HAPTER NINE

The Administration

and Records Team

This chapter addresses issues relating to records, computer documentation,

and personnel administration that must be dealt with as the institution builds

its emergency plan. It is designed to be a resource for you, the leader of the

administration and records team.

For an overview of the emergency preparedness and response program,

please consult chapters 1–3. For training ideas, see chapter 5.

Your Role in the Process

Losing data and records in an emergency usually is not a threat to people or to

cultural institutions; however, some natural history specimens or archaeological

shards, for example, may be rendered totally irrelevant without the proper

documentation. Data generally ranks far behind protection of life and safety of

the collection in the hierarchy of emergency priorities. Because of this, you may

consider your team’s role in the emergency preparedness process less critical

than that of the collections, buildings and maintenance, and safety and secu-

rity teams. Keep in mind, though, that although your work may not be critical to

hum

an life, your contributions and those of your team can make a huge dif-

ference in the museum’s ability to recover quickly after an emergency (Fig. 8).

The job of the administration and records preparedness team is to

thoroughly evaluate administrative functions and record-keeping systems to

determine where the institution is vulnerable; to evaluate personnel and

legal issues related to emergency preparedness and response; and to identify

their own roles during an emergency. The team will produce two reports

to the emergency preparedness committee (EPC) that summarize its ﬁndings:

Report 1 is a vulnerability and asset analysis that recommends preparedness

d pr

otec

tive measures, including what should be done to prevent damage

to museum administrative functions and to prevent destruction of important

data in the event of an emergency.

Report 2 outlines the role of the administration and records response team

during an emergency. It should include lists of service vendors and their tele-

phone numbers, as well as equipment and supplies needed. It also should

note training issues pertinent to this area.

To begin the process of compiling information and developing the administra-

tion and records team’s portion of the emergency plan, you, as team leader,

will perform the following tasks:

Task 1 : Assemble the preparedness team.

Task 2 : Interact with other teams and with the EPC.

204 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Personnel functioning as one well-oiled machine during emergencies produce

dramatically better results than scattered, chaotic responses by individuals.

That is why team building is such a critical component of true emergency

preparedness.

You are in charge of appointing the administration and records team

and of guiding team members in gathering accurate, efﬁcient information

and in organizing a well-coordinated response to any emergency. Select team

members on the basis of three categories of skills: technical and functional,

problem solving, and interpersonal. All efforts at team building should focus

on the process and on accomplishing the intended tasks. Building a successful

team means taking risks that involve resolving conﬂict, establishing trust, and

encouraging interdependence. Refer to chapter 5 for information on assem-

bling and building effective teams.

Task 1

Assemble the

preparedness team

Figure 8 Administration staff person packing ﬁles and backing up computer records in preparation

for Hurricane Georges. Courtesy of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society. Photo:

Kevin Farmer.

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

205

Task 2

Interact with other

teams and with

the EPC

Competition for budgetary and personnel resources is not a luxury in an

emergency. If the emergency priorities of life safety and collection protection

are to be met, all of the museum’s resources must be placed immediately,

totally, and non-competitively at the disposal of those acting to save the

collection.

— John E. Hunter

Supervisory staff curator

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

To produce your reports for the EPC, you will need to work closely with the three

other departmental teams in the following areas:

Safety and security

•

Evacuation routes for equipment and/or furniture

•

Volunteer screening and coordination

•

Security of evacuated data

•

Fire prevention efforts

•

Temporary operations headquarters

Collections

•

Collection insurance issues

•

Volunteer coordination

•

Inventory lists

•

Documentation of activities

Buildings and maintenance

•

Docum

ation during relocation or evacuation

•

Repair and maintenance record keeping

•

Volunteer coordination

•

Build

g-insur

ance issues

In collaborating with other teams, work through the EPC to set up meetings

betw

een

your team and the others to help avoid territorial disputes. It then

becom

a top-do

wn m

ate rather than a lateral agreement. If necessary, you

may want to include a member from the EPC during these meetings. Include

our team a member of the other departmental teams, as applicable. This

orks w

ell as lon

g as y

our team is d

iscussing matters that pertain to this per-

son’s area of expertise.

Collabor

ation is required for the overall success of the emergency pre-

edness pr

ocess. T

his pr

ocess is likely to give buildings, maintenance, and secu-

rity staff a higher proﬁle in terms of both image and responsibilities. It may

also r

equire— or cause—a shift in attitudes among other professional staff.

As part of the recommendations in Report 2, you and your team will

establish and take on the roles and responsibilities of the administration and

records response team, which may or may not include all members of the pre-

paredness team. This team—along with a team from each of the other three

dep

artments—will respond in an actual emergency situation.

206 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Preparing Report 1:

Vulnerability and Asset Analysis

How vulnerable are the institution’s records and other operational systems to

the threats of ﬁre, ﬂood, hurricane, earthquake, and other emergencies or haz-

ards? For example, how quickly can you generate information on

•

which artifacts were in the east wing at the time of the ﬁre;

•

the loss of value sustained; and

•

the itemized cost to rehabilitate the building and reopen it to the public?

Does the biggest threat to the institution come from inadequate insurance cov-

erage of the buildings and/or equipment? Will you be able to recover important

data after an emergency? Work with the emergency preparedness manager

(EPM) and the EPC to assess the institution’s vulnerabilities from an adminis-

tration and records point of view. The accuracy and thoroughness of your analy-

sis will greatly affect the speed with which the institution can recover after an

emergency. Report 1 should contain protective measures to reduce the vulnera-

bilities your team discovers.

Some examples of potential vulnerabilities are listed below. You and

your department colleagues probably are already aware of some or all of these

weaknesses; some may become apparent only in the analysis process. All, how-

ever, may ultimately affect the institution’s preparedness and response capabilities.

•

Staff members back up their individual computer ﬁles periodically, but

no systemwide backup occurs. Data are backed up regularly, but not the

application programs that allow staff to access and recover those data.

•

The inventory of furnishings, equipment, and supplies is not complete.

•

Hard-copy documents have not been duplicated for ten years.

•

No system exists for tracking assets.

•

Dupli

te docum

ents are stored inside the building.

•

Insurance coverage is inadequate.

e follo

win

g t

asks will lead y

ou and your team through the process of

information gathering in order to prepare Report 1:

Task 1 : Evaluate record-keeping systems and procedures.

Task 2 : Anticipate ﬁnancial and legal concerns.

Task 3 : Review insurance coverage and procedures.

Task 4 : Evaluate equipment/data safety and needs.

Task 5 : Invite local agencies and individuals to participate.

Task 6 : Recommend records-related protective measures.

To get your new team thinking

about vulnerabilities within the

data systems, describe an

emergency scenario, such as a

sudden and strong earthquake.

Be speciﬁc. How strong is the

earthquake? What time of day

is it? Details help make the exer-

cise more real and the results

more useful. Have team members

close their eyes and picture

the scene in their mind as you

alk. Gi

e t

em ﬁv

e min

utes to

list every type of possible

calami

y t

hat an earthquake can

use. W

e computers t

to the ground? Did the earth-

quake touch o

f a ﬁr

e? What will

app

en to bot

h computer an

hard-copy records? Encourage

team m

bers to share and dis-

cuss

esponses. Hold a

debrieﬁng session after the exer-

ise. R

emind the team that the

ergen

cy pr

edness pr

ocess

will make everyone safer.

Suggested

Exercise

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

207

Task 1

Evaluate record-keeping

systems and procedures

Computers are way behind art in emergency priorities, but people realize

that data about the art is a close second.

— Joe Shuster

Chief of information technology

Seattle Art Museum

What kind of information is being recorded and by which process? Where

are the data being stored? Can the system—computer or hard copy—

provide you with useful information after an emergency? These are the main

questions to ask in accomplishing this task.

Evaluate inventories

Administration inventories. Administration departments at most institutions

maintain a complete inventory of the institution, including furnishings,

equipment, museum store stocks, and library books. The administration and

records team is responsible for all emergency preparedness and response

considerations concerning these records.

To assess the adequacy of the institution’s insurance coverage and

of insurance reimbursement after an emergency, you need to be able to

track assets. This can mean simply a ﬁle folder with furniture and equipment

receipts, or vehicle papers (with duplicate copies stored off-site), or a more

formal computerized database.

Up-to-date valuations for collections are required for insurance

claims. Establishing values for total or partial loss payments after the object

Step 1

•

Is there a complete inventory of all furnishings, equipment, and

gift shop stock?

•

If the computer system goes down in a power outage, what

will you lose?

•

How will you recover information stored on computer tapes

and drives?

•

Are duplicates of legal/ofﬁcial documents (i.e., constitution, leases,

contracts, site plans, etc.) stored safely off-site?

•

Will a power outage lock up book or collections compactor stacks?

•

Do you have hard copies of tour booking schedules, as well as copies

of names, telephone numbers, and addresses of staff, trustees,

donors, loaners, and so forth?

Questions to Consider

208 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

is destroyed is extremely difﬁcult. Accurate numbers count if objects are

to be grouped by type and value—for example, 500 objects at US$25 and

10,000 objects at US$150. This should be discussed with the insurance broker

and underwriter; otherwise, every object that is damaged will have to be listed

dividually.

Collections inventories. Larger institutions have record-keeping systems for

collections that are separate from the rest of the operational data. Such is the

case at the Seattle Art Museum, where the collections record-keeping system

contains all catalogue information, documents for objects on loan, deeds

of gifts, and collections insurance. The collections team is responsible for all

emergency preparedness and response considerations concerning those records.

Depending on your institution, you may need to work with the col-

lections team to plan for collections records, or you may be in charge of evalu-

ating all forms of records. Good documentation of the collection is vital for

insurance claims and for any conservation steps following damage. How detailed

the documentation should be depends on the collection and on identiﬁed

priorities. In the event that the administration department is responsible for

collections records, refer to chapter 7 for more information.

Review other documentation

All administrative records need to be evaluated as part of the preparedness

process. What documents must staff have in hand during the response

and recovery process? These documents should be stored in a safe room for

easy access in the event of an emergency. What documents must be stored

safely but do not necessarily have to be readily available?

Your documentation analysis should include the following:

•

payroll

•

ﬁnancial records

•

taxation records

•

legal records

•

incorporation records

•

contracts

•

personnel ﬁles

•

list of donors

•

emergency fund records, including signing authorities

•

valuations

Work with the buildings and maintenance team and the safety and security

team to assess adequate documentation of the physical plant. These teams

should have the following:

Step 2

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

209

Review computer backup procedures

Where are the computer data being stored? On the hard drive? On the disks or

external drives of individual staff? In a power failure, how would you retrieve

information? As businesses throughout the world know, backing up infor-

mation is essential when using computers. Often overlooked in the process

are the following:

•

Is there a systemwide backup? Having no systemwide backup means

a large amount of decentralized data, which makes it difﬁcult to evacu-

ate complete operational data. How often should you back up the entire

system? The answer depends on how much information is input daily,

hourly, or weekly.

•

Are there copies or backups of the application programs? Without these,

you may be unable to access the backed-up data. Copies could be kept

off-site and in the safe room with other duplicate records. How often

are these copies updated?

•

Who checks to ensure that information is being backed up properly

and regularly and that it is recoverable? How often is this done? (The

Seattle Art Museum does this every week.)

•

Who is authorized to remove backup tapes and disks during an emer-

gency? Some of the information on the tapes may be sensitive, such

as ﬁnancial records. You may want to designate one individual for this

responsibility, or several individuals, depending on the size of the insti-

tution and on the sensitivity of informaton.

•

Are passwords required to obtain certain computer data? Where is the

list of passwords stored, and who has access to it?

•

e surge pr

otec

tors r

eplaced an

d upd

ted every three or four years?

Step 3

•

aps that include emergency exits, evacuation routes, and the location

of emergency shelters, supplies, ﬁrst-aid materials, utility shut-off

valves, keys and prioritized assets

•

instruction sheets for emergency equipment and for turning

off utilities

•

a list of hazardous materials stored on the premises

•

ﬁles containing plans of utility systems, mechanical systems, ﬁre

detection/suppression systems, and architectural blueprints

(“as-built” plans are invaluable)

210 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Task 2

Anticipate ﬁnancial

and legal concerns

Do not ignore ﬁnancial planning. A natural disaster may create a ﬁnancial

one. If possible, build up reserves in every budget. Disruption of business in

subsequent months—and years—can cause major ﬁnancial damage.

— Carl L. Nelson

Protecting the Past from Natural Disasters

Your team must work with the EPC to identify potential ﬁnancial and liability

issues related to emergency preparedness and response. Among the questions

you will need to answer are the following:

•

What liabilities does the institution have for volunteers who are

accepted into the cleanup process?

•

What liability is faced in moving the collection off-site?

•

What is the institution’s liability for anyone hurt on-site during an

emergency response?

•

What contracts need to be put into place in advance for external consul-

tants, contractors, and other vendors or agencies?

•

How much money should be set aside to deal with an emergency?

•

In the event of a regionwide disaster, are sources of funds available in

another city or region?

•

Are grants available for funding preemergency studies if the institution

has a high potential for major damage from a natural disaster?

•

Are recovery operations for cultural institutions included in the man-

date of local, state, or national funding organizations?

•

Have charge accounts been set up with local suppliers? Credit cards

may not be usable during a large-scale emergency; you may have to

operate in a “cash-only” economy.

Task 3

Review insurance

coverage

and procedures

Insur

ce coverages are designed to help restore your assets and operation

when, in spite of physical prevention and protection measures, a disaster

trikes. Placing property insurance coverage is, in fact, an essential part of

our ﬁduc

iar

y r

esponsibility to care for and preserve your institution’s build-

g an

d collec

on.

—

Gail E. McGifﬁn

“Sharing the Risks”

In reviewing and evaluating insurance coverage, work with members from the

collections and the buildings and maintenance teams. Many institutions insure

the structure but do not adequately insure the contents. Consult with the insur-

ance company or agent regarding the following:

•

risk assessment

•

asset identiﬁcation

•

protection priorities

•

up-to-date collections valuations and loss-of-value evaluations

•

preparedness and preventive measures

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

211

•

esponse and recovery procedures and costs

•

contingency planning

•

emergency plan review

•

practice drills

•

required damage documentation

•

claim preparation, including required details

Know what the policy covers. Find out whether the policy does and/or should

include the following:

•

loan exhibits

•

objects in the building that are awaiting setup or ship-out

•

purchase or rental of prevention and/or response equipment, supplies,

and resources, such as portable generators, temporary relocation costs,

and cleanup services

•

costs of contracting professional conservation services and/or purchas-

ing conservation equipment and supplies

•

costs to conserve objects to the claim condition only

•

replacement value, where applicable

•

liability for staff, board ofﬁcers, and visitors

•

ambulance and medical services for uninsured visitors

•

valuable documents, computer data, workers’ compensation

•

business income insurance

A special “rider” is usually required for equipment and data. This rider will

assume that data are backed up frequently and that systems are operational at

an alternative site. Therefore, policies usually will not cover the reconstruction

of lost data. The policy should cover drying, cleaning, and reconditioning of

equipment. A “functional replacement” section is important in order to pur-

chase newer equipment that performs the same functions and more. Computer

riders usually cover a limited time, sometimes only a few months.

Determine also what documents and procedures are required for ﬁling a

claim. Keep copies of insurance claims with emergency supplies both on and off

the premises, along with photographic equipment and ﬁlm for documentation

during and after an emergency. Coordinate this with all teams. The documenta-

tion should provide evidence for an insurance claim, including the following:

•

proof that the institution did all it could to prevent, or at least mitigate,

the effects of the disaster

•

proof that the established response and recovery procedures

were followed

•

fast and accurate indication of the condition and loss of value, in dollar

terms, of the building and the collections following the emergency

Further information on insurance issues can be found in Smith,

McGifﬁn,

and Kahn.

212 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

•

Does insurance adequately cover the hazards identiﬁed in the risk

assessment from the EPC?

•

Are inventories and appraisals for collections and structures

up to date?

•

Are deductibles still appropriate?

•

How often will the policy be reviewed and updated? Who will do it?

•

Is there a building mortgage? If so, how does that affect insurance

coverage and/or claims?

•

What are the procedures for assessing damage (i.e., does an agent

have to see a damaged object before it is moved)?

•

Does the policy cover cleaning, recovery, and reconstruction of the

area if the institution is located in a rented building or has rented

storage space?

•

If property is jointly owned, or owned by a government agency, which

organization pays for damage and loss?

•

Has the institution’s probable maximum loss been discussed with

the insurance provider? Is the probable maximum loss regularly

reevaluated?

Task 4

Evaluate equipment/data

safety and needs

What administrative equipment is on hand now? Typewriters? Computers?

File drawers? How are they and the data they contain protected against the risks

and hazards that have been identiﬁed? A few small expenditures could be all

that is needed to protect costly equipment and records that could take months

to re-create. For example, expensive computers should be bolted down if the

institution is in an earthquake-prone area. There are inexpensive ways of secur-

g drawers, shelves, and cabinets. Fireproof cabinets can provide extra protec-

tion for sensitive documents.

If the computer data are more important than the computers them-

selves—which is usually the case—your priority may be to invest in an effective

automatic backup program before bolting down the computers. If the institu-

tion’s records are not yet computerized, it may be time to do so. In any case,

you will have to establish the highest priority of need, given the particular risks

associated with the location of the institution and any budgetary restrictions.

To help protect records, here are some items you may wish to have on hand:

•

ﬁre extinguishers

•

ﬁreproof ﬁle cabinets

•

er-surge protectors (replace every three or four years)

•

latches on cabinets

Questions to Consider

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

213

You may also wish to consult the buildings and maintenance team about ﬁre

detection and suppression systems for ofﬁces, as well as emergency generators

and fuel speciﬁcally for the running of computers.

•

Have you determined what equipment and supplies are likely

to be needed?

•

What sources are nearby to replace damaged or inaccessible materi-

als? Where is the “shopping list”? Who can purchase the materials?

•

Is there any planned alternate on-site and/or off-site storage for

noncollections objects, such as furniture, ﬁxtures, and equipment?

•

What equipment, materials, and documents are needed to keep

administrative functions operative in the event of a relocation?

Task 5

Invite local agencies and

individuals to participate

Do not make the mistake of overlooking local or regional services and

resources. Consider inviting any or all of the following professionals to

make presentations to your team. Coordinate these efforts with the EPC

so that other teams, and perhaps all staff members, might beneﬁt.

•

computer experts

•

retired or current staff of institutions with emergency responsibilities

•

business ofﬁce management experts

•

insuran

ce agents

It is also helpful to solicit input and advice from colleagues at institutions

oun

d t

e world. The purpose, however, should be to research what they did

correctly and incorrectly during emergencies, not to simply copy their plans.

Questions to Consider

Task 6

Recommend records-

related protective

measures

otec

tive measures are steps taken to eliminate hazards (as in ﬁre prevention

for

ts) or to r

educe t

e e

ffects of threats to records and documents (as in daily

backup of computer data). You and your team must make recommendations to

e EPC for bot

h types of protection.

otec

on is a lon

g process— one that never ends. From time to time,

remind team members that it is a priority. You also will need to remind your

adminis

ration colleagues of their commitment to emergency preparedness

as y

ou lobby for f

g for good p

aper records, computer upgrades, or photo-

graphic records and duplication.

In set

ing priorities, you must decide whether the assets and/or data

e w

h pr

otecting and/or evacuating in comparison with the collections.

214 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Protecting the collections and buildings has greater priority in most cases, but

there are exceptions. For example, the records and observations associated with

specimens in a natural history museum may be more valuable than the easily

replaceable specimens. “You have to decide what is potentially replaceable if you

ave to make that terrible choice,” emphasizes Jerry Podany, head of antiquities

conservation at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The priorities for protection that you set will inﬂuence the budget

for addressing these problems. Some protection efforts may cost next to noth-

ing, such as photocopying paper ﬁles and storing the duplicates off-site. Others

have higher price tags. The preparedness budget may be well served by protect-

ing data in advance so that in an emergency, efforts can remain fully focused

on other areas, such as collections. Bear in mind that it is easier to request fund-

ing from the community for speciﬁc projects than for the amorphous goal of

achieving emergency preparedness.

Protective measures you may wish to consider include the following:

•

Establish regulations conﬁning smoking to a speciﬁc, designated area

outside the premises.

•

Store original records in ﬁreproof cabinets.

•

Duplicate ﬁle cards if there is only one copy.

•

Work with the buildings and maintenance department to install a ﬁre

detection and suppression system in records storage areas.

•

Back up computer ﬁles and systems daily.

•

Ensure that computers and other ofﬁce equipment are kept in well-

ventilated areas and that cords and wiring are intact (i.e., not frayed).

•

Unplug all ofﬁce equipment during thunderstorms or if such a storm

is approaching.

•

Use high-quality surge protectors and change them every four years.

•

Store heavy books, supplies, and related items on lower shelves;

do not store anything on top of shelves or cabinets or place shelves

over computers, typewriters, and other ofﬁce equipment. Secure shelves

to walls.

•

Keep an updated medical information data sheet on all staff (who

agr

ee to volunteer the information). Include a list of emergency con-

tacts, preferred doctors and hospitals, and medical insurance compa-

nies and account numbers for each staff member. List next of kin or

out-of-state contact names and telephone numbers.

•

Prohibit or limit the storage or use of documents and ofﬁce equipment

near plate glass windows or doors, particularly if the institution is in a

tornado, hurricane, windstorm, or seismic zone.

Work with the safety and security, collections, and buildings and maintenance

teams to keep duplicates of all important documents in a secure place off-site,

hin tw

enty-four hours of accessibility, and keep one set of the documents in

the safe room, or in the departmental safe rooms, as appropriate. These docu-

ments should include the following:

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

215

Preparing Report 2:

Outline of Response Procedures and Techniques

In Report 2, you will establish an administration and records response team

and recommend administration and records-related procedures and tech-

niques for responding to any type of emergency. The report gives instructions

for ensuring the safety of staff and data. Include in the report lists of items,

such as emergency supplies and equipment available on-site as well as off-site,

and job descriptions for response team members.

As in all other aspects of emergency preparedness, advance planning

is the key to minimizing confusion, unnecessary delays, and frustration. It

also can result in signiﬁcant money savings by ensuring prompt resumption

of revenue-generating museum or institution activities, as well as the most

efﬁcient use of ﬁnancial and staff resources in order to recover all normal

erations. The following tasks, undertaken be

fore

an em

ergency event, will

elp y

ou cr

aft the administration and records portion of the response plan

in a simple, det

ailed, an

d ﬂexible w

With your team, brainstorm what

to do in the following scenario:

Weather forecasters say a storm

is h

eaded in y

our institution’s

direction, accompanied by strong

winds and heavy rainfall. This is

e la

tes

t in a monthlong series

of such storms. The storm is

expected to hit tomorrow night.

t is t

he role of the adminis-

tration and records staff during

preparations for the storm? Who

will ch

eck an

/or stock supplies,

photo equipment, and insurance

paperwork? Who will move sen-

ive equipment to the middle

of the room? Who will perform

the computer backup? What else

should be consi

der

ed?

Suggested

Exercise

•

ergency cash, checks, credit cards, and contact information for a

24-hour bank

•

acquisition and registration records

•

insurance records

•

ﬁnancial records

•

asset documentation and inventories

•

ownership, rental, or lease records

•

policy documents

•

inventory lists

•

labels for boxes and writing equipment

•

computer application programs

•

personnel records

•

name labels for volunteers

•

records of grants, donations, and museum shop sales

•

library and archive inventories

•

laptop computer with an adapter for using a car cigarette lighter as a

power source

•

membership records (for an emergency appeal, if necessary)

Records from other departments should include the following:

•

acquisition and registration records

•

complete, updated records of collection loans

•

conservation treatment and condition reports

•

hazardous materials lists

•

architectural and mechanical system plans and appropriate contacts

•

plans of electronic security and ﬁre detection and suppression systems

216 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Task 1 : Identify potential temporary operational headquarters.

ask 2:

velop the administration and records response team.

Task 3 : Develop recovery procedures.

Task 4 : Create lists of staff and resource contact information.

Task 5 : Create relevant fact sheets and maps.

Task 6 : Stock emergency supplies and equipment.

Task 7 : Establish routines to keep the plan viable.

Task 8 : Identify and implement appropriate training.

In preparing the report, you and your team will have to address a number of

important issues. Some will be general to all the team reports, whereas others

will be issues speciﬁc to administration and records. The questions below

address some of these issues and may prompt you to identify others.

•

Who will be in charge of keeping your part of the plan current?

(People change jobs, telephone numbers change, new equipment

is purchased and old equipment is discarded, companies go out

of business, and agency responsibilities change.)

•

To whom does your team report during an emergency?

•

What will be the ﬁnancial effect on the museum of a long-term

disruption of services? A short-term disruption?

•

If the institution is small, can you form an “emergency-preparedness

cooper

tive” with other small cultural institutions? As a group, can

you acquire funding to research disaster plans and/or form a central

library for disaster preparedness information? Can you talk to local

emergency authorities as a uniﬁed group? Can you assist one another

in ot

er w

ays?

•

Who will h

dle personnel issues, such as workers’ compensation

claims, disability, and payroll? Do you have the forms and know the

procedures?

•

Who has access to immediate emergency funds and authorization

for em

ergen

cy expenditures?

•

Who will coor

inate with emergency organizations such as the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and with the

insurance company?

•

Who will coordinate volunteers during and after an emergency?

Questions to Consider

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

217

Task 1

Identify potential

temporary operational

headquarters

During an emergency, there must be a central base of operations, or emergency

command center, from which the response and recovery teams can operate

following an evacuation. The location of this command post is likely to be dif-

ferent in anticipation of a hurricane than in response to an earthquake. In

som

e cases, it may be the security ofﬁce. In others, it could be a command post

set up on or near the premises.

Work with the emergency response coordinator (ERC) and leaders of

the other departmental teams to identify criteria for the emergency command

center. Once established, the command post should be staffed by the ERC and

the leaders of the departmental response teams.

The safety and security team may be given the responsibility for set-

ting up the command post. Your role in regard to administrative issues for

the post, and your input into the decision on where to establish temporary quar-

ters to house operations, is invaluable. When selecting a data recovery center,

consider the threats identiﬁed in your team’s vulnerability assessment. If ﬂood

is a potential hazard, the center must be located on the highest point in the

surrounding area.

Rapid recovery is the ﬁrst priority for the administration and records

team. Personnel must be accounted for and assisted, if necessary. The need

for information will be great. Donors and lenders will want to know the status

of their works of art and artifacts. Collections holdings may have to be moved,

and it is imperative to know their current whereabouts; movement and rehous-

ing information must be kept under full intellectual control. The insurance

process must be launched. Other agencies, such as federal assistance programs,

will want documentation. To function as a data recovery center and operations

headquarters, the command center must

•

contain at least one computer with enough power and memory to

access the data and applications, if applicable;

•

have access to sufﬁcient power supply to run computers and other

equipment (note: adapters are available for a car’s cigarette lighter);

•

be secure so as to control access to data and records;

•

have a copy of the card ﬁle or accession books;

•

be physi

cally safe for those working there; and

•

have adequate sanitation facilities, as well as emergency water and

food supplies.

Task 2

Develop the

administration

and records

response team

Compile a list of needed actions

The role of the administration and records response team will vary depending

on the institution and the emergency. Following are some actions for which

your team may be responsible:

•

Establish a base of operations that can accommodate the anticipated

worker pool, and announce its location to staff.

Step 1

218 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

•

rovide immediate access to emergency funds and establish a con-

tingency plan for ﬁnancing recovery operations and for paying staff.

•

Quickly contact trustees, board of directors, large donors, and the

like—with permission from the director or the ERC—and inform

them of the emergency, ideally before they hear of it on the news.

•

Coordinate claims and restoration work with insurance agents,

federal emergency agencies, registrars, and conservators as quickly

as possible. This may require hours of detective work in the ﬁles.

(Note: Accompany all insurance agents, contractors, and simliar

personnel on their tour of the site. Take detailed notes of all conver-

sations for future reference.)

•

Attempt to recover data as quickly as possible.

•

Evacuate records (e.g., computer disks, Rolodex ﬁles, etc.), if time

permits, in the order of priority established in the emergency plan.

•

Remain with evacuated records until the appropriate person can

receive them.

•

Recruit and screen volunteer workers.

•

Create work schedules; keep staff employed part-time if they cannot be

employed full-time due to the emergency situation.

•

Consider purchasing or arranging for quick rental of an emergency

generator for vital equipment (photocopier, computer, etc.).

Develop response team job descriptions

Developing job descriptions should be familiar to members of your team,

at least those who handle personnel ﬁles and perform human resources duties.

Because of this, your team should coordinate the writing of job descriptions for

each o

f the four departmental response teams.

Designate responsibilities by position title rather than by individual,

so that if the person who is the primary designate for the role is unavailable,

e person next in the line of succession will assume the responsibilities. You

may want to assign response team leaders in the areas of personnel, software,

and physical records. Match similar duties (e.g., leadership duties, assistance

dut

es, and physical duties) so that one person is not handling totally different

tasks. Each position on a team should have a job description.

The number of alternates— or backup positions—that you assign

dep

ds on ho

w imp

t cer

ain skills are to the position. For example, if

t is crucial to have a person with computer experience directing the adminis-

on and records response team, numerous alternates should be listed. Com-

g t

e r

esp

onsibili

ties of each person to paper helps to deﬁne roles and

amiliarizes each person with his or her role and that of colleagues.

Be sur

e to build ﬂexibili

y in

to t

he plan. Experts say that the goal in

ablishin

g a r

esp

onse team is to cr

te gener

ic positions that anyone can

Step 2

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

219

ﬁll in an emergency. In other words, staff members should not get tied to a

speciﬁc position.

The response team job description for the human resources manager

in appendix K is from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook.

ote that in addition to simple and clear responsibilities, the description lists

who should ﬁll the position, and the line of succession if the designated person

is unavailable. The description also states to whom this team member reports,

and provides a checklist of actions expected of the position. In short, nearly

anyone could ﬁll the position if necessary.

Task 3

Develop recovery

procedures

Recovery measures occur after an event has happened. They are designed

to enable the museum—and its collection—to return to normalcy in an

orderly, phased, reasoned and methodical fashion. Recovery measures begin

when the disaster situation has stabilized and professionals have evaluated

the damage and suggested further, long-term actions. Recovery can be a

long process, taking years in some cases.

— John E. Hunter

Supervisory staff curator

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Consider damage assessment issues

Working with the three other departmental preparedness teams, you and your

team will build damage assessment procedures into the response plan. The

institution’s controller, risk manager, and general counsel should be involved in

the planning process. Use their expertise to anticipate legal and ﬁnancial issues

or potential obstacles likely to arise in the aftermath of a large-scale emergency.

our team should de

elop ch

ecklists for recovery procedures. Docu-

mentation of physical damage is critical not only for salvage and conservation

of historic buildings but also for insurance purposes. Determine what role the

adminis

tion and records response team will play in the documentation process.

Documentation equipment, such as a camera or video camera, should

be safely stored and easily accessible, along with in-house damage assessment

d objec

t r

ort forms and insurance claim forms. If visual documentation

equipm

t is un

ailable, do t

e documenting in writing. Prepared checklists

can make written documentation more effective.

In t

e U

nited States and other countries, federal and national funding

is a

ailable wh

en a museum is a

ted by a natural emergency.

Docum

of damage, along with photographs of objects before they were damaged, is required

In t

e U

nited States, additional funding for temporary relocation of objects,

equipm

t purch

ase, an

d so for

h, m

ay be available through the Institute of

Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humani-

es in Washington, D.C.

Step 1

220 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Determine recovery procedures

ou and your team should work with the three other teams to identify recovery

procedures that move the museum from a state of emergency to the state of nor-

mal operations. In the aftermath of an emergency, these recovery procedures

can be used as a guide in developing a recovery plan.

Administration and records-related recovery procedures may include

the following:

•

Help determine speciﬁc recovery needs and goals.

•

Determine what resources are needed.

•

Help prepare a written recovery plan.

•

Organize r

esources, including recovery teams and outside experts.

•

Secure funding.

•

Gather emergency equipment and supplies.

•

Maintain staff morale by setting a date for reopening the institution,

creating work schedules, and allowing time off for staff members who

have had extensive damage to their homes.

•

Work with the other departmental teams to review and coordinate

claims and restoration work.

•

Maintain the public’s goodwill by issuing news releases on the situa-

tion, and preparing a list of needs and making it available to interested

organizations and members of the public.

•

Reward efforts of staff, volunteers, and board members.

Step 2

Address issues of mental and physical well-being

Employees, volunteers, and others may experience secondary injuries—

emot

ional injuries—following a disaster.

— The Getty Center

“Em

ergen

cy Plannin

g Handbook”

The Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook” provides information on

six s

ages o

f reaction that staff may experience after an emergency:

Imp

t o

f the event (at the time of the event)

Shock (24

–

48 hours a

ter t

e e

vent)

Suggestibility (1–3 days after the event)

Euphor

ia (1

–2 weeks after the event, during the initial response phase)

alen

ce (wh

en t

he critical response phase passes)

Reintegration (2–9 months after the event; routine returns, the envi-

onm

ent is stable)

Step 3

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

221

These stages are spread over a period from immediate impact to reintegration

to a normal routine. The handbook recommends that follow-up support be pro-

vided to help staff deal with the impact. Support can be in the form of coun-

seling, conﬁdential support groups, a debrieﬁng for all staff within forty-eight

hours a

fter an emergency, reorganization of work schedules as necessary, and

reestablishment of normal operations as soon as possible.

The psychological impact of emergencies and disasters should be

addressed in training exercises as well. Set aside time after a full drill or a real

emergency for staff members to talk about their experiences. Drills can become

total mayhem and will inevitably agitate and worry some employees. In addition

to holding roundtable debrieﬁngs, consider setting up a suggestion box so that

the more reticent staff members can share their feelings, comments, and obser-

vations. A debrieﬁng should also be held after a drill. Ask participants how they

are feeling. If they are doing the drill well, they are going to be almost able to

smell the smoke, and will probably be anxious.

During drills and during recovery efforts in a real emergency, be sure

to schedule regular breaks, as well as to provide food, a place to eat and rest,

and bathroom facilities. Learn more about stress and how to manage its effects.

Decision making is difﬁcult, and tensions and tempers may be running high.

A sense of humor can go a long way.

Require frank after-action reports

Every encounter with a disaster or an emergency is an opportunity for learning.

After-action reports detail actions taken and results observed, providing a

useful teaching tool. It is important ﬁrst to emphasize and praise what went

right, then to examine problems encountered or mistakes made. Do not

allow these reports to be after-the-fact justiﬁcations and defenses of what the

response team did; rather, they should be a candid assessment of what went

on, problems and all.

Indicate to team members your desire to learn from mistakes, not to

punish people for them. Encourage an atmosphere of honest self-assessment,

starting with yourself. What could you have done differently? What would

have worked better? How could you improve your response next time? What

did you learn that could be applied to the next emergency?

Step 4

Task 4

Create lists of staff

and resource contact

information

You will need to furnish the emergency preparedness committee with the names

f all y

our staff members, along with their work and home telephone numbers

d addr

esses. T

his infor

tion will enable you to notify them if they happen

to be at home during an emergency. Also, make a list of any special skills staff

bers have; for example, is any employee a nurse, a search-and-rescue team

ber

, or an am

bulan

ce driver?

222 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Put together lists of names, telephone and fax numbers, and street and

e-mail addresses of individuals and organizations with whom your team might

have contact during or after an emergency. Update the lists regularly. Coordi-

nate your lists with those of the other teams. Contact each of these organizations

or in

dividuals now, apprising them of their projected role in your plan.

Here are some resources you may wish to include:

•

local (federal) emergency relief ofﬁce

•

insurance company

•

electronic data recovery services

•

lawyer/legal adviser

•

copying facility

•

volunteer organizations

•

banks

•

board of directors, trustees, signiﬁcant donors, collection lenders

•

computer rental and repair ﬁrms

•

Where is your resource list located?

•

Who is keeping it current? How often is it updated?

•

Where is the off-premises copy located?

•

Who will be responsible for contacting people identiﬁed for assistance

and advice?

•

Have you established credit lines with appropriate companies, and

are they sufﬁcient for the institution’s potential needs? Will this plan

work if the whole community is affected by the emergency?

Questions to Consider

Task 5

Create relevant fact

sheets and maps

Develop fact sheets and maps in collaboration with the other preparedness

teams. Your department, however, will be responsible for overseeing the duplica-

on of these documents; identifying a safe location for them on the premises,

as w

ell as o

f-si

te; an

d dep

ositing all documents in these locations. In the pro-

cess,

will

need

balan

risk to the security of vital and conﬁdential docu-

ents against having them available and readily accessible in an emergency.

t sh

eets f

om your department should include the following:

•

erating instructions for computer equipment

•

azar

dous m

ter

ials in the area, including copier ﬂuid

•

a r

eco

y loca

ion

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

223

Task 6

Stock emergency supplies

and equipment

Store emergency supplies in two locations—internal for quick use, and exter-

nal in case of evacuation or if the building is not occupied when the emergency

occurs. Coordinate this stocking process with the EPC and other preparedness

teams. Large quantities of expensive items or perishable materials need not be

tockpiled. Instead, identify suppliers and make arrangements for emergency

delivery, as necessary.

Emergency supplies should include the following:

•

hard hats and emergency clothing (for team members who are

assigned to enter a damaged building)

•

workers’ compensation, insurance claim, and accident report forms

•

purchase orders

•

emergency credit card/cash/checkbooks (vendors may not be able to

verify credit card charges if telephone lines are not working)

•

payroll lists

•

photographic equipment (camera, lenses, accessories, ﬂash, high-speed

ﬁlm) and video camera, if possible

•

batteries for camera, ﬂash, ﬂashlights, and other equipment (replaced

as necessary)

•

extension cords (some of which are equipped with ground circuit

interrupters)

•

boxes for packing and moving records and equipment, along with

sealing and strapping tape

•

essential ofﬁce equipment and supplies, such as a manual typewriter,

pocket calculator, pencil sharpener, clipboards, stapler, rulers, pens,

pencils, and waterproof notebooks

•

essential stationery to ensure capability of minimal administrative

operations

•

a number of small carrying bags or backpacks for moving the mini-

ofﬁce around in what might be a damaged building

•

plastic sheeting to cover exposed objects and ofﬁce equipment

For further ideas on equipment and supplies that should be stocked, refer to

app

endix E.

During a meeting of your team

members, conduct a mental exer-

cise. Ask them to close their eyes;

then give them an emergency sce-

nario. For example, a ﬁre breaks

out in a w

orkroom, or a local dis-

aster strikes. Ask a volunteer to

describe, step by step, how he or

e would respond to the emer-

gency. Ask detailed questions:

What do you do ﬁrst? Who has a

ﬂashlight? Whom do you call?

What telephone do you use?

Where are the keys? Where are

the necessary supplies, maps,

d lis

ts? En

cour

age others to

make recommendations.

Suggested

Exercise

224 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Task 7

Establish routines

to keep the plan viable

The following are a few examples of possible daily and periodic checklist activi-

ties for the administration and records team. Compare your list with those of

the other preparedness teams to learn about other important activities you may

have overlooked.

Daily checklist activities:

•

Computer system and ﬁles are backed up daily.

•

Copier and other equipment are turned off, unplugged, or put on

power-saving mode, as appropriate.

•

The safe and conﬁdential ﬁle cabinets are locked and the keys

deposited in the designated location.

•

Doors and windows in the administration areas are locked.

•

Waste disposal containers are emptied.

Periodic checklist activities:

•

Check emergency supplies, and reorder if necessary.

•

e ﬁre extinguishers in the administration areas inspected, and

ech

arged if necessary.

•

Coor

te wi

h other departments the duplication and off-site storage

of new documents.

•

ify and update information on the contact list of emergency

esources.

•

Upd

te t

e dut

y r

ter wi

h changes in staff and administrative

erations.

Questions to Consider

•

Have you provided sufﬁcient protection for the supplies so they will

be available and undamaged in the event of an emergency?

•

Have you communicated clearly to all staff where these supplies are

located, have you labeled them clearly and have you posted maps

showing where the supplies are located?

•

What are nearby sources to replace damaged or inaccessible materi-

als? Where is the “shopping list”? Who can purchase the materials?

•

Is someone responsible for being sure supply levels are maintained?

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

225

Task 8

Identify and implement

appropriate training

Dur

ing a large-scale disaster, your team may be in charge of handling the

community volunteers, docents, trustees, members of the military or National

Guard, and other emergency workers available to help. Training some of

hese individuals in advance can provide an additional layer of support in an

emergency. It also can aid in community awareness and in fund-raising for

prevention efforts. Use untrained volunteers on work on tasks that do not involve

collections.

Aside from handling volunteers and performing evacuation proce-

dures, you may also need to train staff to retrieve backup computer tapes and/or

disks and to perform other activities speciﬁc to administration and records.

Coordinate training activities with the EPC, as many of these activities will be

relevant to other departmental staff and teams.

Some basic training methods are listed below. You may choose to

employ several, either independently or simultaneously. Please see chapter 5

for more information on training.

•

group discussions

•

simulations/role-playing

•

supplementary handouts

•

video tapes

•

review sessions

•

self-assessment exercises

•

hands-on workshops

•

presentations by colleagues with ﬁrsthand experience in the types of

scenarios that might be expected at your institution

Does everyone on your staff know

•

how to direct ﬁreﬁghters and others through local streets;

•

how to get to the roof of the buildings and direct others to the roof;

•

where emergency alarms and ﬁre extinguishers are;

•

the location, both off-site and on-site, of emergency supplies and

equipment;

•

where supply kits for packaging the ofﬁce equipment are, and if staff

members have access to that location;

•

the routes to internal or external shelters;

•

who is in charge and to whom to report; and

•

how to evacuate computer ﬁles (do these need to be evacuated if

backup ﬁles are maintained)?

Questions to Consider

226 P

art III: For the Departmental Team Leaders

Notes

1. John E. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” in Southeastern Museums Conference,

1991 Disaster Preparedness Seminar Proceedings, ed. Martha E. Battle and Pamela Meister

(Baton Rouge, La.: Southeastern Museums Conference, 1991), 64.

2. Joe Shuster, telephone interview with Sharon Jones, 1993.

3. Carl L. Nelson, Protecting the Past from Natural Disasters (Washington, D.C.: Preservation

Press, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1991), 78.

4. Gail E. McGifﬁn, “Sharing the Risks,” History News 48, no. 1 (1993): 16–19. Used by

permission of the American Association for State and Local History.

5. Adapted from Miriam Kahn,

Disaster Response and Prevention for Computers and Data

(Columbus, Ohio: MBK Consulting, 1994), 43. Used by permission.

6. Scott E. Smith, “Insurance Planning,”

History News 48, no. 1 (1993): 18, 37.

7. McGifﬁn, “Sharing the Risks.”

8. Kahn, Disaster Response for Computers, 41– 44.

9. Seattle Art Museum, Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed. (Seattle: Seattle Art Museum,

1994).

10. Hunter, “Preparing a Museum Disaster Plan,” 58.

11.

Getty Center, “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1997,

photocopy), Fact Sheets section.

12.

Excerpted from Gail Joice, “Questions to Ask Yourself When Preparing a Disaster Plan”

(AAM Risk Management and Insurance Committee, American Association of Museums,

Washington, D.C., April 1994, typescript), with additional information provided by the

advisers in the development of this book.

While your team may be asked to document response and recovery efforts for

the entire institution during execution of the emergency plan, do not forget to

keep good written and photographic records of your team activities, as well.

Hold regular team meetings as soon as possible to communicate how work is

ogressing and how to make response and recovery efforts easier and less

stressful.

After normal operations have resumed following a disaster, subject the

emergency plan and the performance of all team members to a candid critique

as soon as possible. Encourage feedback from all persons involved through

written reports, interviews, and group meetings.

When possible, following a major emergency, schedule time off for

staff members, particularly if any of them have sustained injuries, or damage

or loss to their homes. Contact counselors if necessary, and assure staff that

such counseling is entirely conﬁdential.

apter 9: Administration and Records Team

227

Chapter Summary

This chapter

•

outlined the role of the administration and records preparedness

team in the emergency preparedness process;

•

described information required in the two reports to be delivered

to the emergency planning committee;

•

provided guidance in assessing the vulnerability and assets of the

administration and records program;

•

helped deﬁne the roles and responsibilities of the administration

and records response team; and

•

identiﬁed tasks to guide you through the process of designing a

response plan that is simple, detailed, and ﬂexible.

In review, the emergency preparedness process is a long-term commit-

ment on the part of the institution’s staff, teams, and committees. You

cannot, and should not, expect changes to happen quickly or easily.

Interdisciplinary teamwork is difﬁcult and requires a change in attitude

that may be slow in coming at ﬁrst. The payoff—in peace of mind,

in the safety of staff and visitors, and in the protection of objects and

irreplaceable records—will be great.

Appendixes

229

Appendix A Emergency Teams at the Barbados Museum

A Emergency teams list from the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s “Emergency Plan” (Barbados Museum and

Historical Society, St. Michael, 1994, photocopy). Used by permission.

230 App

endix A

App

endixes

Appendix B Tables of Contents from Emergency Planning ManualsAppendix B Tables of Contents from Emergency Planning Manuals

B.1 T

able o

f con

tents from the Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1997,

photocopy).

App

endix B

231

232 App

endix B

B.2 T

able o

f con

ten

ts f

om t

e Seattle Art Museum’s

ergen

cy Plannin

g Han

dbook

, r

. ed. (Sea

tle: Sea

tle Ar

t Museum,

1994). Used by permission.

App

endixes

7App

endix B

233

B.2 continued

234 App

endix B

B.3 Table of contents from the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s “Emergency Plan” (Barbados Museum and Histori-

cal Soc

ety, St. Michael, 1994, photocopy). Used by permission.

App

endixes

B.4 T

able o

f con

ten

ts f

om t

e Mystic Seaport Museum’s “Severe Weather Preparation Manual” (Mystic Seaport Museum,

Mystic, Conn., 1994, photocopy). Used by permission.

App

endix B

235

236 App

endix B

B.4 continued

App

endixes

11App

endix C

237

C.1 Emplo

yee evacuation procedures from the Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Trust,

Los Angeles, 1997, photocopy), Staff Emergency Procedures section.

Appendix C Evacuation Procedures for Staff and the Public

238 App

endix C

C.2 “Ev

acua

on o

f St

f and Visitors” document from the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s “Emergency Plan”

(Barbados Museum and Historical Society, St. Michael, 1994, photocopy). Used by permission.

App

endixes

13App

endix C

239

C.2 continued

240 App

endix D

Appendix D Safety and Welfare Supervisor Job Description

D Safety and welfare supervisor job description from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed.

(Sea

tle: Sea

tle Art Museum, 1994). Used by permission.

App

endixes

15App

endix D

241

D continued

242 App

endix E

E.1 Lis

t o

f contents for the mobile/portable ﬁrst-aid box from the Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook”

(

. P

ul Get

y T

rus

t, Los Angeles, 1997, photocopy), Fact Sheets section.

Appendix E Emergency Response Supply Lists

App

endixes

17App

endix E

243

E.2 List of contents for the emergency response cart from the Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty

Trust, Los Angeles, 1997, photocopy), Fact Sheets section.

244 App

endix E

E.2 continued

App

endixes

E.3 Fact sheet for a disaster supply box from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed. (Seattle:

Sea

tle Ar

t Museum, 1994). Used wi

th permission.

App

endix E

245

246 App

endix F

Appendix F Collection Safety Manager Job Description

F Collection safety manager job description from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed. (Seattle:

Seattle Art Museum, 1994). Used by permission.

App

endixes

21App

endix F

247

F continued

248 App

endix G

G “Evacuation of Collections” document from the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s “Emergency Plan” (Barbados

Museum and Historical Society, St. Michael, 1994, photocopy), 28 –29. Used by permission.

Appendix G Evacuation Procedures for Collections

App

endix H

249

H Index of fact sheets from the Getty Center’s “Emergency Planning Handbook” (J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 1997,

photocopy), Fact Sheets section.

Appendix H Fact Sheet List

250 App

endix H

H continued

App

endix H

251

H con

tinued

252 App

endix I

I.1 “P

otec

ion of Art in Emergency Situations” from the Seattle Art Museum’s

ergen

cy Plannin

g Han

dbook

, r

. ed.

(Sea

ttle: Seattle Art Museum, 1994). Used by permission.

Appendix I Procedures for Handling Art in an Emergency

App

endix I

253

I.1 continued

254 App

endix I

I.1 continued

App

endix I

255

I.2 “Handling Collections in Emergencies” from the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s “Emergency Plan”

(Barbados Museum an

d Historical Society, St. Michael, 1994, photocopy), Appendix 1. Used by permission.

256 App

endix I

I.2 continued

App

endix J

257

J Building systems supervisor job description from the Seattle Art Museum’s Emergency Planning Handbook, rev. ed.

(Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1994). Used by permission.

Appendix J Building Systems Supervisor Job Description

258 App

endix J

J con

inued

App

endix K

259

Appendix K Human Resources Manager Job Description

K Hum

an r

esources m

ager job descr

iption from the Seattle Art Museum’s

ergen

cy Plannin

g Han

dbook

, r

. ed.

(Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1994). Used by permission.

260 App

endix K

K continued

American Association for

State and Local History (AASLH)

1717 Church Street

Nashville, TN 37203-2991, USA

Tel: (615) 320-3203

Fax: (615) 327-9013

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.aaslh.org

American Association of Museums (AAM)

1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20005, USA

Tel: (202) 289-1818

Fax: (202) 289-6578

Web: www.aam-us.org

American Institute for Conservation

of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)

1717 K Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20006, USA

Tel: (202) 452-9545

Fax: (202) 452-9328

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: http://aic.stanford.edu

American Institute of Architects (AIA)

1735 New York Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20006, USA

Tel: (800) 242-3837

Fax: (202) 626-7547

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.aia.org

The Association for Preservation

Technology International

4513 Lincoln Avenue, Suite 213

Lisle, IL 60532-1290, USA

Tel: (630) 968-6400

Fax: (888) 723-4242

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.apti.org

Association of Art Museum Directors

(AAMD)

Administrative Office:

41 E. 65

Street

New York, NY 10021, USA

Tel: (212) 249-4423

Fax: (212) 535-5039

Web: www.aamd.org

or:

Government Affairs Office:

1319 F Street, NW, Suite 201

Washington, DC 20004, USA

Tel: (202) 638-4520

Fax: (202) 638-4528

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.aamd.org

Australian Institute for the Conservation

of Cultural Material (AICCM)

E-mail: [email protected]u

Web: www.aiccm.org.au

Canadian Association for

Conservation (CAC)

P.O. Box 87028

332 Bank Street

Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1X0, CANADA

Tel: (613) 231-3977

Fax: (613) 231-4406

Web: www.cac-accr.ca

Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI)

1030 Innes Road

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0M5, CANADA

Tel: (613) 998-3721

Fax: (613) 998-4721

Web: www.cci-icc.gc.ca

Canadian Museums Association (CMA)

280 Metcalfe Street., Suite 400

Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1R7, CANADA

Tel: (613) 567-0099

Fax: (613) 233-5438

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.museums.ca

Conseil de l’Europe/Council of Europe

67075 Strasbourg Cedex, FRANCE

Tel: (33 3) 88 41 20 00

Web: www.coe.int

Conservation and

Related Professional

Organizations

Heritage Preservation

1012 14th Street, NW Suite 1200

Washington, DC 20005, USA

Tel: (202) 233-0800

Fax: (202) 233-0807

Web: www.heritagepreservation.org

Institute of Museum and

Library Services (IMLS)

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20506, USA

Tel: (202) 606-8537

Fax: (202) 606-8591

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.imls.fed.us

The Institute of Paper Conservation

Bridge House, Waterside

Upton-Upon-Severn

WR8 0HG, UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: (44 1684) 591150

Fax: (44 1684) 592380

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.ipc.org.uk

ICCROM (International Centre for the

Study of the Preservation and Restoration

of Cultural Property)

via San Michele, 13

00153 Rome, ITALY

Tel: (39 06) 58 55 31

Fax: (39 06) 58 55 33 49

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.iccrom.org

International Council of Museums (ICOM)

Maison de l’UNESCO

1, rue Miollis

75732 Paris cedex 15, FRANCE

Tel: (33 1) 47 34 05 00

Fax: (33 1) 43 06 78 62

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.icom.museum

International Council of Museums

Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC)

c/o ICCROM

via San Michele, 13

00153 Rome, ITALY

Tel: (39 06) 58 55 34 10

Fax: (39 06) 58 55 33 49

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.icom-cc.org

Directory of Selected Organizations

Directory of Selected Organizations 261

International Council of Museums

International Committee for

Documentation (ICOM-CIDOC)

Web: www.cidoc.icom.org

International Council of Museums

International Committee for

Museum Security (ICOM-ICMS)

Web: http://user.chollian.net/~pll/

public_html/icms

International Council on Archives (ICA)

60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois

75003 Paris, FRANCE

Tel: (33 1) 40 27 63 49; 33 (0)1 40 27 63 06

Fax : (33 1) 42 72 20 65

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.ica.org

International Council on

Museums and Sites (ICOMOS)

49-51, rue de la Fédération

75015 Paris, FRANCE

Tel: (33 1) 45 67 67 70

Fax: (33 1) 45 66 06 22

E-mail: secretariat@icomos.org

Web: www.international.icomos.org

International Council on

Museums and Sites

International Committee

of the Blue Shield (ICOMOS-ICBS)

Web: www.icomos.org/blue_shield

International Federation of Library

Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

P.O. Box 95312

2509 CH The Hague, THE NETHERLANDS

Tel: (31 70) 3140884

Fax: (31 70) 3834827

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.ifla.org

The International Institute for Conservation

of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)

6 Buckingham Street

London WC2N 6BA, UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: (44 20) 7839 5975

Fax: (44 20) 7976 1564

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.iiconservation.org

Museums Association of the Caribbean

(MAC)

Web: www.tcmuseum.org/museums_

association_of_the_caribbean/

National Center for Preservation

Technology and Training (NCPTT)

645 College Avenue

Natchitoches, LA 71457, USA

Tel: (318) 356-7444

Fax: (318) 356-9119

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.ncptt.nps.gov

National Council of Structural Engineers

Association (NCSEA)

203 N. Wabash, Suite #2010

Chicago, IL 60601, USA

Tel: (312) 372-8035

Fax: (312) 372-5673

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.ncsea.com

National Park Service

Division of Conservation

P.O. Box 50

Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, USA

Tel: (304) 535-6139

Fax: (304) 535-6055

Web: www.nps.gov/hfc/conservation

National Park Service

Technical Preservation Services

Heritage Preservation Services

1201 Eye St, NW, 2255

Washington, D.C. 20005, USA

Tel: (202) 354-2074

Fax: (202) 371-1616

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www2.cr.nps.gov/tps

National Trust for Historic Preservation

1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20036-2117, USA

Tel: (202) 588-6000

Fax: (202) 588-6038

Web: www.nationaltrust.org

Parks Canada National Office

25 Eddy Street

Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M5, CANADA

Tel: (888) 773-8888

E-mail: informati[email protected]

Web: www.parkscanada.gc.ca

262 Directory of Selected Organizations

The Museums, Libraries and

Archives Council

16 Queen Anne’s Gate

London SW1H 9AA, UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: (44 207) 273 1444

Fax: (44 207) 273 1404

E-mail: [email protected].uk

Web: www.resource.gov.uk

Scottish Museums Council

20/22 Torphichen Street

Edinburgh EH3 8JB, Scotland

UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: (44 131) 229 7465

Fax: (44 131) 229 2728

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.scottishmuseums.org.uk

Scottish Society for Conservation

and Restoration

Chantstoun

Tartraven

Bathgate Hills

West Lothian EH48 4NP

Scotland, UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: (44 131) 555 2673

E-mail: admin@sscr.demon.co.uk

Web: www.sscr.demon.co.uk

Society for the Preservation of

Natural History Collections (SPNHC)

Web: www.spnhc.org

UNESCO World Heritage Centre

7 place de Fontenoy

75352 Paris 07 SP, FRANCE

Tel: (33 1) 45 68 10 00

Fax: (33 1) 45 67 16 90

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: http://whc.unesco.org

United Kingdom Institute for

Conservation (UKIC)

702 The Chandlery

50 Westminster Bridge Road

London SE1 7QY, UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: (44 20) 7721 8721

Fax: (44 20) 7721 8722

E-mail: ukic@ukic.org.uk

Web: http://www.ukic.org.uk

Directory of Selected Organizations 263

Emergency-Related

Organizations

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

58 Moo 9, Km. 42, Paholyothin Highway

P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang,

Pathumthani 12120, THAILAND

Tel: (66 2) 516 5900-10

Fax: (66 2) 524 5350

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.adpc.net

Caribbean Disaster Emergency

Response Agency (CDERA)

Building No. 1 – Manor Lodge

Lodge Hill

St. Michael, BARBADOS

Tel: (246) 425-0386

Fax: (246) 425-8854

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.cdera.org

Emergency Preparedness Canada

Communications Branch

340 Laurier Avenue West

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8, CANADA

Tel: (613) 944-4875 or

(800) 830-3118

Fax: (613) 998-9589

E-mail: communications@ocipep-

bpiepc.gc.ca

Web: www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca

Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA)

500 C Street SW

Washington, DC 20472, USA

Tel: (202) 566-1600

Web: www.fema.gov

Fire Protection Association of Australia

(FPA)

PO Box 1049

Box Hill, Victoria, 3128, AUSTRALIA

Tel: (61 3) 9890-1544

Fax: (613) 9890-1577

Web: www.fpaa.com.au

United Nations Inter-Agency Secretariat of

the International Strategy for

Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)

Palais des Nations

CH-1211 Geneva 10, SWITZERLAND

Tel: (41 22) 917 2529 / 762 / 759

Fax: (41 22) 917 0563

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.unisdr.org

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

One Batterymarch Park

Quincy, MA 02169-7471, USA

Tel: (617) 770-3000

Fax: (617) 770-0700

Web: www.nfpa.org

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

International

NFPA Global Operations

Fax: (617) 984-7777

Web: www.nfpa.org/International/

InternationalOperations/InternationalOper-

ations.asp

dex

265

Index

Page numbers in italics refer

to illustrations.

access

to shelters, 123, 125

to storage areas, 151–52,

239