DEVELOPING ANEMERGENCY RESPONSE

PLAN FORNATURAL HISTORY

COLLECTIONSDavid Tremain

• Emergencies and disasters can and dohappen

• Most emergency situations can beavoided

• Many effects of emergencies anddisasters can be mitigated

• Most institutions are not well prepared

“By failing toprepare, you’repreparing to fail.”

Abraham Lincoln

PLANNING...

• What should be done

• Who should do it

• When it should bedone

• Where it should bedone

• Why it should be done

• How it should be done

KEY ASPECTS OFEMERGENCY PLANNING

• Preventing the event from occurring, or

• Mitigating its effects if it should notbe preventable

• Cohesive teamwork and collaboration

• Ensuring the right people are involvedand properly trained

GETTING MANAGEMENTSUPPORT

• Management needs to be at the table

• Convincing management– Emergency planning not a whim

– Emergencies cost $$$

• Consider the museum to be a business(BCP)

Who needs to beinvolved?

Everybody was sure that Somebody wouldlook after it. Anybody could have done it, butNobody did. Somebody got angry about itbecause it was Everybody’s job. Everybodythought Anybody could do it, but Nobodyrealized that Everybody would not do it. It endedup that Everybody blamed Somebody whenNobody did what Anybody could have done.

The Planning Committee• Management

• Curatorial staff

• Registrar

• Head of Security

• Facilities Manager

• Administrator/Finance

• Conservator

What needs to be done?

• Assign tasks

• Collect and collateinformation

• Rare or valuable items (irreplaceable)– Type specimens, Field notes

• Vulnerable items (i.e.to water, soot)– Skins, Hides

• Replaceable items• (Potentially) Hazardous items

– Mounted specimens treated with Arsenic (As) orMercury (Hg)

– Mounted botanical specimens treated with DDT, PDB– Radioactive minerals– Wet specimens

What needs to be protected?

Sensitivity of objects

• Sensitive to fluctuations in temp. and RH

• Sensitive to moisture

• Sensitive to light fading

• Politically sensitive

• Fragile and cannot be moved easily

• Large/heavy that cannot be moved easily

• Small and easily stolen

• Identify hazards:– Risk Assessment

– Carry out inspections

– Collect information

What does it need to be protected from?

AGENTS OFDETERIORATION

Environmental: Heavy precipitation,flooding

Human related: Fire hoses, burst water pipeWater

Accidental: Deficient wiring, construction,gas leak, natural/environment

Intentional: Arson, bomb threatFire

Intentional: Criminals, staff, protesters

Unintentional: Staff, users, pests

Thieves, Vandals,Displacers

Cumulative: Improper handling or support

Catastrophic: Earthquake, war, floor collapseDirect Physical Force(Shock, vibration, abrasion or gravity)

CAUSEAGENT

“[T]errorism is a global problem…As long as there are people who arenot happy with their lot in life, aslong as the United States isperceived to somehow be the causeof this unhappiness, there will beterrorism.”

Cofer Black – former Director, CounterterrorismCenter (CTC), CIA

Where can I get this information?

U.S. Organizations

• FEMA: FederalEmergency ManagementAgency

• DHS Department ofHomeland Security

• NOAA: NationalOceanographic &AtmosphericAdministration

• NWS: National WeatherService

• NOS: National OceanService

• NIFC: NationalInteragency Fire Center

• CDC: Centers for DiseaseControl

• USGS: U.S. GeologicalSurvey

• NCDC: National ClimaticData Center

• State and local authorities

U.S. Organizations

• NFPA: National FireProtection Association

• AIC: American Institutefor Conservation

• Heritage Preservation– Heritage Emergency

National Task Force

• AASLH: AmericanAssociation for State &Local History

• NTHP National Trust forHistoric Preservation

• Department of the Interior– National Park Service– Office of Managing Risk

etc

• Smithsonian InstitutionASIS: American Societyfor Industrial Security

• American Red Cross• FBI Field Office• US Army Corps of

Engineers• World Wide Web

• Meet with– Fire

– Police

– Insurance

– City officials

– Local EmergencyMeasures Organization

• Form an EmergencyResponse Team (ERT)

What needs

to be done?

• Procedures for:– Evacuation

– Mitigating varioustypes of emergencies

– Responding to varioustypes of emergencies

– Salvaging artifacts

What needs tobe included?

• Key telephonenumbers

• Inventory and prioritylist

• List of equipment andsupplies

• Access to emergencyfunding

• Alternate site

What needs tobe included?

“One of the simplest waysto ensure help will beavailable in the event of amajor disaster is todevelop an emergencyresponse network withinyour local community. Thegoal of such a networkis to enable its members topool together theirhuman and materialresources to overcome acrisis.” Michael O’Malley

NetworkNetwork

Network

What makes a good EmergencyPreparedness Plan?

• Written

• Portable

• Accessible

• Practical, Effective, Efficient

• Clear, Concise, Simple

• Flexible, Revisable

• Comprehensive, Relevant

• Supported by Management

DO’S AND DON’TS

• DON’TS– Bury important information

– Staple pages together

– Use spiral bindings

– Ignore security information

– Be too general

– Waffle or philosophize!

DO’S AND DON’TS

• DO– Use ring binders– Use coloured cover– Make waterproof

copies– Separate each section:

• Use colour code foreach section

• Use tabs• Use primary and

secondary headings

• Use footers/headers

– Include a Table ofContents

– Date it

– Identify whoprepared/revised it

– Include procedures forall known eventualities

– Keep copies offsite

TRAINING

•Hands on

•Demonstration

•Scenario-based

–with role-playing

•Table-top exercises

•Training video

Training options

PLANNING

Writing

the plan

Risk Managem

ent

Salvage priorities

Emergency Response Team

Resources

RE

SPON

SE

POST-

DISASTER

•Hazard ID•Prevention•Mitigation

EMERGENCY

PREPAREDNESS

PROCESS

Salvage