This document provides an overview of emergency and disaster response planning for cultural heritage institutions. It discusses the importance of having a disaster plan and response team in place. The key components that should be included in a disaster plan are outlined, such as objectives, emergency response procedures, priority collections, resources, equipment, and prevention strategies. The document also covers immediate response actions during an emergency, salvaging damaged collections, and cleanup operations after a disaster occurs. It emphasizes that disaster preparedness is an ongoing process that requires regularly reviewing and updating plans.

1. Emergency
and Disaster
Response
Planning
Michael Straatmann
Access Services
Coordinator and
Disaster Response
Manager

2. Excuses for Not
Having a Disaster Plan
• It can’t happen to my institution.
• I don’t have time to do it.
• I don’t know how to do it.
• No one wants to do it.
• My insurance will take care of it.
• I can’t afford it.

3. Introduction to Disaster Planning
• Identify, anticipate and avoid preventable
emergencies
• Disasters are not always big! Often small
• Plan for emergency response for staff and patrons
• Suggest ways to prevent destruction and protect
collections
• Consider mitigating damage when an emergency
occurs so that disaster is avoided or minimized
• Establish guidelines for managing disaster salvage
and recovery

4. Components of the Plan

5. Statement of Objectives
• Clearly explain the objectives of the plan and what
you hope to achieve by it.
• The scope should state what is covered by the plan
and what is not.

6. Emergency Response Plans
• Human life and safety is foremost need.
• Evacuations
• Building specifics
• What to do in case of individual types of
emergencies (people, not collections)

7. Disaster Response Team
• Decide who is to be on the Disaster Response Team
– How many on staff?
• Manager, Publicity Communications, Financial, etc.
– Who has authority?
• Once assembled, what are they suppose to do?
– Specific duties and responsibilities
– Need backups at all positions

8. Collection Priorities
• What type of collection is it?
• What are the most vulnerable objects?
• Priority lists will identify loan, valuable, important
and environmentally sensitive items.

9. Collection
Asset = life, property, environment
• Prioritizing Assets
 Extremely important and must be protected at
all costs, irreplaceable.
 Great importance, loss would be serious, and
objects are irreplaceable.
 Relatively little importance, loss would not
create a major problem, easily replaced.

10. Resources
• What kind of equipment and supplies do I need?
• Where is a good place to store it?
• Is there an off-site location we can use?
• Where is the nearest conservator?

11. Resources
• Outside your institution!
• Emergency services – police, fire, ambulance,
hospital
• Experts – conservators, salvage companies
• Volunteers from community (trained/experienced)
• Sources for materials, supplies and equipment
required for salvage operations.

12. Resources
• Lists should include:
– Name
– Work, home, mobile telephone numbers
– Role and responsibilities and specific duties
during a disaster

13. Equipment & Supplies
• Operational
– Notepads, pens, tape, garbage bags, utility knives, flash
lights, first aid kit, personal protective equipment
• Salvage
– Polyethylene sheeting, tyvek, blotting paper, plastic
bags, boxes, book carts, fans, dehumidifiers
• Site Clean-up
– Brooms/squeegees, mop, bucket, wet/dry vacuum,
sponges, cleansers/disinfectants, repair tools

14. Simplification
• Use the K.I.S.S. approach.
• Make sure everyone can understand it and has
read it.
• Those involved should have multiple copies of the
plan.

15. Generic Plans and Templates
• May be useful in giving you ideas about what to
include.
• Do not be misled in thinking that a generic plan is
all you need.
• Plans need to be tailored to each site’s needs!

16. Completion
• Priorities change, schedules take over, and budget
constraints all impact the completion of the plan.
• The plan will continually change as your
institution does.
• The planning and preparation process are never
over!

17. Prevention

18. Risk Assessment
• Identifying risks and threats that your institution is
exposed to.
– Topography
– Physical conditions
– Building
– Collection
– External Influences

19. Topography
• Rivers and lakes
• Gradient
• Access
• Seismic activity
• Flora and fauna

20. Physical Conditions
• Temperature
• Relative Humidity
• Precipitation
• Storms

21. Building
• Structure
– inside and outside
– top to bottom
• Activities and use
– All hours, not just library
• Safety and security

22. Collection
• Type of collection
– Unique items?
• Nature of collection
– Not just books
• Inherent risks
• Sensitivity of objects

23. External Influences
• Commercial/industrial hazards
• Civil disturbances
• Terrorism
• Vandalism
• Theft

24. Risk Analysis
Category Probability &
Effect
Examples
1 High Probability
High Effect
Fire, tornado, flood
2 High Probability
Low Effect
Building leak, vandalism
3 Low Probability
High Effect
Tornado, nuclear war, civil
unrest, earthquake
4 Low Probability
Low Effect
Shelving collapse, window seal
broken

25. Risk Analysis
• All staff should be trained to recognize and look
for evidence of potential disaster problems.
• Facility maintenance activities will be regulated
and deficiencies corrected as quickly as possible.

26. General Prevention Checklist
• Evidence of water
– Dripping or standing water
– Water stains
– High humidity, musty smell, mold
• Fire hazards
– Faulty wiring or equipment
– Items blocking access to exit
– Leakage of flammable gases or liquids

27. First Response

28. Basic Immediate Response
• Raise the alarm and if possible contain the
immediate source of the emergency.
• Evaluate the threat to human safety.
• Establish a command centre to control all response
activities.
• Assemble personnel and give instructions.

29. Basic Immediate Response
• Take proper safety precautions
• Secure the building and restrict access to it
• Stabilize the environment
• Protect collections
• Salvage collections

30. Assessing Damage
• Damage to building:
– Structural weakness
– Loss of utilities
– Water damage

31. Assessing Damage
• Damage to collection:
– Materials affected
– Kinds of damage
– Severity of damage

32. Assessing Damage
• Security concerns:
– Missing or damaged building parts
– No power
– No security systems
– Looting

33. Health and Safety Hazards
• Physical/Environmental
– Danger of structural
collapse
– Electrical hazards
– Restricted visibility
– Restricted breathing
– Slippery surfaces
– Sharp objects
– Debris
– Explosions or fires
• Health
– Physical stress and strain
– Mental and emotional
stress
– Heat prostration
– Hypothermia
– Asthma attacks
– Allergic reactions
– Bacteria
– Disease

34. Health and Safety Precautions
• Ensure the building is structurally sound before
entering it.
• Do not use power or heat unless it is safe to do so.
• Use personal protective equipment whenever
necessary.
• Do not permit smoking.
• No entry to unauthorized personnel.
• Rotate work crews regularly.
• Never work alone.

35. Salvage Operations

36. Stabilizing the Environment
• Problems must be stopped at the source – contain,
reduce or remove.
• Maintain temperature and relative humidity levels
where they will not adversely affect the objects.

37. Assessing Damage to Collections
• Assess the damage to collections and organize
priorities for salvage procedures.
• Use “wait time” productively – assemble supplies,
equipment and work crews.

38. Triage for Collections
• Refer to your collection priority lists.
• Carry out triage in order to establish which objects
are:
– Wet
– Damp/partially wet
– Smoke and/or fire damaged
– Frozen
– Dry

39. Special Handling Instructions
• Extreme care must be taken in handling all
materials.
• Wet materials will be heavy, fragile and will
damage easily.
• Fire damaged materials will be brittle and crumble
easily.

40. Special Handling Instructions
• Health precautions must be taken.
• Use of gloves is recommended to protect both the
handler and the collection material.
• Use a secondary support.
• Heavy, large and/or awkward materials should be
handled by more than one person.

41. Treatment Techniques for
Salvaged Materials
• Air-Drying
• Dehumidification
• Freezer Drying
• Vacuum Thermal Drying
• Vacuum Freeze-Drying

42. Clean-up Operations

43. After the Disaster
• Physical environment will have to be repaired and
possibly retro fitted.
• Replace equipment and supplies that were used or
damaged.
• Water damaged materials should be kept separate
from other holdings.

44. After the Disaster
• Evaluation of materials:
– Discard/withdraw
– Reprocess and/or duplicate
– Replace by microfilming, photocopying or
purchase
– Repair, rebind or provide conservation
treatment
– Rehouse in new folders, boxes or relabel

45. Post Disaster Assessment
• Identify problems and rectify deficiencies.
• Determine the adequacy of the disaster
preparedness and steps for improvement.
• Review the effectiveness of the plan and
supporting strategies.
• Recommend modifications to the facility,
operations and staff practices as necessary.

46. Conclusion
• Disaster preparedness is an ongoing process.
• A plan will serve as a guide.
• Plans must be reviewed and updated yearly in
order to remain beneficial to the institution.
• Disasters can strike at any time, it is always best to
be prepared!