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Emergency Preparedness Resources
UPCOMING EVENTS
Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists ($10/webinar)
2025 Emergency Webinar Series (recordings of past webinars available)
January 27, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (AZ) Emergency Planning & Establishing Training Methods
February 10, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (AZ) Institutional Buy-In & Risk Management
February 24, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (AZ) Technical Response & Emergency Documentation
March 10, 2025, 11:00 a.m. (AZ) : Emergency Salvage
March 24, 2025, 11:00 a.m. (AZ) Re-Entry Safety & Utilizing Damage Assessments
Connecting to Collections Care Webinar Series ($149)
Practical Risk Assessment for Small and Mid-Sized Cultural Heritage Institutions
The objective of this course is to enable participants from small to mid-size heritage institutions to undertake a risk assessment specific to their institution, enabling them to identify potential natural, traditional, made or non-traditional risks and evaluate their impact.
March 5, 2025, 10:00 a.m. (AZ) Introduction
March 12, 2025, 10:00 a.m. (AZ) Identifying Hazards & Risks
March 19, 2025, 10:00 a.m. (AZ) Risk Impact March
March 26, 2025, 10:00 a.m. (AZ) Putting It All Together
International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection Webinar
Insider Threats to Cultural Institutions
March 11, 2025, 8:00 a.m. (AZ)
In this session, our expert will show how the U.S. government insider threat program strategies can easily be adapted to safeguard cultural properties from internal risks. Learn how to identify warning signs, implement key program elements, and enhance security without disrupting organizational culture.
Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian
Collections emergency preparedness and response workshop
April 24, 2025
Huhugam Heritage Center
Contact Leland Thomas Leland.Thomas@gric.nsn.us to register.
International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection Annual Conference
May 3-8, 2025
Yale University, New Haven, CT
National Conference on Cultural Property Protection
September 22-24, 2025
Washington, DC
ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSE
Alliance for Response (general information)
Alliance for Response Forum Planning Handbook
RESOURCES
State of Arizona Hazard Mitigation Plan
National Heritage Responders
The National Heritage Responders (NHR) respond to the needs of cultural institutions and the public during emergencies and disasters through coordinated efforts with first responders, state agencies, vendors, and the public.
Emergency Response and Salvage Mobile App
Foundation for the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC) Emergency Preparedness & Salvage Wheel includes simple steps to prep your institution for emergencies and learn to salvage by material type.
Pocket Response Plan (PReP) Templates
The Pocket Response Plan™ (PReP™) is a concise document for recording essential information needed by staff in case of a disaster or other emergency. Every person having a response-related assignment should carry a PReP with them at all times.
Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative Resources
The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative and the Heritage Emergency Task Force (HENTF) share materials to help those in the U.S. and abroad be fully prepared in all aspects of disaster risk management and emergency response.
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plan (American Alliance of Museums)
Disaster Planning and Risk Management Resources (American Alliance of Museums)
Disaster Planning and Recovery Resources (American Association for State and Local History)
Disaster & Emergency Preparedness Resources (Western Museums Association)
Disaster Response and Recovery Guides (Foundation for Advancement in Conservation)
Members of the National Heritage Responders have developed these brief Tip Sheets to help collecting institutions respond to and recover from events. Topics include smoke and soot, mold, drying wet collections and buildings, health and safety, and more.
Records Emergencies Guides (National Archives and Records Administration)
NARA has developed resources to help federal agencies, as well as state, local and tribal authorities, and others to prepare for and manage records emergencies. There are also links to useful resources from other agencies and organizations.
FUNDING
National Disaster Recovery Fund for Archives
In the event of a natural disaster impacting your repository, the SAA Foundation's National Disaster Recovery Fund for Archives (NDRFA) is available to provide critical assistance. With grants of up to $5,000 available for immediate recovery efforts, the NDRFA offers a lifeline to help you navigate the challenging aftermath of a disaster. Applications are processed quickly, with grants typically awarded within 7–10 business days.
BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Identifying and Mitigating Nonprofit Risk with a Six-Step Crisis Communication Plan
Katherine Kerr Kubatzky, Blue Avocado December 5, 2022
It is tempting to get into false thinking that nothing bad can happen to your organization. Doing so leaves you unprepared to communicate in a crisis. Every nonprofit has the same probability of experiencing situations, such as accidents or disasters, that can evolve into crises without proper planning. The Solution: First assess the risks that your nonprofit faces. Then, using the six steps in this article, develop a crisis communications plan and train key roles in your nonprofit on their role and responsibility. With a plan and training in place, your nonprofit can withstand the worst and continue fulfilling its mission.
“Together We Are Strong”: Emergency Associations for the Protection of Germany's Cultural Heritage
Rainer Jedlitschka, American Archivist (2022) 85
This article presents an overview of the creation and development of emergency associations for the protection of archives, libraries, and museums in Germany. This is a response to several wake-up calls, notably the Elbe floods of 2002, the destruction by fire of a significant portion of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar in 2004, and the collapse of the Cologne City Archive building in 2009. The emergency associations have come together on a voluntary basis to offer mutual support in the event of natural and human-made disasters. The author explains the role and success of the new networks. Annual meetings have consolidated regional and nationwide collaboration, and deepened experience and preparedness. Training courses and major incident exercises with fire services as well as the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief form the bedrock of the cooperation.
Cultural Heritage Emergency Preparedness and Response: Guidelines for the OEHS Professional
American Industrial Hygiene Association Museum Working Group (2023)
This white paper introduces OEHS professionals to the risk management needs of CH organizations, and to their well-established, nationwide organizations of CH professionals trained in cultural heritage emergency preparedness and response. It highlights the important collaboration of OEHS and CH professionals to integrate OEHS into their emergency management planning, training, and response. For CH organizations, this white paper introduces the knowledge, skills and abilities OEHS professionals provide in supporting the development and sustainment of their emergency response plans.
A Primer for Disaster Recovery Planning in an IT Environment
Charlotte J. Hiatt (IGI Global, 2011)
Disaster Preparedness and Response (Americans for the Arts)
Includes information in three sections: Be Prepared; Resources; and Natural Disaster Community Projects and Engagement
17 employees helped save the Getty Villa from the fires. They're telling other museums how it was done
Includes key take-aways from their DIY firefighting.