Preserving the Collection: Disaster Planning, Response & Recovery

What challenges does your museum face in an emergency situation? Water? Fire? Preparing for a disaster by developing plan that any staff member can access and work through is a great way to get ahead of the stress emergencies bring. The Smithsonian Institution has collected some great links to get you started. https://culturalrescue.si.edu/hentf/resources/planning-preparedness-and-mitigation-resources/  

  AIC/FAIC will be hosting a webinar titled “Establishing and Maintaining Emergency Supply Caches” on September 15 at 2 PM EDT. Register here: https://learning.culturalheritage.org/products/establishing-and-maintaining-emergency-supply-caches Emergency supply caches are a great thing to have prepared during hurricane season, as the approach of Tropical Storm Ida reminds us. For the latest updates on the storm and how it may affect your area, keep your eyes on NOAA: https://www.noaa.gov/ida If your institution is affected by the storm, TX-CERA is able to help provide advice for handling water damaged collections. Give us a call at (669)237-2243 or email us at tx.cera@gmail.com.

  Whether it’s fire, flooding, or earthquakes, museums are leading the way in disaster mitigation: https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/how-museums-are-leading-the-way-in-natural-disaster-preparation-and-management/

  The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has some excellent advice and resources for what to do before and after a storm: https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/hurricane-resources?fbclid=IwAR3gbgrLRECGq4ryZl5ijCHcgUAkAguUaL-xatBNTGtaJKwBPAPZebmwEHw

  This helpful wet salvage quick-reference chart developed by Betty Walsh allows users to quickly determine how to handle, pack, and dry various types of media (paper documents, books, paintings, computer media, photographs, etc.). https://cool.culturalheritage.org/waac/wn/wn19/wn19-2/wn19-207.html

  The Foundation for Advacement in Conservation (FAIC) is pleased to announce a free webinar, titled: “Emergency Planning and Response, Texas-Style,” on  July 14 at 3:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. CST) . Join us, as Olivia Primanis from the Texas Collections Emergency Resource Alliance (TX-CERA) and Lauren Hainley from the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) discuss response efforts following Polar Vortex Uri, in February 2021. Register here:  https://learning.culturalheritage.org/products/emergency-planning-and-response-texas-style

 Did you miss last week’s webinar on insurance claims and collection recovery? The video is available to watch thanks to the Texas Historical Commission: https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/7390431593632665872

 This two-part presentation by the Montana Historical Society provides practical and useful information on topics of emergency planning, working with emergency responders, and means of avoiding and mitigating loss of collection materials to disaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNJ095rhsus

  Did you miss Part 1 of our two-part webinar series “Recovering from a Disaster: Procuring Insurance and Managing Risk Before a Disaster Occurs”? You can watch the recording here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/577742099056822019 You can also browse through this page for all of the Texas Historical Commission’s recent webinars: https://www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/projects-and-programs/museum-services/webinars Don’t forget to register for Part 2 of the series “Recovering from a Disaster: Insurance Claims and Collections Recovery”: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6120854103677914637

  We have a great set of webinars coming up on Wednesday, June 16th at 10am and Wednesday, June 23rd at 10am discussing risk management and insurance, both before and after a disaster. Part 1, June 16: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2470571156599413776?fbclid=IwAR3Z7ngUbcmoZbXwWeoxbFVrOKYS6YM-vG2F_hhbAh_UA4o2JZcpLuzNkzc Part 2, June 23: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6120854103677914637?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Thank you to the Texas Historical Commission for hosting the webinars!

 This comprehensive video series presented by the National Park Service and the Northeast Museum Services Center covers development and implementation of an effective disaster plan. It also provides information about disaster response and recovery and demonstrates useful post-fire salvage techniques. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqaIR9qPyIY/www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFB5E3A6B21EBA8BE

 Join TX-CERA, the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), and the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) for our Hurricane preparations webinar next Thursday, May 6, at 2 pm CST. Presenters and registration information can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/2021-hurricane-season-preparations-for-u-s-gulf-coast-cultural-institutions.htm?fbclid=IwAR1u99Ygy21fS0hO1NmJNoTnU-JPK-hJJmmjayMJh9poeabJyfN8La3a9Po

 This weekend, certain emergency preparation supplies qualify for tax exemption if purchased for a sales price – including portable generators, emergency ladders, first aid kits, tarps, and more! The full list can be viewed on the Texas Comptroller’s website: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-1017.php/

  Join NCPTT and TX-CERA on May 6 at 2 PM for a free webinar to review the 2021 U.S. Gulf Coast hurricane season, preparations, and response for cultural institutions. For more information, visit the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/450991009529521/ Or the event website: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/2021-hurricane-season-preparations-for-u-s-gulf-coast-cultural-institutions.htm

  In an emergency, it may not be possible for all staff to access the complete version of an emergency preparedness plan. That is where the Pocket Response Plan (PReP) comes in. Click to access Creating_Pocket_Response_Plans_for_State_ARMs_-_PReP.pdf

  Although not specifically geared toward cultural institutions, FEMA’s Case Study Library is an excellent resource for preparedness and mitigation in emergency situations, and even contains COVID best practices studies. You can browse their collection, or filter by keyword, location, or incident or report type. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/case-study-library

 When disaster strikes, it’s a good idea to have anything you might need for staff safety, cleanup, and collection recovery in a single location that any staff member can access. Necessary equipment may vary by institution, but these checklists are a great way to get started. https://ccaha.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2018-05/Emergency%20Supply%20Kits.pdf   https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/21-02.pdf http://www.flamuseums.org/professional-development/connecting-to-collections/emergency-plans/supplies/  

  As dangerous winter weather continues to plague Texas, the American Red Cross urges everyone to stay safe and stay at home if possible, and offers these steps to follow: https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/winter-weather-can-be-dangerous-how-to-stay-safe.html  When you are able to return to work, you may be confronted with a variety of collection emergencies. To prepare, we suggest studying the National Heritage Responders’ Tip Sheets before you return. These documents offer practical guidance on how to respond and recover to collection emergencies: https://www.culturalheritage.org/resources/emergencies/national-heritage-responders/tip-sheets

  For a more in-depth and practical look at writing a disaster plan, we suggest the educational video series called "Writing a Disaster Plan" created by the Collections Care Network of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) in 2015. This link will redirect you to the 1st of 5 videos in the series on AIC's YouTube Channel.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-QzRYkbC3s&list=PLH0WXCtI2nog8Fk-00hUfVh_uDeF6qPnO&index=156

 Developing an emergency plan for a collection is an important yet intimidating task. There are many different ways to approach it, and professional resources are available to help you. We think this reference guide created by the American Alliance for Museums is a great place to start!  https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Developing-a-Disaster-Plan-2018.pdf