Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Tools
Responding to floods, fires and snow damage in museums, we have become more and more aware that something is missing: good response organization. The Minnesota Association of Local History Museums suggested we develop a simple organizational guide for disaster response. Thus, the A.R.K. was created. We have also located a few tools that might be useful in an emergency kit, if you are putting your own together. These are included here as we find them.
The A.R.K.: A Recovery Kit. Based on emergency personnel's incident command system, the A.R.K. is used by museums throughout Minnesota. Created to assist disaster recovery, the A.R.K. leads staff through the first 24 hours of a musem disaster. Applicable to any disaster, the kit provides six laminated position description cards with fill-in resource lists on each, five collection recovery posters, name tags, permanent marker and recovery priority cards. Packaged in a waterproof envelope. The kit should be kept in one to three staff members' cars, so it is immediately accessible.
Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel helps staff prepare for
a disaster and recover after one strikes. It is a nice compliment to the
A.R.K. (above), fitting in its plastic sleeve.
La Rueda de Salvamento y
Respuesta ante Emergencias
(avail. June 2002) | $12.95 | [Add to Cart] [View Cart] |
Steal This Handbook is a comprehensive book covering emergency preparedness and response for every conceivable type and scale of disaster on historic and non-historic materials. Written by the Southeastern Registrars Committee of the American Association of Museums, we purchase it before it is bound and have it punched to fit in a three ring binder. Adding dividers, it becomes an instant addition to an institutional emergency response plan. Response professionals can add useful articles to the enormous amount of recovery information already provided in the book.
Before Disaster Strikes: Prevention, Planning, and Recovery - Caring
for Your Personal Collections in the Event of Disaster by Priscilla O-Reilly Lawrence. A pamphlet designed by the Historic New
Orleans Collection for homeowners and collectors to help them prevent damage in the event of a disaster. Includes resource lists and illustrations.
The Super Wipe Sponge These extraordinary synthetic PVA sponges
have an open-celled structure that is most like natural sea sponge. It
absorbs more than natural sponges and won’t tear. The unique, uniform
cell structure acts as a holding chamber for liquid. Chamois-type sponges
can pick up liquids 5 to 10 times faster than other natural or synthetic
products. PVA sponges are not affected by gasoline, oils, most solvents,
acids, inks and most household chemicals. Sponge comes damp in a
plastic bag in a hard plastic storage tube.
CCI Tech Bulletin #18 Fire Prevention Programs for Museums by Paul Baril Will help museums develop and implement effective fire prevention programs. The basic elements of fire prevention programs are discussed, as well as the administration of the program. Numerous examples are provided to help museum staffs prepare documents and procedures.
CCI Tech Bulletin #19 Security Hardware and Security System Planning for Museums by Wayne Kelly Helps cultural institutions with their preparations against threats of theft and vandalism. Numerous, inexpensive methods of improving security and various types of currently available sensors and computerized alarm systems are illustrated and described. Several kinds of sensors and their placement within a standardized level of protection proposed for each area in a cultural facility are also recommended.
Vol.2 No.1
Fire Recovery
See our Emergency Preparedness section for links and further information.
Courses we recommend:
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