Description:

Safeguarding collections and protecting staff and visitors is one of hte most important functions of a cultural institution. Course introduces students to disaster preparedness, response and recovery of cultural collections for all types of potential hazards. The components of incident preparedness and response are explained with examples from the instructor's experience in recovery of cultural collections, including small to large situations with fire, flood, high winds, and earthquake. After an institutional plan is written, the next step is to train staff in prevention, proper staff actions during an event, and post-event recovery. This course complements Disaster Plan Research and Writing, taught by Terri Schindel.

Course Outline:

I. Introduction

2. Disaster Assessment: Identifying risks. minimizing disaster effects, and implementing a plan.

3. Disaster Planning: The basic components and purpose of a disaster plan.

4. Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Understanding hazards. Detailed information on specific small and large disasters - fire, floods, high winds, earthquakes

5. Disaster Scenarios - A table top exercise

6. The Incident Command System: The hierarchy and management of a response

7. The Psychology of Disaster: Predictable reactions of victims and responders

8. Re-Entry After a Disaster

9. Collections Salvage

10. Cultural Recovery and Recovery Centers

11. Conclusion