Building an Emergency Plan: A Guide for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions

Abstract

Hardly a week goes by without a story in the news about the destruction and havoc caused by a natural disaster striking some populated area of the world.If we also take into account the destructive events caused by human beings -war, terrorism, arson -disasters become an almost daily item in newspapers and on television.What is often omitted from reports detailing loss of life and property, however, is the all-too-frequent fact that cultural institutions and sites are affected and valuable cultural heritage damaged or destroyed.Perhaps because Los Angeles is an area that is always "between two earthquakes," and every year we also run the risk of fires and mud slides, preparation for emergencies is taken very seriously at the Getty.The emergency plan of the J. Paul Getty Museum has served as a model for many other museums in the United States.The Getty Conservation Institute has also been involved in training and education of museum professionals on this topic.It is impossible to eliminate natural disasters, and no one can reasonably expect that all damage can be avoided.Much can be done, however, to mitigate the effects of destructive natural events and to reduce the risk of damage or loss in other types of emergency situations.This book is a complete guide to developing an emergency preparedness and response plan tailored to the specific needs of your institution.Its aim is to help you to become better prepared and to respond appropriately to protect your staff, visitors, and collections in the viii Preface 1 Unfortunately, most people in the world view natural disasters with fatalism.They think that nothing can be done about them.This attitude is understandable but wrong.We have to try to change it.There is, in fact, a great deal that can be done to save lives and limit the damage. -Olavi EloDirector secretariat International Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionOn March 3, 1985, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Santiago, Chile.At least 146 people were killed, and more than one million others were injured.The quake destroyed the museum building belonging to the Museo de Arte Popular Americano in Santiago, along with many of the artifacts, including a major collection of Chilean folklore ceramics.The collection had to be moved to another museum so that a new facility could be built.Earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, and other displays of nature's wrath present a common and continual threat to cultural institutions all over the globe, which house a majority of the world's invaluable artifacts, historical documentation, and works of art, including sculptures, paintings, books, and ethnographic objects.Threats also can be a result of human activity, such as vandalism and terrorist bombings.Whereas many of these disasters remain out of our control, the ability to prepare and respond to them properly and effectively is within our control.Table 1 is a sampling of emergency situations and the cultural property that was either destroyed or seriously affected.Few institutions are willing to make public the damage caused by disasters, particularly those caused by electrical fires or other internal problems that might have been the result of neglect.The importance of emergency preparedness and planning cannot be emphasized enough, not only to the population at large, but to an institution's staff, administration, and board of trustees.Building an Emergency Plan is designed to guide the director and staff of any cultural institution through the long but essential process of creating an emergency plan.In addition to describing the team approach in the planning process -from the emergency How to Use This BookBuilding an Emergency Plan is designed to guide an institution and its staff through the process of developing a team-based emergency preparedness and response program, which results in the creation of an emergency preparedness and response plan.The book is organized into three parts.Part I (chapters 1-2) is designed as a resource for the director of the institution.It provides an introduction to the emergency planning process and describes the director's responsibilities, which include setting a policy, establishing a budget, and communicating with the board of trustees.Part II (chapters 3-5) is intended as a resource for the emergency preparedness manager (EPM).The EPM is designated by the institution's director to oversee the development and implementation of the emergency preparedness and response program and to head the emergency preparedness committee (EPC).Part III (chapters 6 -9) is to be used as a resource for four departmental preparedness teams -safety and security, collections, buildings and maintenance, and administration and records -that work in conjunction with the EPC.A copy of each chapter should be distributed to the appropriate departmental team leaders and representatives of those departments who are on the EPC.Chapter 6 is for the safety and security team, chapter 7 for the collections team, and so forth.Each chapter outlines what team members need to consider in researching issues related to the emergency plan.If your institution does not have all these departments, staff members should divide the duties and responsibilities among themselves.Located throughout this book are a series of "Suggested Exercises" and a series of "Questions to Consider."These elements provide brainstorming ideas and data-gathering tips to assist you in relating the information to your specific institution.Emergency preparedness materials from other institutions, including evacuation procedures, supply and equipment lists, and action checklists, are provided in appendixes at the end of the book.The following "Terms to Know" section defines and clarifies the various terms used throughout.Variations of these terms can be found in related literature. Terms to KnowCommunications coordinator: Works closely with the director and the emergency response coordinator during an emergency situation.Departmental preparedness team: Assists the emergency preparedness manager and the emergency preparedness committee in the emergency preparedness and response process.Each team provides input as appropriate for the function, or department, each represents.Disaster: An event that results in significant loss, damage, or destruction.An emergency can become a disaster if immediate action is not taken to protect staff, visitors, and the collection.Emergency: An unanticipated event or series of events that requires immediate action. Emergency plan handbook:Describes staff response for all potential emergencies, chains of command during an emergency, and recovery procedures.Contains fact sheets, supply lists, and contact lists.The handbook is distributed to all staff.Emergency preparedness and response plan (a.k.a. the emergency plan or "the plan"): Identifies an institution's vulnerabilities to emergency situations; indicates how to prevent or mitigate potential effects; describes staff response; and provides a blueprint toward recovery.The plan eventually should be condensed into an emergency plan handbook. Emergency preparedness and response process:A structured, ongoing effort to build an emergency preparedness and response program that includes creation and maintenance of a written plan, as well as an emergency plan handbook. Emergency preparedness and response program:A systematic, multidepartmental program that guides staff through the emergency preparedness process and leads to the development and maintenance of a comprehensive emergency plan. Emergency preparedness committee (EPC):Oversees the development and implementation of the emergency preparedness and response program.Led by the emergency preparedness manager, the committee should include senior administrators and representatives -appointed by the director -from each of the institution's key functions. Emergency preparedness manager (EPM):Leads the emergency preparedness committee through the preparedness and response program.The director may assume this responsibility or assign it to a senior staff member.In either case, alternates should be selected. Emergency response coordinator (ERC): Coordinates all response and recovery activities during an emergency.Hazard: A natural or human-caused phenomenon that may occur in or near the institution and may threaten human life and well-being or cause physical damage and economic loss.Preparedness: Activities that prepare and equip personnel to handle an emergency, such as training staff in evacuation procedures, compiling and maintaining up-to-date contact information, and stockpiling supplies.Prevention: Activities, such as eliminating hazards, that focus on preventing an emergency from occurring and on reducing harm to people, collections, and property in the event of unavoidable emergencies.Recovery: Actions taken following an emergency in order to return operations to normal.Depending on the type and extent of the emergency, this can be a long-term process.Recovery plan: Part of the overall emergency plan, the recovery plan outlines what steps to take to restore normal operations.Response: Activities that provide temporary care and relief for victims of emergencies and prevent avoidable casualties and property damage.Response plan: Part of the overall emergency plan, the response plan includes procedures to be taken in response to any emergency. Risk:The possible injury or loss of life, or damage to property from the identified hazard or hazards.Staff emergency procedures: Concise, step-by-step descriptions of what should be the staff 's first response in the event of an emergency -usually