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[Home] PREP Table of Contents
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Home > TAM Publications > PREP Vulnerability & Personnel Assessment
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1. DISASTER VULNERABILITY
It is neither feasible nor reasonable for most museums to plan equally
for every conceivable disaster, emergency, or hazard. Therefore, one of
the first steps in developing your preparedness plan is to rank the likelihood
of certain disasters to occur in your area and/or to your institution.
Those disaster types of highest risk should be given more detail in the
planning document, more response training, and more allocation of resources.
One source of information concerning potential disasters in your area
may be obtained from your local or regional emergency management group.
According to the "Local Emergency Management Plan Development Handbook,"
Texas Department of Public Safety, 1990, "...state law requires every
political subdivision in the state to prepare and keep current a local
or inter-jurisdictional emergency management plan " These emergency
management groups will be able to provide you with general information,
including the public emergency management plans. Your site plan and the
public emergency plans should he coordinated for maximum efficiency.
See Forms & Supplementary Materials:
Disaster Type Vulnerability Assessment
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2. BUILDING ASSESSMENT
An objective, critical assessment of your facility will provide you with
a foundation of information from which to respond to potential disasters
in your area.
For a fairly thorough building assessment, we suggest completing a Standard
Facility Report, adopted by the Registrars Committee of the American Association
of Museums in June, 1988. This completed report will provide detailed
information that will serve well in preparing and responding to variety
of critical situations. In addition, several other examples of building
and site inspection forms have been provided in the Appendix. You should
review these examples in order to develop a form or checklist specifically
designed for your institution.
A basic knowledge of structures, building types, and materials is useful. If no one on your staff has such knowledge, then the assessment of the museum should be done using someone from the community who is familiar with construction and design. Ideally, you may want to involve the original architect and contractor. If this is not possible, you may wish to obtain the assistance and expertise of a local architect or architectural firm. Trustees can often help in this regard.
A building assessment that takes into consideration the nature of the
construction, coupled with an assessment of the most likely disasters
to befall it, will help you in preventing and mitigating disasters. It
is essential that you know your facility. Do you have wood framework between
a masonry shell? If you don't know, you may be in for future problems.
The staff of the museum should possess a set of building plans. These
should include the basic site plan, as well as architectural, structural,
mechanical, and electrical plans. Several staff members should be familiar
with these plans so that they can mobilize efforts to prepare and respond
to the situation at hand. It is important to have several sets of plans
available, including at least one set kept off-site because the on-site
set may be damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible in a disaster.
Specific points of vulnerability must be considered, including entrances/exits,
pipes, wiring, windows, and glass. These are particularly susceptible
to various damage. Conversely, it is important to assess the strong points
of the structure for use as an emergency shelter since it is likely that
the building will be occupied during some types of disasters. Every type
of structure has its strengths and weaknesses, and a disaster plan should
be written with these issues in mind.
You should routinely make a thorough inspection of your emergency equipment
and supplies. This includes lighting, exits, response supplies, and fire
detection and suppression systems. If your emergency materials do not
work or are inaccessible, it is unlikely that your plan will successfully
minimize the impact of a disaster.
Standard Facility Report |
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Facilities Protection Guidelines |
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Facilities Protection Checklist |
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Facility Map |
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Sample Checklist for Disaster Prevention and Protection Facilities Information |
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3. RFSPONSE TIME
Good disaster planning will take into account the location of
the nearest fire, police, and medical services. It will be important to
know the estimated or average response time for all emergency services
for effective planning. In addition, since not all disasters occur during
working hours, staff response time must be considered as well. Take into
account, too, that if a community-wide disaster has occurred, municipal
services will be severely taxed, and your museum may not receive priority.
Involve personnel from the fire and police departments in the development
of your Preparedness and Recovery Plans. They can provide a wealth of
helpful information, and their familiarity with your institution as a
result of their involvement may insure a faster response time in an eventual
disaster. Give these officials a thorough tour of your facility, and address
sensitive issues and special concerns with them. This sharing of information
can facilitate the recovery procedure and mitigate potential loss from
improper handling or response procedures. Review your plan and salvage
priority with the emergency personnel in your community regularly, or
whenever there is a major change in staff, facilities, and/or holdings
within your institution.
Location and Response Time of Emergency Personnel |
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Facility Access Map |
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4. PERSONNEL INVOLVEMENT
Staff assessment, training, and responsibilities
You will need to assemble different teams: one for planning,
another for preparing your site for the ensuing disaster, another for
immediate recovery efforts, and yet another for long-term recovery. The
planning team should involve most if not all members of your staff. For
the next two types of teams--those that function in the face of an emergency--remember
that routine staff responsibilities and roles will likely shift to very
different roles during a disaster. The jobs necessary to accomplish certain
tasks in the face of a disaster will have defined responsibilities (and
staff assignments). Keep in mind that some staff members operate better
under stressful situations while others crumble in a crisis. With that
in mind, you will be able to identify the emergency tasks, then assign
the appropriate, capable staff member, trustee, and/or volunteer to carry
them out.
In a small museum, these four teams are likely to be the same
individuals--perhaps the entire staff, in different configurations. In
larger institutions, the makeup of each group may differ, but ideally
each department or segment of the institution should be represented on
all teams.
You should also be aware that designated members of the Preparedness
and/or Response Teams may not be available at the time of the crisis.
They may be on vacation or, in the case of a community-wide disaster,
individual staff members may be directly affected or will be preparing
their own homes for the ensuing disaster. Therefore, whether in small
or large institutions, cross-training is strongly recommended. Everyone
on staff should be familiar with the entire Preparedness and Recovery
Procedures, and staff should be trained to perform more than one emergency
task. Typically, key responsibilities should be defined so available
staff will be able to step in and accomplish the job at hand.
This is commonly called the "Incident Command System" (ICS),
which is a system of planning organized by areas of responsibilities rather
than by individuals.
Adequate preparedness or response to a disaster depends in many
ways upon communication and teamwork. Your Preparedness and Response Teams
need clear definitions of tasks and areas of responsibility. Leadership
is essential, as is a clear understanding of everyone's roles and responsibilities.
The teams will need to have a complete understanding of the disaster plan,
including changes and revisions as they are made. They must know where
all pertinent records, tools, materials, and supplies are kept. Again,
everyone should be able to perform more than one task. No time should
be lost in responding to an emergency.
Minimum annual training for all staff should include:
It is important to conduct "in-house" drills at least annually
and to review and revise the plan whenever staff or circumstances change
(such as an addition to your facility). A disaster plan is not
static, but must grow and change with the institution and over time. You
may consider having one individual or a small team responsible for overseeing
the Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan for your institution.
* In many communities, disaster preparedness agencies, such as the
fire department, conduct drills. You may want to volunteer the museum
and its staff for such an exercise.
Staff Phone List |
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Staff Responsibility Assignments Form |
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Emergency Notification List |
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Emergency Response Teams List |
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Emergency Funds Sheet |
Trustee assessment, training and responsibilities
The role of the museum trustee can be of vital importance in disaster
preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Museum trustees are community
leaders who have an affinity for museums and can be resources for obtaining
names, addresses, locations, telephone numbers, and permission for the
use of people, equipment, and monies needed at the time of disaster. As
bearers of fiduciary responsibility for the museum, they should assist
in all phases of your plans, from development to practice. They, too,
must have a thorough understanding of the plan, the roles and responsibilities
of all involved, the tasks and duties that need to be accomplished. Trustees
can fill sand bags, or they may serve as the spokesperson for the institution.
In smaller museums, with little or no paid staff, trustees may assume
roles taken by staff in larger institutions. Whenever possible, trustees
should participate in any training drills that the staff and volunteers
undergo.
See Forms & Supplementary Materials:
Trustee List and Duty Assignments
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Volunteer assessment, training, and responsibilities
Volunteer training for emergencies, like staff and trustee training, should
be coordinated by staff responsible for the plan and should be included
in the volunteer training manual. Guidelines for volunteers should be
simple and involve volunteers only under the direct guidance of staff.
The staff supervisor of the volunteer should be the point person for instruction.
In the event that staff person is unavailable, a clear chain of command
should be established and made clear to all volunteers. The listing of
responsibilities should be posted in a volunteer area and should be in
the volunteer manual. In the event of a major emergency, staff may initiate
volunteer involvement and set off a calling chain/phone bank to request
volunteers to come to the museum. Volunteers already on-site should seek
instructions from their point person, or the person present who is the
highest on the chain of command.
Visitor-related assistance:
Preparatory assistance for large (weather) disasters:
Behind the scenes assistance:
Clear time frames for putting things back in order and well-defined "quitting"
times for a work day should be included to avoid bum-out and stress-related
morale breakdown. As always, staff, trustee, and volunteer assistance
in the event of a disaster should be recognized and efforts rewarded.
See Forms & Supplementary Materials:
Volunteer List and Job Assignments
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5. COLLECTION AND ASSET MANAGEMENT
In addition to assessing your building and staff, it is important to review
your institutional materials, equipment, supplies, computer hardware,
software, institutional records, other . capital equipment, and, particularly,
your collections in storage and on exhibit to ensure their protection
and safe recovery.
Insurance
"...Insurance can minimize the negative impact of a variety of disasters."
Gail E. McGiffin, History News, February 1993
During the best of times, insurance can be a complicated issue. This is
only compounded by a disaster. Insurance is usually unique to the institution
and needs special consideration when creating a disaster plan. Work
with your insurance agent to clarify the amount of coverage, any exclusions,
and the deductible limits of coverage in your policy.
Staff members familiar with the facility, collections, equipment, and
personnel should walk through the museum with the agent to review the
site and discuss any possible problems and concerns. Considerations include:
adequate coverage (liability, dwelling, collections, equipment); co-insurance;
self-insurance; loss mitigation; damage documentation requirements, and
loss settlement, to name a few. It is beyond the scope of this manual
to define and discuss these factors, but you should ask your agent about
them and make sure your museum is adequately covered for all contingencies.
See Forms & Supplementary Materials:
Insurance Information Form
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Document your assets
A first step in developing a disaster plan is to document your assets
fully. This includes proper record keeping, as well as some form of visual
documentation. You may wish to consider using manual and/or computer records
as well as a variety of visual media (35mm black & white prints; color
slides; color prints; or possibly video tape). The ability to recover
on insurance may depend upon proper documentation. It is extremely
important to store a copy of your records and/or the negatives of your
assets off-site.
Documentation must also occur immediately after a disaster, as well as
during the salvage, relocation, and conservation phases. This is important
for insurance coverage, as proof of prudent and timely action will be
paramount in loss mitigation. Documentation of materials affected by the
disaster may aid in determining the cause of deterioration. Finally, documentation
is important as a historical record and is part of prudent fiscal care
and management. One or more staff members should be assigned this priority
duty.
See Forms & Supplementary Materials:
Collection Damage Form
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Prioritization of assets
You will have to examine your museum in its totality to determine salvage
priorities, Depending on the type of disaster, you may conclude that records
and documents have priority. In any case, you will have to weigh various
values (historic, scientific, artistic, and financial) before considering
salvage priorities and recovery procedures. Salvage priorities may depend
upon location within the museum and susceptibility to specific disaster
type.
Collections and collection records are likely to top the list for immediate
salvage. Even more appropriately, the institutional and collection records
and documentation should be duplicated and kept current at another fire-
and waterproof location.
The salvage priority list must be agreed upon in the planning process,
understood by all staff, and kept current.
The staff and the board should establish criteria for making these decisions.
Issues above and beyond value will need to be considered and might include
size, accessibility, and possibility of damage in movement. In some cases,
the structure may be the primary collection piece and will therefore have
precedence over other holdings. Loaned items may be given priority. Don't
wait for an emergency to determine these priorities!
Once priorities are determined, consider how and where the materials will
be salvaged. Are proper tools and keys accessible to the people who may
have to handle the situation? Have you considered door/frame size and
locations, loading dock capabilities, and equipment to move materials?
Are all employees who might be involved with salvage recovery familiar
with rules for handling artifacts and works of art? Have you established
evacuation routes for certain artifact? Where will the collection materials
be processed during the salvage effort, and should there be separate processing
areas for different collection materials? As you develop your plan, practice,
and hold training drills, more questions will arise that will further
refine your priorities and procedures.
A vital aspect of achieving successful recovery of prioritized items is
the regular review of the list with fire and police personnel. Are the
artifacts the priority, or is the building the priority? Are salvage priorities
clear to the emergency personnel who will help respond to the disaster?
More information about this is located under the section "Testing
your Plan."
Collection Priorities Guide |
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Departmental Priorities |
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Library Information Sheet |
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Office Information Sheet |
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6. RESOURCE CONSIDERATIONS
An essential part of the planning process is to identify all available
disaster response and recovery resources. In addition to preparing a master
list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of national, regional, and
local resources, invite local service providers to visit your institution.
In the event of a disaster they will be able to respond specifically and
swiftly if they have toured your museum ahead of time. Be sure to plan
for back-up services, too.
A list of providers should include all local emergency services, utility
companies, and repair services. The disaster plan should also include
professional services, such as a legal advisor and sources of temporary
labor. Included in the Forms and Supplementary Materials section of the
Appendix are examples of lists that can be used to assemble information
on local resources. In assembling a list of providers, consider the following:
Governmental - Know the county and city governmental
offices and the services they provide. Below is a typical listing of city
and county offices that might have resources available for preparing a
plan and meeting disaster. Make contact, explain your needs, and use the
services as necessary.
Institutional and Industrial - Large institutions or
industries located nearby may already have developed disaster preparedness
and recovery procedures. Often they may be able to assist in preparation
of a plan, or at the time of actual need. If not, they may be invaluable
resources for information).
Others - There are probably dozens of other resources
in the community or the region to assist in providing materials or services.
It is important to make contact with some specific sources prior to the
time of need in order to establish a working relationship. Such organizations
may include:
Statewide Resources - Numerous organizations are located
within the state of Texas that can provide assistance in disaster planning
and recovery. Many of those listed in the Resources section of the Appendix
are support organizations that may not provide services directly, but
that can provide valuable information and direction. For example, the
Texas Association of Museums can steer you to sources of specific goods
and services unavailable in your own town but located elsewhere in the
state. Prior research and contact with resources can save valuable time
during a disaster.
In summary, take advantage of the resources, equipment, and supplies available
in the community. Coordinate disaster preparedness, response, and recovery
efforts with local institutions, arranging to share large equipment and
bulk supplies. In addition, survey the resources available in neighboring
institutions. The university museum across town, for example, may have
a portable generator it can loan to you in an emergency.
Supplies/Cleanup/Tools List |
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Emergency Canister Inventory |
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Stock Supplies Inventory |
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Supplies-on-Hand List |
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Off-Site Equipment and Services |
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Off-Site Emergency Equipment and Supplies |
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Other Services needed in Emergency List |
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Services Forms |
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Supplies-Vendor and Location |
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Equipment and Services List |
variety of organizations and firms that can assist with preparedness and response. |
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7. TESTING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN
The best offense is a good defense.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of annual training and
mock drills in the areas of disaster preparedness, response,
and recovery. Knowing what to do before an emergency happens can make
a significant difference in successful response and disaster mitigation.
Experience has shown repeatedly that when museum staff members are educated
and practiced in following emergency plans and procedures, reaction times
are reduced, coordination is improved, and overall response and recovery
measures are considerably enhanced.
Education and training of your staff and volunteers should begin as you
are developing your plan. This will enable you to fine tune your site-specific
plan. Any written plan will be unable to foresee every emergency, therefore
regular staff training may be your most effective preparedness and response
resource.
Training in disaster mitigation techniques should be available to all
staff members and is essential for those members serving on preparedness
and recovery teams. Training should be scheduled during your slack time
of the year. A valid drill requires time for planning, preparing, and
conducting as well as for follow-up. It may also require commitment of
resources. Some staff members should be designated as observers. These
should be chosen at random to emphasize further the importance of cross-training.
Their constructive review and suggestions, coupled with the recommendations
from the staff involved with the drill(s), will help refine your plan.
Unexpected or no-notice "creative crisis drills" help evaluate
the adequacy of the plan to meet specific contingencies and help assess
the ability of the staff and the adequacy of resources to carry out the
plan. As a result, you may discover that the plan needs to be refined,
further training of your staff is required, and a greater commitment of
equipment and supply resources is evident.
Some suggested review questions include:
The emergency chain-of-command and respective roles and responsibilities
should be updated regularly and clearly understood by all staff members.
Make this a part of your annual training drills.
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Website ©2003, Texas Association of Museums. Please let us know how we can better serve your needs! admin@texasmuseums.org
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