Building an emergency plan: a guide for museums and other cultural institutions

This publication was developed to assist administrators and security managers of cultural institutions develop plans to protect not only their collections but also their employees and visitors in the event of natural disasters and other destructive events. It features cases studies from Barbados, Chile and the United States of America.

This practical guide:

• provides clear, step-by-step guidelines for designing an emergency plan tailored to the institution and its collections;
• features sections for the director, an emergency preparedness committee, and the leaders of the departmental teams that outline their respective responsibilities in the emergency preparedness and response planning process;
• suggests an organizational structure that assigns responsibilities for preparedness and response activities;
• identifies many activities that require minimal financial commitment from the institution;
• includes emergency preparedness materials from other institutions—such as evacuation procedures, supply and equipment lists, and action checklists;
• uses questions and exercises to help institutions identify and address their specific needs.