[Anchasl-l] MayDay Disaster Planning

[Robert James]

May Day: One Thing You Can Do to Save Our Heritage

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma provided a wake-up call, reminding us 
of the importance of disaster preparedness. Ironically, the Heritage 
Health Index, released soon after the hurricanes, reported that few 
institutions have disaster plans, and for some of those that do, the plan 
is out of date. Given human nature, it’s easy to put off disaster 
planning. 
That’s why we hope you will join us for MayDay. Set aside some time to do 
at least one thing to get more prepared to respond to a disaster.
What You or Your Institution Can Do
Here are some simple ideas:
If you have a disaster plan, dust it off and make sure it’s up to date. 
If you don’t have a plan, commit to creating one by making a timeline for 
developing it. 
Conduct a building evacuation drill, evaluate the results, and discuss 
ways to improve on your staff’s performance. 
Update your staff contact information and create a wallet-size version of 
your emergency contact roster, e.g., Pocket Response Plan™ (PReP™). 
Assess risks to your collection. 
Identify and prioritize important collection materials. 
Eliminate hazards such as storage in hallways, blocked fire exits, or 
improper storage of paints, solvents, etc. 
Make a plan to install any needed safety systems. 
Plan to train and drill an in-house disaster team. 
Provide staff with easily accessible disaster response information, e.g., 
www.heritageemergency.org. 
Find a “buddy” institution to work with in case of a disaster. 
Get to know your local firefighters and police—invite them to come tour 
your institution and give you pointers on safety and preparedness. 
Develop a timeline for writing a continuity of operations plan. 
Plan to take a course in risk assessment or disaster planning. 
Promote MayDay—tell others in the cultural field about it and encourage 
them to participate. 

How You Can Spread the Word
Tell your colleagues, clients, and constituents about MayDay, by word of 
mouth, e-mail, or a printed flyer. Click here for versions of the MayDay 
logo for use on your Web site or in printed materials. For a Microsoft 
Word version of this information, click here.
You can make a difference—help save our heritage!

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force is a partnership of 40 national 
service organizations and federal agencies created to protect cultural 
heritage from the damaging effects of natural disasters and other 
emergencies. The Task Force was founded in 1995 and is co-sponsored by 
Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Its 
primary goals are to:
Help cultural heritage institutions and sites be better prepared for 
emergencies and obtain needed resources when disaster strikes. 
Encourage the incorporation of cultural and historic assets into disaster 
planning and mitigation efforts at all levels of government. 
Facilitate a more effective and coordinated response to all kinds of 
emergencies, including catastrophic events. 
Assist the public in recovering treasured heirlooms damaged by disasters.

http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TASKFER.HTM




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