Publications from Risk Evaluation and Planning Program (REPP)

Pilot project results in emergency plans and partnerships
Project tools available to aid preparedness

Thanks to guidance from preservation professionals, local emergency
managers, and fire officials, fifteen museums in Mississippi, Ohio,
and Texas are prepared to protect visitors and collections from
disaster. Preservation experts teamed with emergency personnel to
conduct risk evaluations and provide tips for emergency planning and
prevention at the museums as part of the pilot Risk Evaluation and
Planning Program (REPP). The innovative project was conducted by the
national organization Heritage Preservation with support from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Risk Evaluation and Planning Program is unique in its approach
to emergency preparedness because it pairs preservation experts with
emergency professionals to conduct an on-site risk evaluation, the
essential first step in emergency planning. The combined expertise
helped participating museums identify and correct internal risks and
develop more realistic plans. Emergency personnel advised the
museums about safety issues and hazards affecting their communities
and shared information on local evacuation and response plans.
Preservation professionals suggested priority mitigation steps to
protect collections and guided the museums in developing effective
plans.

Jan Anglin, Executive Director of the Tishomingo County Archives and
History Museum, in Iuka, MS, said,

   "I cannot begin to express how wonderful this was for our museum.
    We were made aware of risk and how to manage any risk to our
    building and collections. Just like in many museums, we are
    limited on time and people, but with this program we were able
    to get it [emergency plan] finished and done properly."

An evaluation of the project showed that in addition to developing
emergency plans, staff at each participating institution increased
their knowledge of emergency preparedness and response strategies,
identified potential risks to the institution, built new
relationships with local emergency managers and firefighters, and
implemented simple and cost-effective mitigation measures. Factors
such as budget, staff size, type of collections, governance, and
geography did not affect an institution's ability to plan for
disaster and mitigate risks.

Heritage Preservation developed assessment tools and planning
guidelines to help the evaluation teams. These resources can be used
to improve preparedness at any institution. Along with a full report
of the outcomes and lessons from the project, they are available at

    <URL:http://www.heritagepreservation.org/REPP>

For more than 30 years, Heritage Preservation has been the national,
nonprofit advocate for the proper care of the objects and sites that
embody our history and enrich our lives. Heritage Preservation
partners with institutions, organizations, and concerned individuals
who care about preserving our past.

Heritage Preservation administered the Risk Evaluation and Planning
Program with a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library
Services. The Institute of Museum and Library Services
<URL:http://www.imls.gov> is the primary source of federal support
for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The
Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that
connect people to information and ideas.

Mary Rogers
Coordinator
Emergency and Collections Care Programs
Heritage Preservation, Inc.
1012 14th St. NW, Ste. 1200
Washington, DC 20005
202-233-0825
Fax: 202-233-0807


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:25
                Distributed: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-23-25-012
                                  ***