EMERGENCY PROFESSIONALS INCREASE PREPAREDNESS AT LOCAL MUSEUMS

Pilot program provides model of cooperation

WASHINGTON, DC � Thanks to guidance from local emergency managers, fire chiefs, and fire marshals in Mississippi, Ohio, and Texas, 15 museums developed emergency plans to protect staff, visitors, and valued collections. Emergency professionals teamed with preservation experts to conduct risk evaluations and provide tips for planning and prevention at the museums. The site visits were part of the Risk Evaluation and Planning Program (REPP), a pilot project conducted by the national organization Heritage Preservation.

The REPP pilot program demonstrated that even in times of economic stress, museums with limited resources can improve protection of people, buildings, and collections. In addition to developing emergency plans, museum staff increased their knowledge of emergency preparedness and response strategies, learned about potential risks to their institutions, forged new ties with local public safety officials, and implemented cost-effective mitigation measures.

Daniel Piersol, Deputy Director of Programs at the Mississippi Museum of Art, said, �It�s easy to get caught up in conducting every day job duties and not notice simple steps to increase our safety and preparedness, so it was invaluable to have two professionals visit and share their expertise with us.�

Museums, libraries, and historic sites welcome more than 2.5 billion visitors nationwide each year and care for objects and records that document a community�s history. Many of the objects in these cultural institutions are irreplaceable, and some can be hazardous to responders� health. Visitors also face increased vulnerability because of a lack of familiarity with their surroundings. Despite these concerns, many cultural institutions lack resources for planning, and 80 percent do not have emergency plans with staff trained to carry them out, according to a survey by Heritage Preservation.

The Risk Evaluation and Planning Program draws attention to the increased levels of preparedness that can be achieved when museum staff and local emergency management and response officials cooperate. Resources developed for the REPP project can facilitate this collaboration and introduce emergency professionals to the special concerns cultural institutions face in protecting both visitors and fragile artifacts. These resources, along with a list of pilot participants, are available at www.heritagepreservation.org/REPP.

REPP is one of several Heritage Preservation projects that highlight the need for the cultural community to work with emergency managers and first responders. Learn more about Alliance for Response and the Heritage Emergency National Task Force at www.heritageemergency.org. 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 (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.

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The Heritage Emergency National Task Force is a partnership of 40 government agencies and national service organizations formed in 1995. An initiative of Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Task Force has helped to protect cultural heritage from the damaging effects of natural disasters and other emergencies. Find valuable disaster resources at the Task Force Web site, www.heritageemergency.org

Heritage Preservation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. By identifying risks, developing innovative programs, and providing broad public access to expert advice, Heritage Preservation assists museums, libraries, archives, historic preservation and other organizations, as well as individuals, in caring for our endangered heritage.