Emergency Preparedness Resources

• Case Study Library
• Tools for Practitioners
• The FEMA fact sheet “After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures,” which provides guidance to salvaging treasured family heirlooms and links to helpful resources. The fact sheet is attached and is also available for download from the FEMA Document and Resource Library.
• The best source of information on federal disaster funding for private nonprofits is FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide.

These past webinars are concerned with disaster recovery. All of them also have additional resources that may be of help.

• Live Question and Answer Session on How Cultural Institutions Can Work with Emergency Responders for Preparedness and Response (September 8, 2011)
• Hurricane Sandy Collections Recovery (November 20, 2012)
• After Disasters: Salvage and Recovery in Small to Mid-Sized Museums and Libraries (May 1, 2015)
• Working with Disaster Recovery Companies: What You Need to Know (May 1, 2017)
• Avoiding Ambulance Chasers: Working with Emergency Recovery Vendors (April 24, 2018)
• Live and Learn: Collections Emergency Lessons and Training (June 13, 2018)
• Don't Fan the Flames: Understanding Fire and What to do About It (August 21, 2019)
• Fire Protection Strategies for Collections & Museums (May 6, 2020)
• #MayDayPrep 2022 Sustainability as Disaster Preparation (March 31, 2022)
• #MayDayPrep 2022 Tools for ER Planning (May 5, 2022)
• Preparing for Extreme Weather: Fire and Hurricane (August 18, 2022)

AIC & FAIC

The American Institute for the Conservation (AIC) of Historic and Artistic Works and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) support conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of our global cultural heritage.

• Disaster Response and Recovery Guides

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF)

Co-sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Smithsonian Institution, HENTF is a partnership of 60 national service organizations and federal agencies.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Ready.gov provides a wealth of disaster planning and response tips organized by type of event.

American Alliance of Museums

• Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plan
• Resources: Assistance, Online Recovery Guides, Preparation

ArtsReady

Provides links to guidance and aid for artists and arts organizations. Scroll down to the Recovery heading.

National Heritage Responders (NHR) responds to the needs of cultural institutions and the public during emergencies and disasters through coordinated efforts with first responders, state agencies, vendors, and the public.

• Emergency Help Line
• Individuals, if your personal items have been damaged in an emergency, email: NHRpublichelpline@culturalheritage.org
• Institutions, if your collections have been affected by an emergency, call: 202.661.8068
• Not urgent? Email emergencies@culturalheritage.org

American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)

• “Are You Prepared?” by Bethany Hawkins, AASLH Chief of Operations, April 25, 2023.

Conserv

Join experts like entomologist Pat Kelley (Insects Limited) and emergency response consultant Rebecca Kennedy (Curae Collections Care) for deep dives into IPM and dealing with water emergencies. Each series consists of three hour-long webinars.

The recordings are free and available whenever you need them.

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

• MayDay: Saving Our Archives
• National Disaster Recovery Fund for Archives