Page Index

Museums + Natural Disasters • Disaster Preparedness & Recovery

Building an Emergency Response Plan • Disaster Response & Assistance

With the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters across the Western US and beyond, it's becoming imperative for museums to have an updated, comprehensive disaster preparedness and emergency response plan to help ensure the safety of their staff, minimize risk, and preserve their structures and facilities.

Below, you will find a list of useful resources to help you become more knowledgeable about natural disasters and to help your institution become more prepared and develop or update an existing Emergency Response Plan. 

Museums + Natural Disasters

• Learn about fire ecology with the San Diego Natural History Museum

• Are museums safe from natural disasters? – Minneapolis Institute of Art

• California Wildfire Safety Guide – Cutter Law

• Natural Disasters and Severe Weather – CDC

Disaster Preparedness & Recovery

• Disaster Response and Salvage Resources – Museum SOS (an AMNH website)

• Disaster Response and Recovery Resources – Minnesota Historical Society

• Emergency Management Resources – Northeast Document Conservation Center

• Emergency Preparedness – Smithsonian Institution Archives

• Disaster Resources for Children’s Museums to Share with Families – Association of Children’s Museums Blog

• How Libraries Can Prepare for Natural Disasters and Preserve Community History – Syracuse University

• Facility Agility: Planning for Facility Emergencies – Nonprofit Risk Management Center

• Facilities and Risk Management Standards – American Alliance of Museums

Building an Emergency Response Plan

• Guidelines for Disaster Preparedness in Museums (downloadable PDF) – ICOM

• Building an Emergency Plan: A Guide for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions (downloadable PDF) – The Getty

• Developing a Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Response Plan – American Alliance of Museums

• Plans and Resources for Natural Disasters – Sustaining Places

• Emergency Plan for Collections – American Museum of Natural History

• Worksheet for Outlining an Emergency Response Plan (downloadable PDF) – Northeast Document Conservation Center

Disaster Response & Assistance

• American Institute for Conservation's National Heritage Responders 202-661-8068

• California Preservation Program – Disaster Assistance 888-905-7737 (emergency response hotline)

• Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts 215-545-0613

• Balboa Art Conservation Center 619-236-9702

• BELFOR (water/smoke damage mitigation service) 800-856-3333 (24/7 Emergency Hotline)

• Hayward office: 510-785-3473 / 24/7 Emergency Number: 888-543-3473

• Los Angeles office: 714-632-7685 / 24/7 Emergency Number: 800-421-4112

• Northeast Document Conservation Center’s 24/7 Collections Emergency Hotline: 1-855-245-8303

• San Diego office: 858-847-9886 / 24/7 Emergency Number: 866-421-4144

• Polygon (water/smoke damage mitigation service) 800-I-CAN-DRY (422-6379)

Do you have disaster or emergency preparedness resources you'd like to add?

Please share with us at communications@westmuse.org.

These resources are subject to change and will be updated as new information becomes available.