Taking It Further

Additional Activities

This section provides suggestions for some additional disaster planning activities that will result in "building blocks" for your disaster plan. These activities will require additional time, research, and information-gathering on your part, and are completely optional.

Keep in mind that there are different ways to prepare a disaster plan. If you choose to use dPlan (NEDCC's online disaster planning template), some of the activities listed below will be automatically provided for you (e.g., some emergency procedures and salvage instructions).

Risk Assessment

Use the Risk Assessment Checklist (PDF, 888k) to make a more detailed assessment of your institution's risks. Walk through (and around the outside of) your building with the checklist and identify any risks that apply. Also make detailed notes about your prevention/mitigation efforts—consider each risk that you have identified and discuss actions needed to lessen those risks in the "Notes" column. If you need detailed information on protecting against a specific hazard (such as hurricane, flooding, tornado, wildfire) consult the Get Disaster Information web site of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Emergency Procedures

Create specific emergency response procedures for one or more of the natural or man-made disasters that you identified as particular risks for your institution. For sample procedures for various types of natural and man-made disasters, consult FEMA's Get Disaster Information Web site.

Emergency Supplies

Use the Basic Emergency Supply Checklist (PDF, 456k) to put together an emergency kit for your institution. Decide where you will keep the kit and indicate how many you have of each item. Remember to note the location of any items that are stored separately from the kit due to size or for another reason.

Salvaging Collections

Using the Minnesota Historical Society's Emergency Salvage Procedures for Wet Items web page as a starting point, prepare detailed salvage instructions for one or more types of collections held by your institution. See the Additional Resources section for references to additional salvage instructions.