Creating a Collections Emergency Kit

Hi everyone!

Today, I am bringing you another webinar review from Connecting to Collections Care. This time, I watched a webinar called Collections Emergency Kits, presented by the Smithsonian Institution's Preparedness and Response in Collections Emergencies (PRICE) Team. It presents a lot of really helpful tips for creating an emergency kit to suit the needs of your museum, so I wanted to share some of the highlights with you. 

Emergencies can happen at any time, wreaking havoc on a museum's collections and bringing panic to its staff and volunteers. Whether it be a small nuisance like a leaky pipe dripping in the storage area or a large-scale catastrophe like a fire, having a well-stocked emergency kit can help mitigate some of the stress that comes along with these situations. 

It can be overwhelming to think about all of the different supplies that could be included in your collections emergency kit, so you may find it helpful to think of it in terms of categories. The webinar broke down emergency supplies into the following eight categories: 

Container: The first thing you need to think about when creating an emergency kit is what type of container you are going to use. Depending on the size of your collections, you may wish to have a smaller, more portable container like a plastic storage bin or you may choose to create your kit within a larger, stationary cabinet. No matter where you decide to keep your kit, the important thing is that all of the supplies are in one place that can be easily accessed in the case of an emergency. 

Absorbent Materials: Water is the most common cause of damage to collections, so keeping your emergency kit well-stocked with absorbent materials is important. Examples include sponges, towels, blotter paper, and rags. 

Documentation Materials: When an emergency strikes, one of the best things you can do is document everything so that you have accurate records of the event. Keep track of accession numbers, condition notes, and treatments. It would be a good idea to include a notebook, pencil, object tags, and maybe even a disposable camera in your emergency kit. 

Instructional Documents: Any documents that might help someone in carrying out emergency plans and procedures should be included in the kit. Such documents may include floor plans, priority object locations, object tracking sheets, important contact information. 

Personal Safety: Keeping yourself and others safe in the event of an emergency at your museum should be top priority. Safety supplies may include a first aid kit, nitrile and/or work gloves, a dust mask, and safety goggles. 

Salvage & Recovery Supplies: When creating a collections emergency kit, you will need to think about what supplies will be most necessary in the direct aftermath of the emergency event. What will you use to immediately treat any damage done to objects? Depending on the kind of collections you are dealing with and the type of damage that has been done, supplies can range from vinyl erasers and dusting brushes to soot sponges and fans. 

Scene Safety & Clean Up: Not only do you have to think about how to treat objects after an emergency, you also have to consider how to create a safe work space in which to carry out salvage and clean-up efforts. Think about what would make your work easier, safer, and more efficient when responding to an emergency situation. You may need brooms, garbage bags, reflective tape, or a tarp. 

Tools: It is impossible to anticipate exactly what you will need in the event of an emergency, but having some basic tools and equipment on hand is definitely a good idea. Some tools you may want to include in your emergency kit are a flashlight, tape measure, batteries, scissors, and a screwdriver. 

Keep in mind that in the event of an emergency, there are supplies that you will need that are too large to fit inside your kit. Other helpful items to keep nearby are ladders, folding tables, dehumidifiers, and HEPA vacuums. Once you have created your collections emergency kit, all staff and volunteers at the museum should be made aware of where the kit is kept, what it contains, and how it should be used in the event of an emergency. It is also important to manage and maintain the inventory of the kit, making sure supplies are always well-stocked for when you might need them. If something is used from the kit, it should be promptly replaced. 

Being prepared for an emergency does not make unexpected disasters any less upsetting and unwelcome, but it may help make the response process go more smoothly and ease some of the unnecessary stress of trying to gather materials. Your emergency kit also does not have to be the biggest and most expensive kit in order to be effective. Gathering a few extra materials and keeping them in one place will go a long way towards preparing you for that next leaky pipe.
 

- Madeline