Disaster Assistance

FIRE DAMAGE

• After the Fire: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures 
  Fact sheet from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force.
  
  
• How to Handle and Clean Soot-Damaged Items
  7-minute video from the American Institute for Conservation.
  
  
• Vacuuming Moldy Books and Paper
  3-minute video available on NEDCC’s YouTube channel.
  

WATER DAMAGE

• After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures
  Fact sheet from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force.
  
  
• Emergency Salvage Procedures for Wet Items 
  Reference sheets from the Minnesota Historical Society that include handling precautions, tips for prioritizing, and a list of supplies needed for drying over twenty types of wet items.
  
  
• Field Guide to Emergency Response
  Videos demonstrating salvage techniques. Created by Heritage Preservation and hosted on YouTube by the American Institute for Conservation.
  
  
• NEDCC Preservation Leaflets – Technical leaflets on emergency response and recovery:
  • Emergency Salvage of Wet Books and Records
  • Emergency Salvage of Wet Photographs
  • Emergency Salvage of Moldy Books and Paper
  • Freezing and Drying Wet Books and Records
• Salvage at a Glance 
  An easy-to-use reference chart listing response actions for a wide range of wet collection formats. From Connecting to Collections.
  
  
• Salvaging CDs and DVDs – from NARA.
  
  
• Salvaging VHS tapes and other magnetic media – from Specs Bros., LLC
  
  
• Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms 
  Fact sheet from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, also available in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.

RECOVERY VENDORS AND NETWORKS

• Alliance for Response Networks 
  Check to see if your area has an Alliance for Response (AFR) for mutual aid and emergency assistance at the local level.
  
  
• Conservation Services 
  The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) provides a How to Choose a Conservator guide that explains how to work with a professional conservator, as well as a Find a Professional directory to help you identify conservators in your area.
  
  
• Disinfecting Books and Other Collections
  An NEDCC Preservation Leaflet in HTML and PDF, as well as a video on NEDCC’s YouTube Channel.
  
  
• Hazardous Materials following a Disaster 
  7-minute video from the American Institute for Conservation.
  
  
• How Do I Start My Flood Claim? – from FEMA

EMERGENCY PLANNING

• Risk Management of Cultural Heritage 
  A good guide for formal disaster planning. From ICCROM.
  
  
•  - a comprehensive online tool for disaster preparedness and response, designed with arts and cultural organizations in mind. The tool includes resources for response and recovery, guided risk assessments, storage for critical files, easy access online and via mobile phone, and affordable annual subscription rates.
  
  
• NEDCC Preservation Leaflets – Technical leaflets on emergency preparedness topics:
  • Emergency Planning
  • Worksheet for Outlining an Emergency Response Plan
    
    
• “Ready—Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project
  Funded by the State of California, NEDCC emergency preparedness consultants conduct free site visits for California organizations stewarding cultural resources and then deliver a report with recommendations for mitigating risks, taking emergency preparedness actions, and completing a disaster plan.

FLOOD PREPAREDNESS

• USGS Water Watch 
  Includes a national map of flood and high flow conditions with the ability to drill down to the state and local level for flood tracking. 

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

• Hurricane Season 2020 Readiness Webinar
  Learn more about the hazards posed by tropical storms and hurricanes, particularly in southern New England; how to evaluate hurricane-related threats to your facilities; and the process of constructing a mitigation plan. From NWS Boston Lead Meteorologist Matthew Belk.
  
  
• Hurricanes
  Resources from Ready.gov for personal safety before, during, and after a hurricane. Available in English and 12 other languages.
  
  
• National Hurricane Center 
  Real-time information on current and developing tropical disturbances.
  
  
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center 
  Forecasts for hurricane seasons, for example, this forecast for 2022 in the Atlantic.

WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS

• Evacuating Collections: What You Should Know 
  A 2-page tip sheet from the National Heritage Responders
  
  
• Map of active fires – from the National Interagency Fire Center. 

OTHER WAYS TO BE PREPARED

 

NEDCC Preservation Leaflets - Technical leaflets on emergency preparedness topics:

• Protection from Loss: Water and Fire Damage, Biological Agents, Theft, and Vandalism
• Introduction to Fire Detection and Automatic Sprinklers for Cultural Heritage
• Protecting Collections During Renovation
• Integrated Pest Management
• Collections Security: Planning and Prevention for Cultural Heritage Institutions
  
  

NEDCC Preservation Training - Free, for-fee, and on-demand webinars on topics that include emergency preparedness. Visit the Current Training Programs page for descriptions and registration.