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COSTEP: Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness

costep-bannerAn Emergency Response Framework for the Cultural Community

Supported by a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Northeast Document Conservation Center developed the COSTEP framework in cooperation with:

  • The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC)
  • The Massachusetts Archives
  • The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)
  • The Society of American Archivists (SAA)
  • Heritage Preservation
  • LYRASIS (formerly SOLINET)

The COSTEP Framework is a planning tool designed to bring together cultural institutions with emergency management agencies and first responders. It provides a blueprint for preparing for area-wide disasters and building alliances with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies.

The COSTEP Framework

COSTEP guides states through the process of planning for a disaster and fosters collaboration among a wide range of agencies.

COSTEP builds upon existing emergency preparedness projects such as the Heritage Emergency National Task Force's Alliance for Response and the Council of State Archivists' Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) and Intergovernmental Preparedness for Essential Records (IPER). COSTEP is designed to complement these projects and provide a mechanism for incorporating them into a larger statewide planning effort.

Who should participate?

  • State agencies responsible for cultural collections
  • Library / archives / museum associations
  • Professional organizations
  • Private libraries, archives, and museums
  • Historic sites
  • Local / county / state / regional emergency managers and first responders

For more information about COSTEP, take a look at the COSTEP brochure. Also available is the COSTEP Starter Kit, a handbook for emergency managers and stewards of cultural heritage.