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Ideas for MayDay Activities
Create or Update Your Contact Lists
One of the most important elements of disaster response is knowing how to contact
critical people – emergency responders, staff, and vendors. Make sure
your staff
members have an up-to-date list that includes as much contact information as
possible:
work and home phone numbers (including direct lines at work), mobile phone
numbers,
work and home email addresses, and any other relevant addresses. Staff at many
institutions hit by hurricanes in 2005 discovered that they couldn’t
use work email or
phone numbers because work systems were completely out of commission; those
who
had an alternative phone number or email address often could connect.
- Create or update a master list for key people to keep at home.
- Create or
update a list of staff members that is small enough to be kept in a pocket
or a wallet.
- Create or update a list of key vendors.
Review or Establish Basic Emergency Procedures
Staff members need to know basic procedures and have essential information
where it’s
readily available when there’s an emergency. All staff members should
have copies of
the procedures that they can keep by their phones, at home, and in their
cars. SAA has
adapted an outline for basic emergency procedures http://www.archivists.org/mayday
/MayDayEmergencyProcedures.rtf that
can be used as
a template to develop your own.
- Review or develop basic emergency procedures.
- Distribute copies of up-to-date
procedures to all staff.
- Make sure that all staff members read the procedures.
Conduct a Disaster Drill
Different archives face different threats. Any repository could have a fire.
Those on the
Gulf and Atlantic coasts are threatened by hurricanes; those in the Midwest,
by
tornadoes; and those in the West, by earthquakes. These types of disasters
often strike
with little warning, so it’s critically important that staff members
know how to respond
immediately. There’s no time to plan when you have to evacuate
a burning building! A
disaster drill will help remind your staff of the proper procedures,
and can also reveal
unanticipated problems that can then be corrected.
Disaster drills are often difficult to execute because they interrupt
public service. If you
can’t perform a full-fledged drill, have a “silent drill.” Identify
a skeleton staff group
who will remain on duty to provide public service while the rest of the
staff conduct the
exercise.
- Make sure that staff members know where fire alarms and fire extinguishers
are located.
- Make sure that all staff can point to at least two emergency
exit routes.
Conduct Scenario Exercises
In every emergency, staff members face unexpected circumstances. Scenario exercises
offer them a chance to think about how they would respond to situations that
would be hard to incorporate into a drill, and the exercises are particularly helpful
for those who have specific responsibilities for dealing with disasters. What would you do
if someone pulled a gun in the reading room? What would you do if the toilet started to
overflow? If a major storm after hours causes significant damage to buildings in the area,
do you come to work? You receive a call at night that there’s been a break in; what
do you do? Your supervisor is out of town; who do you call?
- Form small groups to discuss how to respond to different kinds of emergencies.
Invite Your Local Firefighters to Visit Your Repository
Firefighters’ first responsibility is to put out fires. But they are
also sensitive to the
property they are protecting. Fire safety professionals often offer advice
on safety
procedures and training on how to prevent fires and how to use fire extinguishers.
- Invite your local fire safety professional to visit your repository
in order to become familiar with your facility and to consider how to fight
any fires effectively.
Survey the Building for Risks
Inspect the condition of your facility, with an eye to identifying possible
hazards.
- Check the roof, including drains and gutters.
- Look for trees and plants
growing close to the building.
- Check wiring for overloaded circuits, and look
for appliances (such as space heaters, coffee pots, and office machines)
that may be unauthorized or in poor condition.
- Test the fire detection system
and emergency lighting.
- Check to make sure fire extinguishers are charged.
- Inspect pipes and ventilation
ducts.
- Ensure that access to emergency exits is unobstructed.
Make Sure All Collections Are in Boxes
If you have a fire, your collections are at risk from water or smoke damage.
Boxes do
more than serve as a storage container; they provide protection. In case
of a fire, boxes
provide a barrier against smoke. As important, winds generated by a fire
won’t
pick up
loose items to feed the flames. Boxes also protect materials from water
due to sprinklers,
broken pipes, or leaks.
- Look for loose and unboxed materials – and make a plan to get the boxing
done.
Make Sure Boxes Are Off the Floor
Any number of causes – a broken pipe, a clogged toilet, fire sprinklers – may
result in
water in your storage areas. If shelf space is limited, use pallets for
clearance.
- Make sure nothing is on the floor where it can be soaked.
Identify the Most Critical, Essential, Important Records
In some cases, you may have a chance to move some items to a more secure location.
Do
you know what you’d take with you? In addition to your holdings,
what administrative
records (such as computer backup tapes) might you take?
- Create a prioritized list of collections.
Inventory Emergency Supplies
Check to make sure that you have what you need in case of an emergency, such
as a well-stocked
first aid kit, flashlights with glow-in-the-dark tape, and large rolls of plastic
sheeting with ropes and clips to tent collections. Check to see that you have
materials to
begin salvage operations, such as buckets and mops, fans, respirators, extension
cords,
garbage bags, disinfectant, a camera with flash and film to document damage,
and a
water vacuum.
- Order supplies to replenish stock.
Review Your Emergency Preparedness Plan
Creating – or even revising – an emergency preparedness plan takes
more than a day.
But on MayDay you could develop a strategy for updating your existing plan.
- Read your current plan and identify what should be updated.
- Set target deadlines
to accomplish key steps.
- Schedule a little time each week to work on your plan.
If Your Repository Doesn’t Have an Emergency Preparedness Plan...
…
MayDay is a good time to get started. Don’t expect that your plan will
be finished on
May 1! Use this day to set a timeline to complete your plan before MayDay 2009.
Browse a variety of guidelines and leaflets to familiarize yourself with what needs to be done. Many resources address specific materials (such as photographs or film) within your collections.
Check out some disaster plan templates or read through example disaster plans to help get you started. You may
want to visit our tutorials page to arrange for disaster preparation training for you and/or your employees. Visit Annotated MayDay Resources for more information.
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Last updated on: March 25, 2008
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