Kurt mentioned below having a plan for the disaster that befalls some of our favorite places. I've seen and heard our staff working on just such scenarios and I'm glad they're thinking ahead. While we've been fortunate at Spencer not to have to live through anything catastrophic like the B&O roof collapse, it does make you think. I recall a day not too many Aprils ago when a tornado was sighted nearby and everyone, staff, volunteers and visitors, went looking for cover. It passed with minor damage.

I hope that things aren't as bad as Sandy's picutres reveal, but I guess this one will rank right up there or surpass the other great disasters of railway preservation: the D&S Roundhouse fire, the Cass Shop fire, and Hurricane Andrew's flailing of the Gold Coast Railroad Museum.

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

> Kurt mentioned below having a plan for the
> disaster that befalls some of our favorite
> places. I've seen and heard our staff
> working on just such scenarios and I'm glad
> they're thinking ahead.

When planning for disaster preparedness, it may be difficult to plan (or think of) every kind of disaster. But, build on the common and the planning will work for any kind of event.

1. Develope "who to notify" phone lists if an incident happens during open and closed hours.
2. Familiarize the local responders (fire, police, emt) to your site.
3. Determine to will talk to the public/media; but make sure you have someone to talk and control the rumors.
4. Develope lists of resources, suppliers, etc. to help with recovery and keep the list in multiple locations. (You don't want to lose the one copy in a fire!)
5. How to evacuate in a fire, where to go if you're in tornado county, etc.

Remember a disaster can be fire, flood, earthquake, storms of many kinds, train accident, and many more. After a fire you may also have to recover from the water damage caused by putting out the fire.

I looked at the American Assoication of Museums online bookstore and found a number of books on the subject the disaster planning. Something to check out.

Brian Norden

AAM on-line bookstore entrance

> 1. Develope "who to notify" phone
> lists if an incident happens during open and
> closed hours.
> 2. Familiarize the local responders (fire,
> police, emt) to your site.
> 3. Determine to will talk to the
> public/media; but make sure you have someone
> to talk and control the rumors.
> 4. Develope lists of resources, suppliers,
> etc. to help with recovery and keep the list
> in multiple locations. (You don't want to
> lose the one copy in a fire!)
> 5. How to evacuate in a fire, where to go if
> you're in tornado county, etc.

> Brian Norden

A reminder to Mr. Norden and everyone else that the best laid plans are a total waste if they are not put in the hands of the people that will need them. Planners shouldn't plan unless they fully implement their work.

Put the information you have compiled onto one sheet of paper and get it into the hands of the active members. No point of having all the "important emergency information" safely locked in the museum office when 95% of the membership cannot access it. Nevermind that they probably wouldn't be able to find it. You must remember that the weekend is only 2 days of the week. There are 5 other days of the week when there are hardly any people around that "disasters" may occur.

That leaves the museums with these choices:

1) Member picks up and goes home, "it's not my problem."
2) Member does something, not being really sure what the right thing is, and botches the operation in the process.
3) Member opens up the yellow pages or goes down their own list of "approved vendors."
4) Member has Museum provided contact list that includes basic instructions and proceeds to go down the list.

This is an area where museum management can shine or just fizzle out.

Regards,
Paul Krot

paul_krot@msn.com

Good point. Any plan is only as good as it is implemented. Information, like knowlege, is only good if it is shared.

Brian Norden