Arts Disaster & Crisis Preparedness Conference

Conversations on Emergency Prevention, Management, and Response
Panelists: Alicia Jay, Wes Bedwell. Kyle Jay

This session features a Certified Building Official/Fire Marshall, disaster responder EPA subcontractor, and Theatrical Firearms Safety artist/Fight Choreographer to talk about various aspects of emergency response from prevention through recovery with the through-line of fire.

Emergency management begins before the emergency has occurred. With knowledge, a plan of action, and some common sense, organizations can position themselves for better outcomes when it comes to emergency prevention, mitigation, and recovery. This session brings together a Certified Building Official/Fire Marshall, a disaster responder contracted by the EPA, and Certified Theatrical Firearms Safety artist/Fight Choreographer to talk about various aspects of emergency response from prevention through recovery. With a through-line of fire, the panelists bring experience working with theater venues as a Fire Marshal/Building Inspector/safety specialist (Wes), working with artists and administrators concerning theatrical firearm pyrotechnic devices and weapons/safety (Alicia), and as a disaster responder with experience working with large-scale fires and hazardous chemical detection (Kyle). 
This session will leave participants with practical tips that can make a difference at every level of emergency preparedness. Intended topics covered include:
- Required building codes (with consideration to design, retrofit);
- Fire Code Compliance, and, in particular, flame standards of curtains and decorative materials for stage scenery; the use of open flames/pyrotechnics in stage productions (NFPA 160, 1123& 1126), and Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans;
- Emergency Plans and where do they need to be posted/filed, who needs access to them;
- Chain of command for emergency response (and where organization leaders fall in that chain);
- Storage and transportation of theatrical firearms;
- Notice of theatrical firearm use, and in particular, who to notify, what to post, and mitigation strategies;
- Theatrical firearm venting (fire and burn hazard), use of blanks indoors;
- Stage weapon (not-so-) common sense, chain-of-command, and general safety;
- What happens when disaster emergency responders show up– what they do, what role personnel have; and
- Helpful information and tips from lived experience responding to chemical spills and natural disaster (fire).

Through this discussion, the panels aim to give digestible information and practical tips that can be implemented as they consider their own venue policies and procedures.

Aftermath of an Emergency: Applying lessons learned from ensuring Continuity of Operations towards preparing for disaster
Panelists: Rusty Heckaman & Rebecca Halbmaier

On the evening of December 10, 2021, a storm brewing across the Western region of Kentucky produced an EF4 tornado that tore through Graves County. The swath of damage and destruction left in its wake was devastating. Lives were lost, and homes, businesses, churches, and historical landmarks were destroyed. Among those buildings struck was the Graves County Courthouse, which had been damaged beyond repair. County Courthouses serve vital functions for their communities, acting as the authority for issuing and registering records like those for marriage, property, and voter rolls, as well as administering elections and taxes. While serving the contemporary needs of the public, they are also a repository for
the records of their community’s past. Efforts to maintain these records are supported by the Local Records Branch of KDLA in the form of regional administrators who consult local officials on matters of records retention and preservation.

In the aftermath of the disaster, court personnel worked closely with state colleagues to ascertain the scope of the damage to the courthouse and the records stored within. Exposure to the elements threatened the integrity of large amounts of records and required personnel to act quickly to save them. The services of a recovery company were acquired and refrigerated trucks were used to transport the material to storage until further action could be taken.

A month after the tornado struck the Graves County court resumed operations in a temporary space. Essential records needed for the continuity of their operations were in storage as salvage efforts continued. Land records proved to be in especially high demand as residents sought records to provide insurers for claims to their properties. Access copies created by the Local Records branch of KDLA were made available through the efforts of the staff of the State Archives. Staff fulfilled over 430 requests and provided over 1,000 copies of deeds to the clerks. Electronic Records personnel undertook a project to digitize deed records so that clerks might have access to them without the continued assistance of archives staff. Further assistance was provided through the indexing of Circuit Court Cases from 1978 to 1985 to accommodate access to case files in the loss of local indexes.

Applying the lessons learned from this case to better preparation for disaster could better ensure an organization’s readiness to respond and maintain its operations in its wake.


 

This demonstration of materials recovery and salvage from an arts and cultural disaster will provide ideas on how to recover library, archival, and arts collection materials such as books, papers, photographs, tapes, and computer media. Tom Clareson, the Project Director of Performing Arts Readiness and Senior Consultant for Digital & Preservation Services at Lyrasis, the leading library and archives network in the U.S., will also highlight best-practice resources for materials recovery.

Jumpstart Your Readiness Plan with ArtsReady
Panelists: Jan Newcomb and Mollie Quinlan-Hayes 

The online ArtsReady tool guides you through creating a readiness plan for your arts organization. Bring your laptop and get started!

*Get your free subscription code (a $100 value) by visiting the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) table at the Table Expo.