Disaster Planning and Recovery

Be Prepared

This document contains a case study in disaster unpreparedness, and includes training needs, safety and damage checklists and templates based on established disaster plans.

Australian Heritage Collections Council

Blue Shield Australia

The Blue Shield mission is ‘to work to protect the world’s cultural heritage threatened by armed conflict, natural and man-made disasters’. It is the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. Blue Shield Australia was established in 2005 following approval by the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS).

The FAHS is an Associate member of Blue Shield Australia.

Storing collections in high bushfire risk areas

The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material has released an information sheet Storing collections in high bushfire risk areas, aimed at assisting individuals and those working with cultural collections to reduce the risks of fire when storing their precious possessions.

Consult a Conservator

If you are affected by fires, you should retain damaged keepsakes that are still recognisable, even if damaged and dirty, as they may be salvageable. Consult a conservator before you throw them away. Conservators can be contacted via the AICCM website or through state and national cultural institutions. The AICCM is the professional organisation for conservators in Australia.

The AICCM website contains further information about the handling and care of salvaged items, particularly those damaged by fire or water.