Prevention and response plans Museums play a key role in securing our cultural heritage for the future, and it is therefore important that each museum has a response plan that outlines how to react to an impending threat in order to avert disaster.
All cultural institutions are to prepare response plans for emergencies. This includes recognized museums in Iceland, which are to engage in preventive conservation and develop response plans for each museum to submit to the Museum Council. The Museum Council, in collaboration with conservator Nathalie Jacqueminet, has launched an online course to support and advise recognized museums in this work.
Remote Course Format 2025-26
All accredited museums will be invited to participate in a remote course, but each course consists of four one-hour sessions. Museums are divided into groups by region, and each group has 3-8 museums. The museum groups are organized by region to allow museums to support each other and work together on conservation efforts related to specific regional risks. You could say it's like a first aid course for a collection, but the course reviews all the essential elements a response plan must include, and museums have the opportunity to receive advice and assistance from an expert. At the end of the course, the museums will have a response plan and a risk assessment in hand, which should then be reviewed and updated annually.
What does a response plan entail?
- Information about civil defense levelsAt all levels of the response plan and when planning a rescue, it is recommended to use the same color code as Civil Defense.
- Symbolic treeList of important contacts and responders, e.g., from the fire department, a transportation company, plumbers, security guards, or other specialized personnel.
- Building plans of the premises, along with an evacuation plan.
- Response Measures by type of incident.
- List of equipment and supplies emergency kit.
- Priority list and instructions on the rescue of museum objects.
- Damage Reports and information on the handling of items by type of incident.
A detailed can be accessed A Guide to Creating a Response Plan for Accredited Collections which Nathalie Jacqueminet has prepared for the custodians of accredited collections.
It is also possible to download Template for response plan which provides a good picture of what such a plan should look like and what information needs to be included, also here Collection Checklist for Interaction with First Responders You can find useful tips there.
The reason The primary reason for the need for response plans is to ensure that the responsible parties of recognized institutions are prepared to rescue cultural property in the event of a disaster. Furthermore, Iceland has now ratified the 1954 UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, which entails an obligation for all cultural institutions in Iceland, and thus all recognized museums, work on preventive measures and develop response plans for various threats, such as natural and climate disasters.