Human observation and procedures for deterring potential fire threats are ideally combined with electronic systems to increase the intensity of an institution’s security precautions. Automatic smoke detectors wired to first responders, for example, can be indispensible for providing an early response, especially in geographically isolated institutions, or to provide an alarm when the building is unoccupied.
Published in Chapter:
A Stitch in Time: Disaster Mitigation Strategies for Cultural Heritage Collections
Randy Silverman (University of Utah, USA), Tomomi Nakashima (University of Utah, USA), Jeffrey M. Hunt (University of Utah, USA), and Joyce Tuia (University of Utah, USA)
Copyright: © 2016
|Pages: 32
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8624-3.ch010
Abstract
A single fire, flood, or earthquake can irrevocably erode or destroy the ability of cultural property to convey meaning. Preventing collection damage of this type is far more cost effective than repairing it. This chapter addresses deliberate, incremental, and affordable approaches to minimizing potential collection risks. Hindsight provides 100% clarity about the difference small actions could have made before a damaging event occurs. True leadership is recognizing hypothetical problems and initiating timely actions that will prevent damage from occurring. The chapter includes nine case studies that provide achievable examples of strategies for mitigating fire, flood, and earthquake risks in libraries and other cultural institutions.