Developing Statewide Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Expertise

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed an emergency response training program, which is divided into five sections: orientation, drill, tabletop, functional, and full-scale. Each section provides skills that are expanded through subsequent exercises. Suggestions are given for implementing the FEMA training model to the needs of cultural institutions. The Missouri Local Records Preservation Program's archivists were trained in emergency preparedness and response methods for books, papers, photographs, and electronic media by adapting FEMA's model. This article concludes with resources for developing similar training programs.