Workshop 02
Emergency Response & Decision-Making
When an incident happens, the first challenge is not conservation treatment — it is making safe, organised decisions. This workshop gives teams a repeatable framework for assessing the situation, assigning roles, documenting damage, setting priorities and coordinating the first response to affected taonga and collections.
Recommended Audience
Museum and gallery teams likely to be present or called during an incident, including managers, collection staff, technicians, registrars and security/facilities representatives.
Marae and whare taonga teams who may need to coordinate protection or movement of taonga after flooding, severe weather, earthquake or building damage.
Organisations that already have an emergency plan but need staff to practise using it.
Topics Covered
Putting people and site safety first
Assessing what has happened and what is still at risk
Knowing when to manage the response internally and when to call for outside help
Assigning clear roles and responsibilities during an incident
Communicating clearly and keeping track of decisions
Setting up safe work areas and controlling the flow of people and materials
Prioritising affected taonga and collection items
Deciding what should be moved and what is safer to leave in place
Quickly documenting damage, locations and movement
Applying basic stabilisation steps for water, mould, smoke, breakage and displaced objects
Preparing clear information for conservators, insurers, contractors and recovery teams