FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 27, 2007
CONTACT:  Chelle Somsen, (605) 773-5521, Chelle.Somsen@state.sd.us

Cultural organizations urged to use “May Day” to prepare for disaster

PIERRE, SD -- Organizations such as the Society of American Archivists, American Association for State and Local History and the Heritage Emergency National Task Force have joined to urge cultural organizations to use “May Day” as a day to prepare to respond to a disaster.

Held on the first day of May, archives, historic preservation organizations, libraries and museums are encouraged to set some time aside to prepare for emergencies.

“If a cultural heritage organization took some time during that day to prepare, it could have a dramatic impact on that organization’s ability to respond to a disaster,” said Chelle Somsen, archives director for the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center.

Some ideas that could be accomplished on May 1 by cultural institutions include:  evaluating their disaster plan and making sure it is up to date; starting a disaster plan if one doesn’t exist; conducting a disaster drill and evaluating the results; taking an inventory of the emergency supplies and restocking if necessary; doing a survey of the building for risks, including testing the fire extinguishers; and reviewing emergency procedures with the staff.

“Large scale disasters, such as hurricane Katrina, that have destroyed cultural institutions, reminded the archival community of the importance of disaster planning,” Somsen said. “The cultural organizations in South Dakota need to make sure that their disaster plans are current and cover disasters that they are likely to face such as fire or flood. May 1^st of every year is a good time to re-evaluate their plans and prepare.”

If cultural organizations need assistance in creating a disaster plan they can contact the state archives at (605)773-3804.