Carnegie Museum of Natural History Library

Disaster Response Manual

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

 DISASTER RESPONSE MANUAL, 2001

Copyright Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 2001

(NOTE: Museum-specific information has been removed)

Table of contents

FIRST RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER

PRIORITY AND TIME SENSITIVE SALVAGE

INTERACTIONS WITH THE MEDIA

INSURANCE INFORMATION

TELEPHONE TREE 

SECTION-SPECIFIC INFORMATION  

SALVAGE OF WATER-DAMAGED MATERIALS

Mold Control

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SALVAGE OF WET MATERIALS

Books and paper

Wet unbound paper

Photographs, prints, negatives, transparencies

Microfilm and microfiche

Computer media

PACKING WET MATERIALS FOR TRANSFER OFF-SITE

DRYING METHODS FOR BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS

Air-Drying

Dehumidification

Freezer Drying

Vacuum Thermal-Drying

Vacuum Freeze-Drying

AIR-DRYING WET BOOKS

AIR-DRYING WET DOCUMENTS

SUPPLIERS OF SALVAGE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES

SUPPLY LIST

RENTAL PLACES

UPDATING THIS MANUAL

INITIAL DISTRIBUTION AND UPDATE MECHANISM

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

 DISASTER RESPONSE MANUAL

 FIRST RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER

All Museum staff are responsible for the safety of the Museum's collections.  Damage to the Museum's specimen collections, library collections and other forms of documentation can often be prevented or mitigated through the vigilance of Museum staff.

 If you discover a disaster within the Oakland complex of the Museum, report it immediately to Security by dialing 7.   If you discover a disaster within the O'Neil Research Center, report it immediately to Security by dialing 2609.  Security Staff will contact CMNH administrators and section staff as indicated in the telephone tree (provide your phone tree reference).

Priority and Time Sensitive Salvage

Many museum collections and exhibition materials will be irreparably damaged by water if not removed from the damaged area within 24-48 hours.  See individual section descriptions for details on what materials should be given priority for salvage and restoration.

For a list of suppliers of salvage services and supplies, see ___.  Contact ____ to authorize purchases at _____

 Interactions with the Media 

In the event of a disaster, _____ should be contacted immediately.  S/He can be reached at _____  If s/he can not be reached, contact ______ at _______.

In the time of the crisis, it is extremely important that consistent, accurate and timely information be disseminated to the media.  All interactions with the media concerning the nature and extent of the disaster, possible damage to the Museum's collections and resumption of normal public access to the Museum is to be handled through him or his designated spokesperson.  It is also important that staff does not answer any questions from individuals, regardless of who they are.  A crisis communications center will be established and all inquiries (media and general public) must be directed to the center.

INSURANCE INFORMATION

In the event of a disaster, such as fire or water damage of Museum collection material from either the research collections or collections that are presently on exhibit, our primary concerns will be to stabilize the condition of the collections, assess the damage and remove material for restoration.

Reporting Loss to the Museum's Insurance Carrier

In the event of damage to any Museum property, notify _____ at _____.  Should the damage occur after hours, or if _____ is not available, please notify _____ at ______.  The next step would be to prevent further damage to the damaged property and prevent damage of the undamaged property.  While this is occurring, a record should be kept of the steps taken and the expenses incurred.  All records pertaining to the expenses incurred in protecting the property, the expenses for cleaning up the debris and estimate to repair or replace the damaged property should be forwarded to _____.

If the lost or damaged items from the Museum collection are valued at less than _______, then an Insurance Adjuster does not need to be called to examine the item. For items valued at more than ______, an Insurance Broker _____ must be contacted as soon as practical and provided with the following information

* What happened?

* Where did it happen?

* When did it happen?

* Why did it happen?

* How did it happen?

* What authorities were contacted?

Information about lost or stolen items may be reported to the Museum Security Network (http://www.museum-security.org) a website concerned with the security of cultural property.

 TELEPHONE TREE

This is the most current version of the Telephone Tree and is to be used by Security to notify Museum staff in the event of a disaster involving their collections or exhibition areas for which they are responsible. 

Notification sequence for use by Carnegie Security when dealing with emergencies involving Carnegie Museum of Natural History collections and collection areas.

SECTION-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Each section in the Museum is listed alphabetically by section name and includes information on section-specific information on priority items to be protected or salvaged.  For salvage and recovery techniques of paper-based materials, including books and journals, see SALVAGE OF WATER-DAMAGED MATERIALS on page 24.

Sample Departmental Information

Time-sensitive salvage items.  Marked with red tape and in red on section map.

Hazardous materials.  Marked with green tape and in green on section map.

Time-sensitivity of material for salvage: Wet paper-based materials must be removed, or their condition stabilized within 48 hours, or mold will develop.  See SALVAGE OF WATER-DAMAGED MATERIALS for further details.

Local storage of emergency supplies:

Outside experts to be called for help:

Past-history of damage

SALVAGE OF WATER-DAMAGED MATERIALS

Control the environment

Mold Control

Unless the temperature is maintained at less than 70† F and the relative humidity is less than 50%, mold will develop within 48 to 72 hours.  Wet books need to be frozen or dried within 48 hours to minimize damage.

Old HVAC systems with high external relative humidity will need additional help in bringing relative humidity down.  Additional dehumidifiers may be required. Use fans to circulate air.

NOTE: DO NOT cover damp or wet book-stacks or other collection storage areas with plastic sheeting as this will encourage mold development by the creation of a mini-environment with high humidity

IF MATERIALS ARE UNDER WATER - KEEP THEM UNDER WATER

* no mold grows

* less physical distortion when under water

* wet materials will swell more if also exposed to oxygen

* mineral specimens may be irreparably damaged if allowed to dry dirty.

Recommendations for salvage of wet materials

When library materials get wet, time is critical if they are to be saved.  There is a relatively small window of opportunity available for salvage before damage sets in.  If possible, contact a specialist in disaster recovery to help with salvage, particularly with photographic materials.  Some collection materials can be air-dried, while other (wet books) can best be saved by vacuum-freeze-drying.  Other items can be simply frozen as an intermediate step before either of those recovery methods, buying you valuable time in which to arrange for recovery.

Books and paper

* Wet books need  to be frozen or dried within 48 hours to minimize damage

* Damp books and papers can be air-dried unless there are too many of them

* Wetter books will need to be frozen. 

* Don't squeeze wet books to try to straighten the text blocks if they seem twisted.  Just handle each book carefully and pack for freezing. 

* Pack books spine down, only one layer deep in boxes.  Try to loosely wrap every other book in waxed paper or freezer paper so that they don't stick together.

* Get these books to a freezer immediately

Wet unbound paper

* Don't try to separate wet single papers with your hands as they will tear easily.

* If the individual papers are just damp, separate them by lifting each one using mylar or polyester film and lay out by hand to dry.

* If papers are wet, interleave groups of papers with waxed paper or freezer paper and freeze as soon as possible.  When you're ready to air-dry them, thaw the papers and then separate the sheets using mylar or polyester film.

Photographs, prints, negatives, transparencies

* Don't freeze, then vacuum dry photos, as this may damage the surface of the photos.

* Photos may be immersed in cold water, but keep immersion time to a minimum.  Air dry within 48 hours.

* Freezing of photographs retards further deterioration.

* Different salvage techniques are required for different types of photographic materials.

Microfilm and microfiche

* If only a few microforms are wet, they can be gently dried with clean, non-abrasive cloths and laid or hung to dry.  Otherwise, fill microfilm boxes with cold water and pack in boxes lined with garbage bags.

* Immerse microfiche in cold, running water.

* Contact a microfilm processor, as these items need to be rewashed and dried within 72 hours.

Computer media

* Floppy disks and CD-ROMs which have been heat damaged are unrecoverable, but don't throw them away until you have determined the vendor's replacement policy.

* Hard drives which have been in a fire are often damaged beyond usefulness, but the data can be recovered by a commercial data recovery firm.  Remove damaged hard drives from the computer case, wrap in an air-tight plastic bag and send via overnight shipper to the data recovery firm.  The disks must not be allowed to dry out.

* Offsite backups eliminate the need for extensive salvage efforts.

Packing Wet Materials For Transfer Off-Site

* Freezing most paper-based materials stabilizes materials physically and chemically, to prevent further deterioration.

* Most materials will need to be placed in boxes for transport to the freezer.

* Training recovery staff is essential to avoid ruining materials.  The condition and shape of materials after freezing will be the same as before freezing.  However, because wet materials are extremely fragile, trying to straighten volumes may result in greater damage. 

* Standard size record or book boxes are suitable for packing most materials.  If using metal or plastic milk crates, place cardboard between the container and contents to avoid transfer of the container's design.

* Pack bound volumes spine down in box, one layer deep.  Pack loosely in milk crates.

* Use wax or freezer paper to separate volumes, and prevent transfer of binding designs or cloth dyes. 

* Keep records of box contents, and average 8-12 books per box.

* Stack boxes on pallets, no more than three cartons high to avoid collapse of boxes.

* Use shrink wrap to keep stacks of boxes on pallets.

* Code boxes to identify location of materials requiring special treatments.  Milk crates are more difficult to mark for coding, although colored plastic crates may be used to create a simple coding system.

Drying Methods For Books And Documents

Note: The information in this section has been adapted from handouts distributed at the Disaster Response and Recovery Training session sponsored by the Oakland Library Consortium's Preservation Working Group and held in Pittsburgh on December 8, 1995. 

There are currently five ways to dry wet books and documents.  All have undergone at least a minimal level of testing under emergency conditions, and several methods have been used extensively.  These five options are described to assist you in making the best choice under the circumstances: cause of damage, level of damage, number of materials involved, rarity or scarcity, personnel available, budget available, and drying services available.  It is important to remember that no drying method restores materials.  The condition of materials will not be improved during any drying process.  Advice from a conservator or preservation administrator experienced in disaster recovery is advisable before you make the final selection of methods.  If you need time to make critical decisions or remove large numbers of materials from the disaster site, books and documents should be frozen to reduce physical distortion and biological contamination.  Book and paper conservators should always be consulted about the drying of rare or unique materials.

Air-Drying

Air-drying may still be the most frequently used method of drying wet books and documents, but it is not always the most appropriate.  Air-drying is most suitable for small numbers of damp or slightly wet books or documents.  Because air-drying requires no special equipment, it is often seen as an inexpensive method.  However, air-drying is extremely labor-intensive if carried out properly, occupies considerable space, and usually results in badly distorted bindings and textblocks unless the damage is superficial.  Air-drying is seldom, if ever, successful for drying bound coated (shiny) paper.  Before commencing air-drying, ensure that your recovery personnel understand the correct procedures for air-drying books and documents.

Dehumidification

Dehumidification is the newest method to gain credibility in the library and archival world.  Large commercial dehumidifiers are brought into the facility with all collections, equipment, and furnishings left in place.  Temperature and humidity can be controlled to customer specifications.  Dehumidification must be initiated before swelling becomes a problem, or mold appears, i.e. within 24 hours of the emergency.  This method is successful for drying damp to moderately wet books/documents, equipment, and furnishings.  Dehumidification is not successful for drying bound, coated paper.  Dehumidification has the advantage of drying the materials in place on the shelves or in storage boxes, eliminating the time and expense of removing materials to a freezer or vacuum chamber.  The size of the facility is limited only by the amount of equipment available, and the expertise of the operators.  Select a company with experience in drying library or archival collections. 

Freezer Drying

Books and documents which are damp or moderately wet may be dried successfully in a self-defrosting blast freezer if left there long enough.  Materials should be placed in the freezer as soon as possible after water damage has occurred.  Books will dry best if their bindings are supported firmly to inhibit initial swelling.  The equipment should have the capacity to freeze very quickly, and temperatures must be -10( to -40( F to reduce distortion and facilitate drying.  Documents may be placed in the freezer in stacks or spread out for faster drying.  In very large commercial freezers, documents may be left in their storage boxes, although this will slow the drying process.  You can expect this drying method to take from several weeks to several months depending on the freezer temperature and extent of water damage.  Coated paper may adhere when freezer-drying is used.

Vacuum Thermal-Drying

Books and documents may be dried in a vacuum thermal-drying chamber, into which materials are placed either wet or frozen.  The vacuum is drawn, heat introduced, and materials are dried either in cycles of freezing and thawing or slightly above 32† F.  This means the materials stay wet, not frozen, while they dry.  It is a very acceptable manner of drying wet records if distortion is not a problem, but it often produces extreme distortion in bound volumes, and causes adhesion of coated paper.  Water-soluble inks or pigments will also be affected by vacuum thermal-drying. For large numbers of materials vacuum thermal-drying is easier and usually more cost-effective than air-drying.  You should expect extensive rebinding or recasing for bound volumes.  Vacuum thermal-drying is a good solution for unbound materials which have suffered extensive water damage.

Vacuum Freeze-Drying

Books and records are placed in a vacuum chamber either wet or frozen.  The vacuum is drawn, a source of low heat is introduced, and collections are dried at temperatures below 32( F remaining frozen until dry.  A physical process known as sublimation takes place in which ice crystals vaporize without melting.  As a result, there is no additional swelling or distortion beyond that incurred before materials were placed in the chamber.  Coated paper will dry well if it has been frozen or placed into the chamber within 6-8 hours, if not, coated paper may be unsalvageable.  The vacuum freeze-drying process requires sophisticated equipment and is especially suitable for large numbers of very wet books and documents, as well as for coated paper.  Rare and unique materials can be dried successfully with this method, but leather and vellum bindings may not survive vacuum freeze-drying.  Water soluble inks and pigments will not be damaged further.  Although this method may initially appear to be more expensive due to the equipment required, the results are often so satisfactory that additional funds for rebinding or recasing are not necessary.  Vacuum freeze-drying also lifts mud, dirt, and soot to the surface, making cleaning less time-consuming.

NOTE: The terms "vacuum thermal-drying" and "vacuum freeze-drying" have been developed by a preservation administrator for use in library and archival disaster recovery.  The various industries employing vacuum drying methods have their own terminology, or use these terms in a different way.  It is important to understand how each vacuum drying process operates so you can request the correct method; and ask specific questions of the potential commercial firm (such as whether the materials remain wet or frozen).  There are companies with extensive experience in drying library and archival materials using either or both vacuum drying methods.

Air-Drying Wet Books

Wet books may be air-dried successfully if you follow guidelines suggested by preservation experts.  Air-drying is most suitable for books that are damp or water-damaged only around the edges.  The pages of books printed on coated (shiny) paper stick together very quickly and must receive special attention immediately.  If the number of volumes is more than 100, if the books are wet all the way through, or if there are many books with coated paper, you are advised to use an alternative drying method.  Once books are wet, they will suffer structural distortion and develop mildew within 48-72 hours.  Books will never look the same as they did before water damage, regardless of the drying process used.  If damage occurs, the steps outlined below will assist you to achieve satisfactory results from air-drying.  It is important to remember that longer drying periods produce greater distortion.  Remember also that wet paper is very fragile and easily torn or damaged.

Equipment needed: flat surface for drying, fans, extension cords, and a supply of plain, white paper towels or the paper used for printing newspapers (newsprint).

1. Secure a clean, dry environment where the temperature and humidity are as low as possible.  For best results, the temperature must be below 70( F and the relative humidity below 50%, or mildew will develop and distortion will be extreme.

2. Provide fans (or a strong natural breeze) in the drying area to keep air circulating well at all times.  This will accelerate drying and discourage the growth of mildew or mold.  If books are dried outside, do not expose them to direct sunlight.  Fans should be left on all the time until books are dry.

3. Place books on a flat surface covered with clean, dry newsprint if possible.  Tables, planks on bricks or cement blocks, bleacher seats, and even floors have been used successfully.  Dyes in book cloth may bleed and stain the surface underneath.

4. Stand books up and fan them slightly open.  Interleave volumes with newsprint (or paper towels) by placing a sheet between the text and both covers. Then place newsprint approximately twenty pages apart.  If pages are stuck together, do not separate them.

5. As the inserted newsprint becomes wet, remove and replace with dry newsprint.  These should be placed in different locations throughout the volumes to encourage thorough drying.  Whenever the newsprint is changed, turn the book upside down.

6. Unless the newsprint is stained, dry and reuse.

7. If the book has coated (shiny) paper, a dry sheet of newsprint must be placed between every page or they will stick together irretrievably.

8. When the pages feel dry in the center of the volume, remove all newsprint and allow the books to continue air-drying for several days until completely dry.

9. After drying, bound volumes may be flattened slightly by placing them under weights, such as a book press or boards weighted with concrete blocks. 

10. If the covers are badly damaged, dirty, or distorted, the book can sometimes be rebound by a commercial bindery.

Air-Drying Wet Documents

Wet single-sheet documents may be air-dried successfully if you follow guidelines suggested by preservation experts.  Air-drying is most suitable for small numbers of documents which are damp or water-damaged only around the edges.  If there are hundreds of single pages, or if the water damage is severe, other methods of drying will be more satisfactory and cost-effective.  Stacks of documents on coated (shiny) paper must be separated immediately to prevent adhesion, or they must be frozen to await a later drying decision.  Care must be taken with water-soluble inks; documents with running or blurred inks should be frozen immediately to preserve the written record.  You should then contact conservators for advice and assistance.  If documents must be air-dried, the following steps will help you to achieve satisfactory results.  Wet paper is extremely fragile and easily torn or damaged, so care must be exercised.  Once wet, documents will never look the same as before.  You should expect at least some distortion.

Equipment needed: flat surfaces for drying, fans, extension cords, clotheslines, clothespins, sheets of polyester film, and a supply of clean white paper towels or the paper used for printing newspapers (newsprint).

1. Secure a clean, dry environment where the temperature and humidity are as low as possible.  For best results, the temperature must be below 70? F and the relative humidity below 50%, or mildew will develop and distortion will be extreme.

2. Keep the air moving at all times using fans in the drying area.  This will accelerate the drying process and discourage the growth of mildew.  If materials are dried outside, do not expose them to direct sunlight as it may fade inks, accelerate the aging of paper.  Breezes can blow away single records, therefore direct fans into the air and away from the drying records.

3. Single pages can be laid out on tables, floors, and other flat surfaces, protected if necessary by clean dry newsprint.  Alternatively, clotheslines may be strung close together and documents laid across them for drying.

4. If documents are printed on coated paper they must be separated from one another to prevent the sheets from sticking together.  Separating sheets is a tedious process which requires skill and patience (practice ahead of time will prove useful in case of an emergency).  Place a piece of polyester film on top of the stack of documents.  Rub the film gently down onto the top document.  Slowly lift the film while peeling off the top sheet.  Hang the polyester film up to dry on the clothesline using clothespins.  As the sheet dries, the paper will lift itself from the surface of the film.  Before the paper falls, remove it and allow the paper to finish drying on a flat surface.

5. Once dry, documents may be housed in clean folders and boxes, photocopied, or reformatted on microfilm/microfiche.  Dried documents will always occupy more space than ones which have not been water-damaged.

SUPPLIERS OF SALVAGE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

The following list was updated most recently by Hilary Kline in June-July 1997.

PRESERVATION EXPERTS AND CONSERVATION CENTERS

American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC)
Foundation of AIC (FAIC) Conservation Services Referral System
1717 K St., NW Suite 301
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-452-9545
Fax: 202-452-9328

Expertise: FAIC Conservation Referral System provides a brochure and a list of conservation professionals, meeting the specific criteria established by the user, for the following types of materials: architectural; archaeological objects; books and paper; photographic; paintings; sculpture; textiles; and wooden artifacts

Wendy Bennett
Paper Conservator
1107 Goodman St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Phone: 412-243-7064

Expertise:  Salvage and restoration of paper, art, oriental screens and scrolls

Boris Brindar
ARTS
5906 Bryant St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Phone: 412-363-4948

Expertise: Paintings-salvage and restoration

Sally Buchanan
Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh
School of Information Sciences, Rm. 650
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: 412-486-3508 (work); 412-624-9447 (home)
email: sb@lis.pitt.edu

Expertise: Disaster response and recovery

William Real
Chief Conservator for the Carnegie Museum of Art
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-622-3267

Expertise: Paintings-salvage and restoration

Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
264 South 23d St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-545-0613

Expertise: Salvage, restoration, and reformatting of books, paper materials and art

Christine Daulton
P.O. Box 3428
Greensburg, PA 15601
Phone: 412-832-9349

Expertise: Paintings-salvage and restoration

Paul Edwards
65 Dewey Ave.
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 412-222-4400

Expertise: Paintings-salvage and restoration

Don Etherington
President, Conservation Division
Information Conservation Inc.
6204 Corporate Park Drive
Brown Summit, NC 27214
Phone: 919-375-1202

Expertise: Salvage, restoration, and reformatting of works of: art on paper; photographic media; paper and books

Guild of Book Workers, Inc.
521 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10175

Expertise: Professional organization of book conservators; Lists of book, paper and photograph conservators available on demand

Image Permanence Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Frank E. Gannet Building
P.O. Box 9887
Rochester, NY 14623-0887
Phone: 716-475-5199

Expertise: Photographs-salvage and restoration

Mary Catharine Johnsen
Special Collections Librarian
Carnegie Mellon University
Hunt Library
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-6622

Expertise: Disaster response and recovery

Sue Kellerman
Preservation Librarian
E506 Pattee Library
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-1858
email: lsk@psulias.bitnet

Expertise: Disaster response and recovery

Library of Congress
National Preservation Program Office
LM-G07
Washington, DC 20540
Phone: 202-707-1840

Expertise: Books and paper-information about salvage, restoration, and reformatting

National Archives & Records Administration
Conservation Lab
NNPD Room B-1
Washington, DC 20408
Phone: 202-501-5630

Expertise: Archival material-information about salvage, restoration, and reformatting

National Center for Film and Video Preservation
2021 North Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone: 213-856-7637

Expertise: Film and video-information about salvage, restoration and reformatting

Northeast Document Conservation Center
100 Brickstone Square
Andover, MA 0181-1428
Phone: 508-470-1010

Expertise: Books, paper and photographs-salvage, restoration and reformatting

Charlotte Tancin
Librarian and Research Scholar
Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-7301
email: ct0u@andrew.cmu.edu

The Textile Conservation Workshop, Inc.
Main Street
South Salem, NY 10590
Phone: 914-763-5805

Expertise: Textiles-Salvage and restoration

Wert Bookbinding, Inc.
R.D. 2, Box 2000
Grantville, PA 17028
Phone: 717-469-0626
Fax: 717-469-0629

Expertise: Binding of monographs and periodicals

Williamstown Regional Art Conservation Laboratory, Inc.
Clark Art Institute
255 South Street
Williamstown, MA 01267
Phone: 413-458-5741

Expertise: Paintings, works of art on paper, photographs, non-western art, furniture, murals, frescoes-salvage and restoration

DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES

Firedex of Pittsburgh
4030 William Flynn Highway
Alison Park, PA 15101
Phone: 410-487-3332 OR 1-888-347-3339

Expertise: Restoration from water, smoke and fire damage

Financial Note: The fee is determined by the ton

Note: An answering service will take a message after normal business hours; Use water extractors, dehumidifiers and drying fans to remove water as well as removal of carpet and padding so they may be dried; Have moisture and temperature reading equipment; Electricians are on-call and they will bring generators if needed

Insurance Restoration Services
1300 Brighton Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Phone: 1-800-322-3520
info@mistickirs.com
Contact: David Mistick

Expertise: All types of disaster restoration, including structural

Financial Note: Fee determined by an hourly rate

Note: Phone is answered 24-hours/day-the answering service will notify the on-call team and there is a guaranteed one hour emergency response; Have aided libraries previously; Use dehumidifiers, hepa vacs (these have multiple filters which eliminate 99.97% of the particulate matter in the air), HVAC, fans to remove water; Have moisture and temperature reading equipment; Can bring generator if needed

UnSmoke Restorx
1135 Braddock Ave.
Braddock, PA 15104
Phone: 412-351-8686
412-351-6800-24 hour answering service

Expertise: Restoration from fire, water; deodorizing; dust cleanup; carpet cleaning

Financial Note: Fee is dependent upon the size of the job-small jobs are hourly while larger ones will require an estimate

Note: Primary technique for removal of moisture is by extraction; Have temperature and moisture reading equipment; Can bring a generator if needed

SUPPLY LIST

Supplies and equipment maintained at central locations in the Museum

The following items have been deposited at the O'Neil Research Center, in Invertebrate Zoology, and in the main Museum Library

Handtruck

Large rolling container with lid

10 pair neoprene gloves

Paper towels

Wet-dry shop vacs are available in the following areas.  Location is presumed to be the Oakland complex unless otherwise noted.

Supplies to be maintained by the individual departments in the Museum

We recommend that individual departments purchase and maintain the following items for use in an emergency.

* Flashlights

* Extension cords

* Utility knives or zippy cutters

* Rubber gloves

* Handiwipes for cleaning dyes and glues from hands

* Mops

* Waterproof pens

* Paper towels

* Waxed paper or freezer paper

* Masks-NIOSH approved respirator for toxic dust (moldy collections)

Available from Lab Safety Supply
PO Box 1368
Janesville, WI 53547-1368
Phone: 1-800-356-0783
Fax: 1-800-543-9910

* Gloves-Waterproof, disposable, plastic or rubber

Available from Lab Safety Supply
PO Box 1368
Janesville, WI 53547-1368
Phone: 1-800-356-0783
Fax: 1-800-543-9910

 * Plastic Sheeting

Muellers Hardware
526 E. Ohio St.
Pittsburgh, Pa  15212
Phone: 412-321-6330

 * Boxes

Available from Paige Co.
Parker Plaza
400 Kelby St.
Fort Lee, NJ 070024
Phone: 1-800-223-1901 ext. 116
Fax: 201-461-2677

RENTAL PLACES

A to Z Rental Center
4015 William Penn Highway
Monroeville, PA 15146
Phone: 412-856-7760
email: atozrent1@aol.com

Expertise: Various tools

Financial Note: Fee is dependent upon the item and the time rented

Note: The phone number is connected to an answering machine for non-business hours; Hours are 8-6 M-F and 8-4 Sat.

Taylor Rental Center
140 Curry Hollow Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
Phone: 412-653-7200
Beeper: 412-590-8121 OR 412-590-8255

Expertise: Various tools

Financial Note: Will set up a charge account; Fees determined hourly, daily and weekly;

Note: Pager numbers for after normal business hours.

Taylor Rental Center
3380 Washington Rd.
McMurray, PA 15317
Phone: 412-941-5000
Beeper:412-978-4985-Jay Bayer

Expertise: Home, Business and Contracting equipment

Financial Note: The fee will vary depending upon the time of day and the types of materials rented

Note: The beeper number is operable 24 hours/day, 7 days a week

TRUCKING/MOVING AND STORAGE:

A-P-A Transport Corporation
95 Meadowlands Blvd.
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 412-745-1200

Expertise: Intrastate hauling

Financial Note: Fee is established by a combination of Rate (from one zip-code to another), Class and Weight.

Notes: Will not accept anything frozen; The phone number is a 24-hour number, but they will only pick-up during normal business hours.

Fife Moving and Storage Company
121 West Chestnut St.
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: 412-228-5410

Contact: Linda Rohaly or Tom Cowden; After hours contact Tom Cowden at 412-663-4248

Expertise: Moving and Storage

Financial Note: Will be billed; Fees charged according to actual weight or lump sum, depending upon the situation

Notes: No refrigerated trucks; Will not haul flammable materials

Hub City Pittsburgh Terminals, Inc.
2550 Boyce Plaza Rd.
Suite 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Phone: 412-254-4200 OR 1-800-432-8630
Contact: Mark Mascari

Expertise: Over-the-road and Intermodal hauling

Financial Note: Will be billed after a credit check; Fees vary from situation to situation

Notes: This organization is an equipment broker-they do not own any equipment they find it for you; Can get refrigerated trucks; Pallets are preferred; Will not haul more than 44,000 lbs. gross weight or hazardous materials

Parks Moving and Storage
740 Commonwealth Dr.
Warrendale, PA 15086
Phone: 412-776-3224
Contact: Don Mueller-Operations Director  6am-6pm

Expertise: Moving and storage; No refrigerated trucks kept on site, but could get in 1-2 days, due to affiliation with United Van Lines.

Financial Note: Will bill for services; Local-hourly, Interstate-weight + mileage

Notes: Will not accept radioactive or flammable materials; Have moved libraries previously.

Ward Trucking/Pittsburgh Terminal
R.D. 6 Box 513
Hempfield Industrial Park
Greensburg, PA 15601
Phone: 1-800-245-9273
Contact: Dave or Burt; Ed Slater is Terminal Manager

Expertise: Intrastate and Limited Interstate hauling

Financial Notes: Fee determined by Classification and by Weight; Weight and price can be stated before moving.

Notes: Phone is 24-hour except weekends; No refrigerated trucks; Pallets preferred (shrink wrapped and skidded ideal, banded boxes are acceptable); No more than 2,000 lbs./skid; If materials are moldy this must be stated on the papers accompanying the shipment; Explosives and some poisons will not be hauled; Have previous experience helping libraries.

COLD STORAGE/VACUUM FREEZE DRYING

Allegheny Cold Storage
57th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Phone: 412-782-3670

American Freeze Dry, Inc.
411 White House Pike
Audubon, NJ 08106
Phone: 609-546-0777

Services: Vacuum freeze drying; Deal primarily with books and paper; Will provide milk crates, pick-up and delivery, cleaning of materials, smoke and odor removal.

New Federal Cold Storage
1501 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Phone: 412-471-5161

NOTE: Information on cold storage facilities supplied from the Disaster Resources Directory for Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh's Disaster Plan.

UPDATING THIS MANUAL

Initial distribution and update mechanism

Initial distribution of the manual was done in December 1998, incorporating corrections received during the year following distribution of the draft manual in March 1998.  Two copies were distributed to section heads, one for the department and one to kept at the home of the designated emergency response person.  Additional copies are available on request for any staff member.  See the distribution list for the present distribution.

At present, Bernadette Callery (Museum Library) has the responsibility for soliciting updates to the Telephone Tree annually in January and June.  Updates to the Telephone Tree or any other part of this manual may be submitted to her as they occur at any time during the year.  Updates and corrections to this manual will be distributed annually in July or more frequently as needed to those included on the distribution list.

Copies of the computer files used to create this manual are on deposit  in the Director's Office and are available on the Museum's LAN i

Distribution List

The distribution list below is current as of 20 July 2001.  It is recommended that department heads keep one copy in the Museum and one copy at home.  Updates will be distributed to all copy holders as they are issued.  Additional copies are available to Museum staff on request.

Revised: July 20, 2001

For additional information on Disaster Response plans, see SOLINET.  

Send mail to calleryb@CarnegieMNH.org with questions or comments about this web site.