Level of Collections Emergency Scenarios

This chart is a tool to help an institution validate its emergency response plan against the wide variety of factors and combinations of factors that an emergency may include. Understanding that full-scale rehearsals of emergency response are impractical for most institutions, this lays out potential scenarios for “table top” or “talk through” exercises that allow staff to cross-check assumptions and response strategies.

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LEVEL

EMERGENCY FACTORS

The level of emergency is a function of the character, number, and severity of contributing factors in an event.

Normal conditions

No emergency factors are present.

Typical wet collections emergency--collections emergency response initiated during normal working hours.

Urgency may vary within level

Any contributing factor can range from relatively minor to very severe, depending on the scope of the initiating event, operating conditions, the number of spaces involved, and the number and type of collections affected. Consider what might increase the urgency of collection threat in any combination of factors.

LEGEND
	Water Uncontaminated sources include weather, spills, and infrastructure conduits, among others.
	Contamination May include accidental or intentional chemical, biological, or radiation hazards, in water, collection, vents, or other. Assume health risks to responders.
	Limited staff available Normal staffing is not available due to timing, evacuation, or health risk or other circumstance.
	COOP may be initiated A continuity of operations plan (COOP) provides procedures to continue essential functions in critical emergency. Consider differences with and without initiation.
	COOP initiated Assume scope and nature of the emergency requires COOP initiation.
	Electricity interrupted Range includes loss of HVAC, power outage in one area of a single building to area-wide blackout, with or without available emergency power.
	Building damaged Range includes disruption of a limited area of the building shell to extensive structural damage. Consider that collection furniture may be unstable, building entry prohibited, or building condemned.

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