ABSTRACT
In most museums or cultural property institutions it is the protection staff such as the guard, volunteer, and other attendant who greet the visitor. They present the first, major personal impression of the institution to the public. The protection force is the emergency reaction force which stays at the institution during emergencies. The guard or attendant safeguards the visitors, staff, collections, and facilities. The protection force stays when a museum or other cultural institution has an emergency. The protection staff are the front line of defense. It is not an expendable front line of defense. Cultural institution managers provide every staff member and volunteer with a conscious protection responsibility to safeguard the persons, property, and purpose of the institution. By making ‘security everybody’s business’ a theme of this handbook, managers build a very effective vigilance and protection program. These are part of the basic protection services found at cultural institutions. The development of special staff protection duties for a protection force does not replace the assignment of a general accountability expected of the entire staff.
