The article is based on a review, commissioned by the East Midlands Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (EMMLAC), of the East Midlands Museums Service (EMMS) Regional Emergencies and Disaster Squad (REDS). Research methods used included: literature and Internet review, review of REDS documentation, interviews with REDS personnel, questionnaire survey of museums, archives and libraries in the East Midlands, and select follow-up interviews. The article highlights aspects of the findings of the review, considers the transferability of the REDS model to other domains, suggests lessons that can be learned by others in the sector, and makes recommendations for further collaboration between libraries, archives and museums and others with regard to the development of disaster management in the sector.