ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSE NEWS BRIEF

February – April 2012

This bi-monthly newsletter is shared with local Alliance for Response Steering Committees to provide information and inspiration. Please share it with your listservs. You can find more details about the activities of all Alliance for Response networks here.

The past few months have been busy ones for Alliance for Response networks, and the months to come promise to be full of meaningful activities.

Alliance for Response Pittsburgh has been planning its 2012 schedule. The first of two spring programs is scheduled for April 20 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Thomas Boulevard Library Resource Facility. Participants will be given a tour of Pittsburgh’s 911 Operations Center followed by a group meeting. A second meeting is scheduled for May 4, which will focus on AFR Pittsburgh’s shared disaster supply cache.

AFR Pittsburgh has also launched a Web site where visitors will find information on upcoming meetings, minutes from past events, and details on membership.

The first of its kind, a statewide meeting of Pennsylvania Alliance for Response networks is scheduled for June 6, at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. Through presentations and discussion, the meeting will address collaborative planning, statewide disaster response, and improved communication between the cultural community and emergency responders. The meeting is free and open to all, but pre-registration is required. Learn more and register here.

In Atlanta, Heritage Emergency Response Alliance (HERA) is planning a spring program on April 25 at the Woodruff Library on the Emory University Campus. Katy Malone of ArtsReady.org will speak about her organization’s program, a web-based emergency preparedness platform designed for arts and cultural organizations. Following this presentation will be a discussion on the various types of fire suppression systems commonly used. Chris Paton, Archivist at the John Bulow Campbell Library of Columbia Theological Seminary, will elaborate on the FM-200 system. Staff from the Georgia Archives and Emory University Libraries will also share their experience with the Ansul Sapphire system. For more information, please contact Merri Torre at torrem@ctsnet.edu.

The Seattle Heritage Emergency Response Network (SHERN) recently met with a representative from BELFOR Canada on February 24. Marshall Oliver presented on his experience with major disasters in seven parts of the world.

Galveston–Houston AFR has been busy planning a number of follow-up activities. On April 11, the network provided training on the Incident Command System followed by discussion. On May 1, the network will offer a free webinar in honor of MayDay 2012. The webinar will feature Greg Gelberg, business application administrator at the J. Paul Getty Trust. Greg will explain how he organized the Getty’s extensive disaster and recovery plans using Atlassian, a Wiki-style software. He’ll provide strategies for developing comprehensive plans that are scalable to any size organization. You don’t have to be from Texas to join in on this webinar. To register, click here. Contact Steve Pine, spine@mfah.org, with questions.

Members of the New York City AFR attended the National Disaster Recovery Framework Forum on March 15 and provided members with a summary from the event. In addition, the network provided members with useful information that came out of the New York Office of Emergency Management conference Emergency Preparedness Strategies for Organizations in New York City.

In Washington, DC, Heritage Preservation proudly announced that the Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel is available as a mobile application. You can download the app to your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad for free here. Long known as the authoritative resource for salvaging artifacts after a disaster, the original Wheel has been used by museums, libraries, and archives around the world. This new app makes the Wheel’s invaluable guidance accessible to anyone who is in need of practical advice for saving collections in the first 48 hours after a disaster.

A reminder that MayDay 2012 is right around the corner. Each year, cultural organizations set aside May 1 to participate in MayDay, an initiative to protect cultural heritage from disaster. What will your organization do this year? Tell us and enter to win disaster supplies from Gaylord Brothers.

If you have questions about this News Brief or if you have news to report, please contact Jenny Wiley at jwiley@heritagepreservation.org.

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The Heritage Emergency National Task Force is a partnership of 40 government agencies and national service organizations formed in 1995. An initiative of Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Task Force has helped to protect cultural heritage from the damaging effects of natural disasters and other emergencies. Find valuable disaster resources at the Task Force Web site, www.heritageemergency.org

Heritage Preservation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. By identifying risks, developing innovative programs, and providing broad public access to expert advice, Heritage Preservation assists museums, libraries, archives, historic preservation and other organizations, as well as individuals, in caring for our endangered heritage.