Alliance for Response

This Heritage Emergency National Task Force initiative is building partnerships between the stewards of cultural heritage and first responders. Each one-day Forum is designed as a starting point for ongoing cooperative efforts in the city, state, or region.

Alliance for Response continues to expand. In 2006, a successful Forum was held in Seattle, Washington, and in four cities in California. In February 2007, The High Museum of Art in Atlanta hosted a Forum, and the final Forum was held in Philadelphia in June 2007.

The first three Forums were held in 2003 at the Dallas Museum of Art, November 14; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, November 17; and Cincinnati Art Museum, December 12.

The New York Alliance for Response Forum took place on October 27, 2004, at The Jewish Museum. Kate Levin, the New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, gave the keynote speech.

Each Forum is a unique response to its area’s needs. The Seattle Forum on June 15, 2006, at the Museum of History and Industry helped cultural heritage institutions and first responders explore new ways of working together and understanding and communicating priorities. The Atlanta Forum on February 8, 2007, incorporated lessons learned from the 2005 hurricane season.

In California, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the Governor's Office of Homeland Security funded forums at The Getty Center in Los Angeles on September 19, The Prado at Balboa Park in San Diego on September 21, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on September 25, and the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento on September 27. A second series of forums was held in spring 2007.

Meanwhile, initiatives from the first four Forums continue to grow:

Dallas: The State of Texas Alliance for Response Task Force (START) has chapters in Dallas and Houston, with plans to establish a new one in Beaumont, which was hard hit by Hurricane Rita.
Boston: The Cultural Emergency Management Team (CEMT) recently held a second Forum. Thanks to CEMT’s efforts, cultural institutions now have a regular seat at the city’s Emergency Operations Center. CEMT has outlined ambitious goals, including the creation of the Disaster Cultural Assistance Team for the Boston area.
Ohio: The focus of this Forum was statewide, and four regional networks have resulted. Initiatives under development in Northern, Central, Southeastern, and Southwestern Ohio include: a centralized disaster recovery supply cache, a statewide database of disaster resources and vendors, an educational video for small institutions, and a mentoring program for disaster planning.
New York: The local committee, with the regional office of the National Archives and Records Administration, is sponsoring “table top” exercises for museums and libraries.

For a list of Partners in Alliance for Response, click here. Below are lists of the planning committee members and programs from the Forums. All are in Microsoft Word format.

Forum Planning Committees
Boston
Cincinnati
Dallas
New York
Seattle
Atlanta

Forum Programs
Boston
Cincinnati
Dallas
New York
Seattle
Atlanta

For more information, click on the links below. Check back for updated information!

Heritage Emergency Response Alliance Formed in Atlanta (Fall 2007 Update article)

Philadelphia Alliance for Response Builds Bridges (Summer 2007 Update article)

Atlanta Follows Up Its Forum (Summer 2007 Update article)

Alliance for Response Forum Lays Groundwork for Atlanta Network (Spring 2007 Update article)

Alliance for Response Inspires New Activities (Spring 2007 Update article)

2007 Project Brochure (1 MB PDF)

Alliance for Response Forums Shake Up California (Fall 2006 Update article)

Seattle Forum Highlights Cooperation for Emergencies (Summer 2006 Update article)

Alliance for Response Breaks New Ground (Winter 2006 Update article)