ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSE NEWS BRIEF

July-September

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.

Alliance for Response National Leadership Institute in Denver
On July 20, 2011, 37 participants met for the second Alliance for Response National Leadership Institute at the Denver Public Library in Denver, CO. Attendees included representatives from 10 of the Alliance for Response networks and emergency management professionals from the local, state, and federal levels. Speakers from FEMA, state and local emergency management offices, and model Alliance for Response networks presented strategies for developing relationships with emergency managers and sustaining local networks. Thanks to all who participated in an engaging and educational day!

Click here for the Denver Leadership Institute meeting summary, PowerPoint presentations, and speaker bios.

Galveston-Houston Area Alliance for Response Kick-Off Forum
On July 29, 2011, Heritage Preservation sponsored the Galveston-Houston Area Alliance for Response Kick-Off Forum at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Over 80 participants joined distinguished speakers to launch the formation of a regional network that will raise the profile of cultural heritage in the world of emergency response. Visit the Galveston-Houston Area Alliance for Response Web pages for a meeting summary and PowerPoint presentations.

Salt Lake City Alliance for Response Forum
Heritage Preservation is pleased to announce that Salt Lake City, Utah, will be the site of the final Alliance for Response Kick-Off Forum of 2011. The Forum is planned for November 2, 2011. Please visit the Salt Lake City Alliance for Response Web pages for more information.

Alliance for Response Networks Active in Response to Hurricane Irene
On August 31, 2011, Heritage Preservation hosted a conference call on behalf of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force to gather information about damage to cultural resources as a result of Hurricane Irene. In addition to Task Force members, leaders of cultural institutions and emergency management organizations throughout the East Coast were invited to contribute. Representatives from Alliance for Response networks in Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York City, Pennsylvania, and Vermont all participated. Click here to read a summary of the call.

Vermont Alliance for Response is now part of the Vermont Cultural Heritage and Art Recovery Team (VCHART). VCHART is hosted by the Vermont Historical Society in Barre, Vermont, and its members include curators, conservators, librarians, archivists, municipal clerks, and emergency responders. Currently, VCHART is acting as an information gathering and sharing resource for cultural heritage affected by Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and the flooding that followed. Click here for more information.

COSTEP Facebook Page
COSTEP MA is now on Facebook! Click here to “like” their Facebook page and stay up to date with COSTEP MA news and events.

Heritage Preservation Staff News
After three years with Heritage Preservation, Cindy Thompson, Program Associate for Emergencies and Collections Care, is moving on to a new role at the US Green Building Council in Washington, DC. We will miss her organization, enthusiasm, unflappable nature, and wonderful sense of humor. We wish her the best of luck at her new job. A search for her replacement is under way.

Lori Foley
Vice President of Emergency Programs
Heritage Preservation

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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.