Summer 2005 Update

Cultural Heritage Course for Emergency Responders Being Developed

The focus group members. Back row from left: Arthur Dutil, Tom Clareson, Gregg Dawson, Wilbur Faulk, and Bob Troxel. Front row from left: Julie Page, Paul Jacks, Alex McGee, Angela Gladwell, John Ketchum, Jane Long, Fred Vanderschmidt, and Bob Herskovitz.
In June, FEMA hosted a 3-day focus group to outline a “cultural heritage” component for its national training programs. The group met at the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and included first responders, emergency managers, and experts from the museum, library, and historic preservation communities.

The primary audience for the training will be the thousands of fire service, law enforcement, emergency management, and local government personnel who take FEMA courses. Its goal will be to enhance coordination with the cultural and historic preservation professionals and better protect collections, buildings, and sites.

Working with facilitators, the focus group defined learning objectives for the course in the areas of preparedness, response, and recovery. The next step will be to develop a 45-minute segment for the NETC Integrated Emergency Management Course, FEMA’s premier training program for communities. The long-term wish list includes a 3-day dedicated course, a component designed for the National Fire Academy, and perhaps a video for fire stations.