Task Force Marks Accomplishments of New Initiative
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force held a meeting on July 17, 2007, to announce the new tools resulting from the Lessons Applied initiative and explore long-term goals arising from the project.
A majority of the 41 organizations that make up the Task Force attended the meeting at the Smithsonian Castle. The meeting capped a nine-month effort by Task Force members to address concerns that Hurricane Katrina brought to light. Through meetings, e-mails, and nearly 20 conference calls, panels composed of Task Force members and other experts developed new short-term resources for cultural institutions and proposed several longer-term projects. The panels focused on five issue areas:
- incentives for preparedness
- working with emergency responders
- effective regional response
- funding
- improved coordination.
Members from each panel reported on the completion of their short-term projects and development of long-term recommendations. Short-term projects include the expansion and promotion of MayDay, a Working with Emergency Responders: Tips for Cultural Institutions poster, a list of emergency management training courses, a guide for the federal disaster aid process, and a survey of how Task Force members responded to Katrina.
Long-term proposals include:
- producing a guide to private funding sources for emergency preparedness for cultural institutions (the Library of Congress has already contracted with the Foundation Center to produce this and make it available in PDF)
- updating and producing a "Preparedness at a Glance" poster
- gathering best practices case studies for how cultural institutions work with emergency responders
- forming a heritage emergency speakers bureau
- establishing and promoting guidelines for forming mutual aid networks
- proposing data standards for Geographic Information Systems to aid in emergency response
- exploring a system to match volunteers with institutions in emergencies
- developing a case statement for a national stabilization fund to help rescue collections immediately after disasters
- outlining a protocol for Task Force members to respond to widespread disasters.
John Ketchum, Historic Preservation Officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also gave a briefing on the 2007 hurricane season forecast, noting that peak hurricane season begins in August. Despite a quiet beginning, this season is still forecast to be above normal in number of named storms.
The Lessons Applied Initiative was guided by Heritage Preservation and supported with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Bay and Paul Foundations.