Alliance for Response
Summer of Activity

Just like the East Coast, Alliance for Response communities have been hot, hot, hot this summer! Several networks have made significant progress in their cooperative efforts for training, disaster planning, and working closely with emergency responders. A summary of recent activity is below. Visit the Alliance for Response Web pages at: www.heritagepreservation.org/AfR/index.html for more information about all of the Alliance for Response groups.

• Alliance for Response Philadelphia met on May 20th at the Philadelphia Armory to discuss the response to the serious January 2010 fire in the building. Dennis Boylan, a former Armory Troop Captain, talked about the fire, the building’s ongoing recovery, and important lessons learned.
• Alliance for Response New York City has revamped its mission and goals and created two active committees. A steering committee is developing a series of programs to bring members together, and a collections committee will focus on developing a corps of trained collections professionals and educating emergency responders on the needs of collecting institutions.
• The June 17 meeting of Pittsburgh Alliance for Response included presentations on “Public Relations during a Crisis” and “Fire Safety and Fire Inspections.” Participants also toured the Rodef Shalom archival facilities to assess disaster vulnerability and preservation conditions.
• Ohio Alliance for Response met on April 15th, at the International Women’s Air and Space Museum in Cleveland, OH. Ann Olszewski, Preservation Manager at the Cleveland Public Library, was chosen as the convener for the coming year. The next meeting is planned for October 18th.