Emergencies

If your collections have been affected by an emergency, contact the National Heritage Responders hotline:

202.661.8068

Not urgent? Email emergencies@culturalheritage.org.

We are all vulnerable to emergencies: serious events that demand our immediate attention. Likewise, we are all vulnerable to disasters: emergencies that have become so large, they overwhelm the capacity to effectively respond with the resources on hand. 

Collecting institutions have special considerations when it comes to dealing with emergencies and disasters, which have the potential to damage or destroy unique items within a collection. Explore these resources to learn how to effectively manage emergencies and disasters to protect collections.

Guides

Review our Disaster Response & Recovery Guides to help you better respond to and recover from disasters that may affect cultural heritage.

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Programs 

The Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) manages several initiates that aim to address all phases of disasters: from preparedness, to response, to recovery, to mitigation. 

• Alliance for Response - a national initiative to encourage connections between local cultural institutions and their emergency professionals
• National Heritage Responders - a team of trained professionals who provide assistance to institutions impacted by disasters
• Risk Evaluation and Planning Program - a toolkit and workshop program that provides step-by-step instructions for conducting a risk assessment 
• MayDay Campaign - an annual campaign to encourage collecting institutions to undertake emergency planning activities in the month of May
• Getting Ready in Indian Country - a resource specifically developed for American Indian cultural resources

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Partners

We are partners in the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), which offers tools and information to cultural institutions and the general public for preparing for and responding to emergencies that affect collections and family treasures.

We are also a member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD), an association of organizations that mitigate and alleviate the impact of disasters. They accomplish this by providing a forum promoting cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration--and by fostering more effective delivery of services to communities affected by disaster.

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Committee

Our Emergency Committee aims to promote awareness and increase member knowledge in the areas of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for cultural heritage.