The Maine Emergency Management Agency is pleased to announce that we will be co-sponsoring the three-day Heritage Emergency And Response Training (HEART) from August 27-August 29 at the Maine Cultural Building in Augusta. We are very happy to partner with the Smithsonian and the Maine State Museum, Library, and Archives to offer this program.

Experts from the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative(SCRI), FEMA’s Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (OEHP),and the Heritage Emergency National TaskForce(HENTF) will be onsite to conduct this training. Sessions will run from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm daily and will provide realistic, hands-on training in damage assessment, rapid documentation, emergency evacuation and salvage, rehousing and storage, crisis communication, team building, and more. This offering is an excellent opportunity to get this training without having to travel to Washington, D.C. for a five-day period to take it.

At the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Assess and manage risks to cultural heritage in emergency situations
• Explore the values associated with cultural heritage and the impact that disasters (natural and man-made) have on these values
• Improve existing disaster plans at their organization or agency, or on behalf of other organizations or agencies
• Take preventive actions to reduce disaster risk and improve response
• Secure, salvage, and stabilize a variety of cultural materials
• Train and manage a response team to implement effective actions during crises that affect cultural heritage
• Communicate successfully with the various actors, including the media, involved in an emergency response
• Identify relevant programs and services that can assist cultural heritage organizations in the event of a disaster
• Understand how first aid for cultural heritage supports recovery in affected communities and how it fits into the National Planning Frameworks

We seek heritage professionals who:

• Work at or for a cultural heritage institution that has a disaster plan for collections and that supports training in disaster planning/cultural heritage protection;
• Might have previously faced an emergency situation that called for an immediate response to safeguard cultural heritage, whether at their own institution or assisting another;
• Are emerging leaders with 3–5 years’ experience in collections care/cultural heritage protection; and/or
• Are actively engaged in professional or heritage-related associations.

We seek first responders and emergency management professionals who:

• Might have responded to an emergency situation that called for an immediate response to safeguard cultural heritage;
• Are motivated to increase their knowledge of the concerns and priorities of cultural stewards;
• Are eager to share what they learn at this training with their colleagues; and/or
• Want to bolster their understanding of how cultural heritage can help communities recover and become more resilient following a disaster, and how their collaboration with cultural stewards contributes to this effort.

Space is limited to 25 participants. Applications are due by July 15. To apply for the training, please review the attached document and send submissions to CERC.Maine@gmail.com.