COLORADO S CULTURAL & HISTORIC RESOURCES UNDER FIRE: THE SUMMER OF 2012 BEST PRACTICES IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HIGHER EDUCATION CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE MARCH 12-14, 2013 Leslie A. Williams, Assistant Professor, Auraria Library, University of Colorado Denver Scott Baldwin, Mitigation Specialist, Colorado Office of Emergency Management Karin Larkin, Curator of Anthropology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs Mary Rupp, Archives Librarian, Kraemer Family Library, University of Colorado Colorado Springs Carl Stewart, Facilities Manager, University Libraries, University of Colorado Boulder
Overview Background Cultural & Historic Resources The Beginning The Fires Te Lessons Learned The Lessons Learned The Role of Higher Education The Future
Background Mary Rupp Carl Stewart Scott Baldwin Leslie Williams Karin Larkin
What Are Cultural & Historic Resources (CHR)? Cultural and historic resources are culturally significant items, such as objects, documents, public records, manuscripts, maps, photographs, books, artifacts, artworks, buildings, structures, burial sites, sacred sites, cemeteries, and animals. Items often have artistic, educational, historic, legal, scientific, or social significance. Cultural and historic resources often represent an aspect of a cultural system that is valued by or significantly representative of a culture or that contains significance information about a culture and are preserved or appropriate for preservation and used as an extension of human memory. -Adopted by the Colorado Cultural & Historic Resources Task Force, October 2012 Lower North Fork Fire Started: March 26, 2012 themountainmail.com themountainmail.com
Characteristics of CHR o Unique o Often Irreplaceable o Limited Supply o Require Security Measures o Require Inventory Control o Require Environmental Monitoring & Control o Once Damaged, Rarely Can Be Returned to Original Condition Items May Include: o Non-Living & Living Specimens o Tangible Items & Intangible Cultural Practices o Physical &Digital Manifestations o Individual Objects & Collections o Institutional Records & Finding Aids Snowmastodon Discovery October 14, 2010 dmns.org Often Located In: o Libraries, Museums & Archives o Educational Institutions o Historical Societies o Historic Properties & Sites o Archaeological Sites o Performing Arts Complexes o Religious Centers o Local, State & National Parks o Government o Botanic Gardens o Aquariums & Zoos
Why Are CHR Important? Cultural Identity Historical & Scientific Knowledge Economic Vitality Community Revitalization Heritage Tourism coloradorailroadmuseum.org hslibrary.ucdenver.org library.unco.edu
Where Do Cultural Heritage Organizations Fit? Emergency Operations Centers Federal State Local Campus Hewlett Fire Started: May 14, 2012 ESF 11 Agriculture and Natural Resources Includes Cultural & Historic Resources denverpost.com
The Beginning: January-April 2012 Formation of Colorado s Cultural & Historic Resources Task Force Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Group Emergency Management & Cultural Heritage Representatives Quarterly Meeting Schedule Established Listserv Created and Hosted by CU Denver Primary Goal Identified: To assist COEM with the development of a recovery annex for cultural & historic resources Little Sand Fire Started: June 9, 2012 pagosadailypost.com
Task Force Composition Local Fire Architect Emergency Management 15% 1% 2% 4% 5% Private Consultant Archives 7% Academic Library Historic Preservation 15% 8% Cultural Resources Non Profit Museum Government Higher Education 13% 11% 10% 9% Public Library
The Fires: March October 2012 Fires: 12+ High Park Fire Started: June 9, 2012 Cost: $197+ million Acres Burned: 215,000+ Home Destroyed: 610 Deaths: 6 fema.gov
CHR Task Force In Action State Level Participated in Operations & Recovery Conference Calls Identified CHR In/Near Perimeters & Communicated Location to COEM Movement of Containment Line to Protect CHR During Emergency Operations Located Backup Storage Facility Provided Information About Basic Salvage Techniques for Recovery Guide Springer Fire Started: June 17, 2012 denverpost.com
CHR Task Force In Action Local Level Reached Out to CHR Institutions to Offer Assistance Waldo Canyon Fire Connected with Local EOC Located Storage Space & Developed Procedures to Receive Evacuated Collections Wetmore Fire Significantly Increased Response Time Provided real time location of fire perimeter in relation to CHR Identified CHR in Jeopardy Ahead of First Responders Advocated for Inclusion in Damage Assessments
Lessons Learned: Manage Expectations Recognize highest priorities include: life safety property protection primary home dwellings public infrastructure private enterprise Acknowledge CHR falls at the bottom of the priority list. Imperative CHR community take responsibility for themselves and collaborate with emergency management. Then great things happen. Weber Fire Started: June 22, 2012 cortezjournal.com
Lesson Learned: Existing Networks & Databases Are Effective But Will Not Identify Everything History Colorado: 15% of Historic Buildings & Sites Inventoried Statewide No Central Repository of Information About Collections Sources Used Include: Compass Connecting to Collections Database CHR Task Force listserv National Register of Historic Places Listservs for Associations Recent WESTPAS Workshop Attendees Internet Sites for Tourisms Local Knowledge shambhalamountain.org
Lesson Learned: Establish Communications Standards & Channels Prior to Incident Emergency Management Cultural & Historic Resources Communication Priority: Communication Priority: Accurate and Up to Date Maps of Fire Perimeters Essential to Identifying CHR in Jeopardy Establish Point(s) of Contact to Transmit & Receive Information Transmit & Distribute Information in a Secure Manner Identification of CHR in Jeopardy Significance of Each Resource Essential to Prioritizing Protective Measures Establish Point(s) of Contact to Transmit & Receive Information Transmit & Distribute Information in a Secure Manner
Lesson Learned: Security Matters Information Transmission & Dissemination Security Triangle Permanent Location Temporary Location
Lesson Learned: Build Redundancy, Adaptability & Flexibility Into Response & Recovery Capacity Fires have the potential to move fast! Possibility of working multiple incidents simultaneously at various stages of response and recovery. Stateline Fire Started: June 23, 2012 Geography + mountainous terrain + road closures = Alternate evacuation routes and storage facilities needed. Colleagues and their institutions may rapidly transition from responders to evacuees in as little as an hour. durangoherald.com
Lesson Learned: Prepare to Wait Knowing Your Efforts May Be Futile Waldo Canyon Fire Started: June 23, 2012 Mary Rupp Fire can move quicker than you can. Point where nothing more can be done but to prepare for recovery. Who cares? It s only cultural & historic resources. Chuck Thompson
Lesson Learned: Expand Goals to Comprehensively Address 4 Pillars of Emergency Management Treasure Fire Started: June 23, 2012 leadvilletoday.com CHR Task Force Goals Mitigation Develop capacity to conduct risk assessments Participate in local & state mitigation planning efforts Preparedness Establish programmatic agreements for historic buildings & sites to expedite recovery Identify and type available personnel and resources in CHR institutions Develop mutual aid agreements Train & credential a response & recovery team Response Participate in state operation planning efforts Create mobilization and demobilization procedures for personnel and resources Recovery Participate in state recovery planning efforts Develop capacity to conduct damage assessments Create a recovery guide for local officials specific to cultural and historic resources
Why is Higher Education uniquely suited to participate in emergency management efforts for CHR? Help your institution by helping others Technical Expertise Cultural & Historic Resources Subject Matter Experts Police & Emergency Manaegment Subject Matter Experts Resources Environmentally-Controlled Storage Facilities & Freezers Redundancy Professional & Community Networks Technology Infrastructure Personnel Policies Last Chance Fire Started: June 25, 2012 Nathan Federico blogs.westword.com
The Future: 2013 & Beyond Flagstaff Fire Started: June 26, 2012 Cultural & Historic Resources Task Force Outlook for 2013 Fire Season = Dry Immediate Need to Focus on Response Goals State Emergency Operations Plan Identification of Available Resources Mutual Aid Agreements Response & Recovery Team timescall.com
Thank You! Questions? Wetmore Fire Started: October 23, 2012 Leslie A. Williams leslie.williams@ucdenver.edu Scott Baldwin scott.baldwin@state.co.us krdo.com