Texas Collections Emergency Resource Alliance
A Disaster Planning, Response and Recovery Resource for Texas Cultural Heritage Institutions, Historic Sites, Museums, Archives, and Special Collections.
A part of the FAIC Alliance for Response Network.
Become a Texas Heritage Responder (THR). During this 8-week course, participants will focus on how to prepare, respond, and recover from emergencies that threaten Texas cultural heritage institutions. This certificate program is for Texas residents and will conclude with a full-day workshop at Texas A&M University, College Station. (click for more information)
Registration: Closed
Online Course: June 6 - July 22, 2022
In-Person Workshop: August 5, 2022
Understanding and Upgrading Your Collection Preservation Environment Webinar
Maintaining or improving your museum’s HVAC is critical to preserving your collection and mitigating potential emergencies. Ideally, museum staff work closely with their facility colleagues to maintain safe environments, and act as advocates in long-term planning for upgrades with leadership and funders.
In this free webinar, engineer Jimmy Hensel presented the basics of HVAC systems and environmental controls and described how engineers identify both problems and solutions. Then, John Stevenson shared tools for staff to advocate for facility upgrades. Grant options and the role that owners’ representatives play in managing mechanical upgrades and renovations was also discussed. This webinar was presented in partnership with THC, the Texas Historical Commission.
Weathering the Storm: Hurricane Preparations for Cultural Institutions Webinar
May 26, 2022 10-11am (CT)
As the 2022 Gulf Coast hurricane begins, it’s time for cultural instructions to review their plans for preparation and response. Dan Reilly, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at National Weather Service Houston/Galveston, will discuss the hurricane season forecast and how to prepare for the wind, rain, flooding, and tornadoes that are associated with Gulf Coast hurricanes. Rebecca Kennedy, Collections Care Specialist with Curae Collections Care LLC, will provide important details on how to conduct a risk assessment prior to a hurricane. Rik Chapman, Spokesperson for the American Red Cross, will discuss how the Red Cross evaluates a site before deploying to that location.
This webinar is presented in collaboration with the Texas Historical Commission (THC), and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT).
2022 Hurricane Season - Advice for Institutions
Make printed paper copies of your disaster plan and contact list available to all employees. Digital copies may become unavailable due to power loss.
Determine and rank the likelihood of disasters, hazards and/or other emergencies in your area
Complete a site/facilities/buildings assessment
Estimate site location/distance and response-time considerations
Review personnel abilities, training needs, and responsibilities
Assess assets and collection materials, including a review of current insurance, documentation and prioritization of assets
Investigate resource availability and review Vendor Contracts
Test and revise the preparedness, response, and recovery plans
No disaster plan? The below links are useful information in helping to customize one for your site:
Current Grant and Funding Opportunities
This is a rotating section of available disaster planning, response, and recovery grants or other funding opportunities for Cultural Institutions, Historic Sites, Museums, Archives or Special Collections.
Emergency Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) Program - The Emergency CAP is more flexible in that it does not adhere to the annual schedule of the regular CAP program. The goal is to help museums in federally declared disaster areas receive post-disaster collections care recommendations from conservation and building professionals on an expedited basis.