Records Emergency Planning and Response (REPR)

Offered by the Georgia Archives

9:30am-3:30pm on October 6^th, 2017

Lunch will be provided plus a behind-the-scenes tour of the Archives. Download the registration form here.

https://www.statearchivists.org/programs/emergency-preparedness/records-emergency-planning-and-response-repr/

The Georgia Archives previously presented the IPER Essential Records (ER) overview course last April. We intend to offer both full IPER courses in 2017. https://www.statearchivists.org/programs/emergency-preparedness/essential-records-er-course/

If you have any questions about the IPER courses or our registration process for this course, please contact Christine Garrett, Georgia Archives Electronic Records Manager (christine.garrett@usg.edu).

As we continue to reorganize and reboot SHER, we are continuing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Coastal Museums Association, pending approval of SHER’s membership. The MOU has the same wording as last year (click to read it: MOU CMA SHER 2016-17). Please vote to approve or deny the MOU by clicking here.  Voting ends July 1 at midnight.

Pennsylvania has recently begun mapping and prioritizing historic resources in targeted counties using FEMA grant money from Hurricane Sandy. This is why the program is critical,

“To date, among the most common strategies used by PEMA and FEMA to prevent or lessen the severity of future disaster impacts have been to acquire and demolish hazard-prone buildings to remove them from harm’s way. Such buildings may be located in early settlement areas and include those listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as well as buildings of an historic nature that remain undocumented.” (PA SHPO blog)

But the good news, “To date, only a few localities nationwide are known to have integrated historic property considerations into their hazard mitigation plans according to this guidance.”(PA SHPO blog) Chatham County is one of them. 

More detailed information about Philadelphia’s planning is available in the article,  Philadelphia to be first big city with disaster plan to protect historic buildings. Unlike Philly’s survey, however, Savannah needs to think about cultural resources, which is far more comprehensive than historic buildings. We need to protect archaeology sites, monuments, historic neighborhoods, historic trees, cemeteries, viewsheds and landscapes, parks, museums and historic sites and their collections as well as historic buildings.

from Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA):

“Beginning this month, we are excited to announce a new planning, training and exercise initiative that will take place over the next year.  In an effort to increase participation, you will receive an Emergency Management Program “Save the Date” flyer at the start of each month that lists upcoming events for a two month period. It is our goal to give key players and partners sufficient notification about important upcoming opportunities, that through involvement, helps strengthen our community.  We have simplified the information so you are able to quickly assess whether or not the event pertains to you or your department.  Action items are also included to take the guess work out of registration.  If you have any questions or need additional information, we are happy to assist!”

I will make these available here for download by date.

Aug and Sept Save the Date 2015

October November 2015

We have been working behind the scenes to ensure that SHER continues its vital functions despite poor attendance at our workshops. After a meeting with the Coastal Museums Association (CMA) Executive Board, we are proposing that SHER become an affiliate of CMA through a Memorandum of Agreement.  In essence, we are proposing the following changes:

• The SHER membership drive will be folded into the CMA membership drive. This mean less paperwork each year.
• SHER membership will continue to be free and available to any CMA member as well as first responders, CEMA officials, and related businesses.
• One CMA program per year will be devoted to disaster response training and information.
• SHER will also conduct one or two independent trainings or workshops as demand dictates (i.e. the CEMA Hurricane Conference).
• Starting next year, two Co-Chairs will govern SHER: a Liaison to Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) and a Liaison to CMA.

We are going do use the MOU on an ad hoc basis for the first year to see how it works. If we proceed with the MOU after the first year, then we will make the appropriate changes to the by-laws.

Please review the proposed Memorandum of Agreement and vote on whether it should be implemented or not.

Laura Seifert, SHER Chairperson

Click for an overview of the exercise, including a tentative agenda

On April 28th, the City of Savannah will be holding its annual Hurricane Exercise at the Savannah Civic Center (8:30am-2:30pm). This year, the exercise includes four breakout groups, including one intended specifically for historical and cultural sites to discuss their plans, concerns, and intentions for re-entering and assessing facilities in Savannah after a major hurricane. An overview of the exercise, including a tentative agenda is available for download at the top of this post. We would really like to have representatives with hurricane planning responsibility from all of Savannah’s historical and culturally significant sites represented at this exercise. Please make sure this message is forwarded to the appropriate staff with your organization.

To RSVP for the exercise, please send an email to Dan Stowers, Emergency Management Director for the City of Savannah, at DStowers01@savannahga.gov.

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing many of you there!
Luciana Spracher, Director
City of Savannah, Research Library & Municipal Archives

A long-simmering project has now come to fruition. We have developed a mutual aid agreement with our sister organization in Atlanta, Heritage Emergency Response Alliance (HERA).  A copy of the mutual aid agreement is available here: SHER-HERA-Mutual-Aid. Please review it and then vote on whether we will adopt this agreement. 

Sign up for SHER “News Blasts” by clicking on the button below. Users of the old Google Group do not need to sign up again- your membership transferred to the new group.

Please click on the red button to fill out Savannah Heritage Emergency Response (SHER) membership form. Membership is free. As a member of SHER, you also receive the following benefits:

Information:

• Membership is kept apprised of potentially hazardous situations as they are developing via Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Assessment Teams through our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) representatives.
• Your site will be documented as a critical facility by CEMA.
• Access (via phone) to our EOC representative during a disaster or emergency.

Training:

• Quarterly meetings and other workshops will inform you about important disaster planning and mitigation topics.

Communication:

• Our Google Group enables us to contact each other efficiently.
• SHER website: https://sheronline.info/
• Develop important relationships with local emergency personnel and first responders

Resources:

• Freezer space at CEMA during individual disasters
• Freezer space at Base Camp during major disasters (government agencies and collections only)
• Access to disaster recovery vendors through the state contracts
• The SHER team at Base Camp during a major disaster

Thank you,

Laura Seifert, SHER Chairperson

SHER members!

Please take a moment to vote in the SHER elections for the next 2-year term by clicking here.   Voting will be open until December 25. The slate of officers is:

• Chairperson- Laura Seifert
• Vice Chairperson- Debbie Linn
• Secretary- Lynette Stoudt

In addition, Sherryl Lang has agreed to head the Training & Education Committee, and Caroline Hopkinson will be leading the Membership Committee. Both of these gracious volunteers need some volunteers for their committee. The survey will give you a chance to put your hat in the helping box.