Bi-Annual Meeting

State Preservation Plan

Advisory Committee
History Colorado
October 23, 2013
Denver, Colorado

Leslie A. Williams
Assistant Professor
Auraria Library
University of Colorado Denver
Preparing
Colorados
Cultural & Historic
Resources for
Disasters
Overview
Concepts
Cultural & Historic
Resources
Disaster Cycle
The Present
Institutional
Preparedness
Beyond
Institutional
Preparedness
The Future
State Mitigation
Plan
State Operations
Plan
State Recovery
Plan
State
Preservation Plan
Definition of Cultural & Historic Resources
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
Cultural & Historic Resources

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


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


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

Snowmastodon
Discovery
October 14, 2010
dmns.org
(Williams et al., 2013)
Important for:
o Cultural Identity
o Historic & Scientific Knowledge
o Economic Vitality
Community Revitalization
Heritage Tourism


Disaster Cycle
pre.drp.org
Institutional Preparedness
Key Elements

Risk Assessments
Mitigation Activities
Disaster Plan
Supply Cache
Staff Training
Tabletop Exercises


WESTPAS (westpas.org)
Heritage Preservation
(http://www.heritagepreser
vation.org/)
Connecting to Collections
Online Community
(http://www.connectingtoc
ollections.org/all-
topics/prepare-respond-
emergencies/)

Resources
Beyond Institutional Preparedness:
Plugging Into Emergency Management System

www.fema.gov/multiagency-coordination-systems
Beyond Institutional Preparedness:
Why Plug Into the Emergency Management
System?
Recognize highest
priorities include:
Life safety
Property protection
Primary home dwellings
Public infrastructure
Private enterprise

Acknowledge cultural and historic
resources fall below these on the
priority list.

Imperative that we take responsibility for ourselves
and collaborate with emergency management.

Then great things will happen.
(Williams et al., 2013)
Peter Brady
Salina, Colorado
September 2013
Beyond Institutional Preparedness:
Colorado Cultural and Historic Resources Alliance
Multiagency Coordination Group

Formed in January 2012

Strong Partnership Between
Collections, Historic Preservation, &
Emergency Management

Local, State, & Federal Partners

Network of 136+ Individuals Around
Colorado & Beyond

Mission & Goals Focus on 4 Pillars of
Emergency Management

Leading the nation
Little Church in the Pines
Salina, Colorado
September 2013
Peter Brady
Beyond Institutional Preparedness:
Colorado Cultural and Historic Resources Alliance

Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) Team

Identifies cultural and
historic resources in
jeopardy

Communicates location to
Incident Command for
protective measures

Coordinates assistance by
drawing upon institutional
resources and technical
expertise


Little Church in the Pines
Salina, Colorado
September 2013
Peter Brady
State Operations Plan

Roles and responsibilities
during disasters
Activation levels of
State EOC
Currently 17 Emergency
Support Functions (ESFs)
Defined
ESF11d Cultural &
Historic Resources -
Draft
Black Forest Fire
El Paso County, Colorado
June 2013
Associated Press
State Mitigation Plan
dhsem.state.co.us

Hazards identification
and risk assessment
State capabilities
assessment
Mitigation Strategies
State Recovery Plan

Damage assessment
Currently 14 Recovery
Support Functions
(RSFs)
RSF 10 Historic &
Cultural Resources -
Draft
AAron Ontiveroz
West Fork Fire Complex
June 2013
State Preservation Plan

Goal A: Preserving the Places that Matter
Goal B: Strengthening and Connecting the Colorado
Preservation Network
Goal C: Shaping the Preservation Message
Goal D: Publicizing the Benefits of Preservation
Goal E: Weaving Preservation Throughout Education
Goal F: Advancing Preservation Practices



What do you think?

References
Williams, Leslie A. 2013. "Disaster Preparedness." Association of
Northern Front Range Museums's Bi-Annual Meeting, Denver,
Colorado.
Williams, Leslie A., and Scott Baldwin. 2013. "Preservation
Emergencies: When to Speak Up and Who to Call." Saving
Places, Denver, Colorado.
Williams, Leslie A., Scott Baldwin, Karen Larkin, Mary Rupp, and
Carl Stewart. 2013. "Colorado's Cultural & Historic Resources
Under Fire: The Summer of 2012." Best Practices in Emergency
Management Higher Education, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Thank you!

Leslie A. Williams
leslie.williams@ucdenver.edu
References

Williams, Leslie A., Scott Baldwin, Karin Larkin, Mary Rupp, and Carl Stewart. 2013.
Colorado's Cultural and Historic Resources Under Fire: The Summer of 2012. In Best
Practices in Emergency Management Higher Education. Chattanooga, TN.