Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel

The eagerly awaited Spanish-language Emergency Response and Salvage
Wheel is being released in time for the 2002 hurricane season. Since
its publication in 1997, the Wheel has become the single most
recognized and respected tool for protecting documents, art, and
artifacts from water damage. More than 65,000 English-language
Wheels are in use throughout the world.

The information in the practical slide chart was developed by
preservation professionals, and it has been endorsed by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and many other federal agencies
and national cultural organizations. The Rueda de Salvamento y
Respuesta ante Emergencias will bring this valuable information to a
wider audience. Each Rueda is enclosed in a water-resistant bag and
comes with explanatory materials in both Spanish and English.

Major funding for the Spanish-language Wheel has been provided by
the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support
from the St. Paul Companies, Inc. Foundation and the American
Express Company. Thanks to these generous contributions, Heritage
Preservation has produced 22,500 Wheels for free distribution in the
U. S. and Puerto Rico. More than 15,000 Ruedas will be mailed during
May to libraries, museums, archives, and historic preservation
organizations in California, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, Puerto
Rico, parts of Arizona and Colorado, and the metropolitan areas of
New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Other Wheels will reach state arts, humanities, and emergency
management agencies around the country, as well as appropriate
training programs and workshops. The remaining free Ruedas will be
available upon request, while supply lasts, with a limit of two
copies per nonprofit institution. The Rueda is also available for
purchase at the same modest price as the English-language Wheel
($10.95; $6.95 for nonprofits and government agencies. Quantity
discounts are available).

The need for accurate disaster response and recovery information is
greater than ever, and the Rueda's concise and practical
instructions can help any employee keep a water emergency from
becoming a disaster. Water damage is the most common threat to
collections, whether from flooding, fire, earthquakes, or severe
storms. "The Wheel is a great resource," said Jose A. Ortiz, Manager
for Administration, The Cloisters," "and we are grateful to be able
to share it with our Spanish-speaking colleagues."

The Wheel is meant for use within 48 hours of an emergency, when
salvage measures are most critical. Emergency Response Action Steps
are listed in nine sections on Side 1. General salvage information
and recovery tips for specific kinds of collections are on Side 2.

The Wheel was produced by the Heritage Emergency National Task
Force, a partnership of more than 30 government agencies and
national service organizations. The Task Force is an initiative of
Heritage Preservation and FEMA.

For order forms or further information, call toll-free
1-888-979-2233, fax 202-634-1435, or e-mail
taskforce [at] heritagepreservation__org. To learn more about the Wheel
and other disaster resources, visit
<URL:http://www.heritageemergency.org>.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:77
                  Distributed: Thursday, May 16, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-77-010
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