Development of Statewide Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

FAIN: PG-50257-08

State, Delaware Secretary of State - Delaware Public Archives (Dover, DE 19901-3638)
Joanne A. Mattern (Project Director: May 2007 to March 2008)
Moira Conlan (Project Director: March 2008 to December 2009)
Dawn Mitchell (Project Director: December 2009 to December 2009)

The creation of a state-wide consortium for disaster preparedness and response. A preservation consultant would meet with representatives of 78 small and mid-sized cultural institutions in Delaware for workshop training and planning sessions, to be followed by the consultant's report with recommendations for implementation by the group. Collections held by these institutions include local historical records from many small towns in the state, the records of the oldest Methodist church in the nation, and Civil War records on Fort Delaware, a military prison. Subjects represented indepth include African American life and culture in Delaware, agriculture, the railroads, and the milling and carriage-making industries. Object collections include artwork, seafaring artifacts, and Native American materials.

Funding request to pay for a consultant to come to Delaware to assist us in the planning for the development of a Statewide Preparedness and Recovery Consortium (Delaware Disaster Assistance Team DDAT) to create a statewide disaster preparedness and recovery plan including personal contacts and shared resources and to develop and share staff training opportunities. Statewide group then intends to broaden to include cultural institutions on the Delmarva Peninsula with hopes for working with or joining a Mid-Atlantic Regional group as well as set up relationships with broader groups that may already exist.