Providing emergency support for cultural institutions

The National Heritage Responders (NHR) are a team of volunteers who respond to the needs of cultural institutions during emergencies and disasters through coordinated efforts with first responders, state agencies, cooperative disaster networks, vendors, and the public.

National Heritage Responders

National Heritage Responders is a program of the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation. For more information, or to

donate in support of the program, please see: www.conservation-us.org

Who We AreIn 2007 and 2011, the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) received funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to develop a series of advanced workshops to train conservators and other library and museum professionals. These dynamic and highly successful workshops produced a group of over 100 “rapid responders” who are trained to react.

The program has since developed into a cohesive group of strongly committed volunteers who monitor disasters as they occur across the nation and respond.

Formerly known as AIC-CERT, the NHR have been called “the SWAT team” for cultural collections in peril.

Where We’ve BeenTeam members have answered the call to assist damaged cultural heritage collections around the country – and even internationally!

Response Teams Have Deployed in Response to:

Superstorm Sandy Hurricane Ike North Dakota flooding Iowa flooding Haitian earthquake

What We Can DoThe National Heritage Responders provide assistance by phone and email to collecting institutions affected by everything from leaking pipes to roof damage. 

Team members take turns staffing a 24/7 hotline and fielding calls from institutions. All NHR members are trained to provide basic guidance on response and recovery protocols; specific questions about collections can be brought to the full team for consultation.

Upon request, team members can organize a site visit to conduct an assessment and determine if additional help is needed. Subsequent deployments typically bring teams of three or four individuals to begin directing the response and recovery process. All services are available free of charge.

Call the NHR hotline for immediate assistance:

202.661.8068

The National Heritage Responders come from all corners of the country.

The team has a diversity of skills, with members who are conservators, archivists, collection managers, and more. In their professions, they handle a wide range of materials, from paper, to textiles, to paintings.