The
Canterbury Disaster Salvage Team is a voluntary group of professional
people from the Christchurch, New Zealand area who work in the cultural
and heritage sector. It was founded in 1987. Most team members represent
their institutions and are able to participate in the Team due to
the goodwill of their employer.
Collectively
the Team has significant experience in responding to disasters and
has developed assessment and response systems that have proved extremely
helpful to institutions.
Guiding
philosophy
Being
well prepared for disasters is a critical factor in coping successfully
with the salvage of cultural and heritage material.
Mission
To
provide training and advice to those in the Canterbury region who
are responsible for the care and maintenance of heritage collections.
Objectives
1. educate staff working in cultural or heritage institutions about
the need for disaster planning,
2. disseminate information about resources available for disaster
planning and response,
3. provide training for those responsible for the care and maintenance
of collections so that they are able to respond quickly and effectively
in a disaster situation.
Activities
To
achieve these objectives the Team is involved in the following activities:
1. responding when required to emergencies in cultural institutions,
2. producing a bi annual newsletter,
3. running an annual workshop on an aspect of disaster preparedness,
4. holding regular meetings to plan and co-ordinate activities.
Resources
The
Wellington branch of The New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Material
(NZCCM)
has donated a variety of salvage equipment (including a generator
and large dehumidifier) to the Canterbury Disaster Salvage Team.
This equipment is housed in the Christchurch Art Gallery and is
available for use by Christchurch institutions during salvage operations
for a small fee. Unfortunately it is not possible to transport this
equipment beyond Christchurch.