Joint and Combined Exercises in Heritage Protection as a Means to Establish Interfaces in Cooperation with Emergency Responders

abstract:For the successful protection of cultural heritage in times of crisis, cooperation between heritage professionals and emergency responders is necessary. Both sides, however, need to be better versed in cooperating, as there is typically minimal overlap in these professional fields. This article examines the use of tabletop and live exercises in educating cultural heritage professionals, empowering them to successfully cooperate with emergency responders that might be called upon for assistance in protecting cultural heritage in emergencies. Three exercises developed for that aim are presented and discussed. The focus of the exercises lays in establishing interfaces for successful future cooperation. In light of this training goal, the primary audience for these endeavors was heritage professionals, with knowledge creation centered on staff work procedures and decision-making processes—i.e., identifying the right way to communicate necessary expertise to the right person at the right time.