PATCH Community

I would like to comment the efficiency of PATCH Training seminar for the protection of Cultural Heritage items and the big interest that was expressed by several rescue groups in Crete to implement it in the future (after the end of the PATCH project).

The Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC), has already reproducted all the training material that was included into the Training Pack that was sent to us by Villa Montesca.

This reproduction of the Training Pack will give the opportunity to NHMC to implement several follow up training seminars in the future through which an added value to the PATCH project will be gained and also Cultural Heritage protection measures will be efficiently diffused in the future.

Voreadou Catherina

Coordinator of the NHMC team for the PATCH project

Natural History Museum has established a formal collaboration with the Hellenic Voluntary Rescue Team on training their members at the seismic simulator. During the first meeting that took place on March 2, 2012 24 members of the team were informed on Museum’s Civil protection activities, and for PATCH deliverables.

Members were introduced in the online activities and the downloadable products of project. An agreement has been made to organise future training activities.

The group at the seismic simulator

The whole team at the NHMC

On 28th of December 2011 a group of 40 volunteers of the Heraklion Municipality Volunteer Group participated in a second training activity based on PATCH outcomes at eh Natural History Museum of Crete. The trainees were informed for PATCH deliverables, were introduced in the online activities, were informed about training scenario and finally participated in a drill at the seismic simulator.

NHMC reproduced the training pack for its own needs and established a formal collaboration with the Voluntary group for further training activities. The next training activity was scheduled for the time following Easter.

Presentation of PATCH activities and deliverables.

Trainees on the seismic simulator

Preparations for the drill

Setting the cells

At the recording desk

In frond of the Christmas tree

THE RIBERA PREPARES TO PROTECT THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CASE OF EARTHQUAKES

The Consorcio of the Ribera has submitted a protocol guide and operating procedures directed at rescue workers.
Yesterday morning, the region of the Ribera has suffer, unfortunately, some natural disasters such as floods and puddles, and after being forced to act in extreme situations to ensure the safety of citizens and infrastructure affected. This region participates now in a European project Analysis and Prevention Tools for Cultural Heritage  (PATCH).
Yesterday morning  the  Consorcio of the  Ribera developed the National Project PATCH workshop, which presented the protocol and procedure guide for the safeguarding of cultural heritage in case of earthquakes and their collateral damage’, published in the context of this project and that was directed mainly to any body of  intervention force and rescue.
The event was inaugurated by the president of the Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta, Cristobal Garcia, who said “through such initiatives are intended to all the people related  with cultural heritage and those who are the first step in a disaster know how to act to avoid further damage and recover, as soon as possible, affected cultural property. ” The President of the Consorcio de la Ribera, Ignacio Barrachina, explained to the provinces that the magnitude of this project for the region falls mainly on “the future approaches.”
Barrachina has also commented that, “I hope not to find ourselves in a catastrophic situation, but if it happens it is important to know the action protocol ‘.
The chief of the fire station in Alzira and president of the NGO” Intervenció, Ajuda i Emergències”, Moisés Belloch presents some aspects of the guide to set to the prevention and rescue of cultural heritage inside cultural buildings.
To Belloch this guide “seeks to support other counties and give another vision that goes beyond” the rescue of people. Furthermore, knowledge is reflected in the guide has two objectives, says the fire chief, “to use that knowledge in case something happens in the region and use them to recover the affected property or attempt, when the moment of intervention, no damage more than it already is by the disaster itself. ”