Emergency Response & Heritage Recovery

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When cultural resources are threatened by disaster, construction incidents, unexpected discoveries, or other emergencies, CHRIS provides rapid, on-the-ground response to help protect, document, stabilize, and recover what is at risk.

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Cultural Heritage Resource Impact Solutions, Inc. (CHRIS) combines cultural heritage expertise with emergency response, archaeology, logistics, monitoring, and field operations to provide practical support before, during, and after an incident.

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Rapid Response

CHRIS can mobilize personnel to assess conditions, establish documentation procedures, monitor affected areas, coordinate recovery activities, and help protect cultural resources during active response operations.

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Response services include:

• Rapid deployment and field assessment

• Cultural resource damage assessment

• Archaeological and cultural heritage monitoring

• Cemetery and burial-ground response

• Emergency documentation and mapping

• Recovery of displaced cultural materials

• Field tracking and documentation

• Coordination with emergency personnel, contractors, property owners, and specialists

• Stabilization and recovery support

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Cultural Heritage Recovery

CHRIS provides hands-on support when historic places, archaeological resources, collections, records, cemeteries, or other heritage materials have been damaged, displaced, exposed, or placed at immediate risk.

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Depending on the incident, CHRIS can assist with controlled recovery, documentation, temporary stabilization, inventory, packaging, movement of affected materials, chain-of-custody documentation, and coordination for appropriate conservation, storage, or additional professional assessment.

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Unexpected Discoveries

Construction, storms, erosion, flooding, infrastructure failures, and other events can unexpectedly expose archaeological materials, historic features, burial areas, or possible human remains.

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CHRIS can respond to the site, document conditions, monitor ongoing work, assist with protecting the affected area, coordinate appropriate specialists and authorities when required, and help determine the steps necessary to safely resume work.

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Emergency Preparedness

Response starts before an emergency happens. CHRIS helps organizations identify vulnerable cultural resources and establish practical procedures for protecting them.

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Preparedness services include:

• Cultural resource vulnerability assessments

• Emergency response planning

• Collections and records preparedness

• Cemetery and historic-site preparedness

• Unexpected-discovery protocols

• Contractor and staff response procedures

• Cultural heritage emergency exercises and training

 

Post-Disaster Recovery

CHRIS remains available beyond the initial response to support stabilization, documentation, monitoring, recovery planning, technical reporting, and longer-term cultural heritage needs resulting from the incident.

 

Who We Serve

CHRIS supports government agencies, museums, archives, libraries, universities and schools, churches, historical organizations, nonprofits, communities, property owners, contractors, and others responsible for cultural resources threatened or affected by an emergency.

 

Service Area

CHRIS provides emergency response and heritage recovery services throughout the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern United States, with nationwide deployment available depending on the nature and scope of the incident.