On the initiative of the Governor of Walloon Brabant, a disaster drill was organised that day at the Folon Foundation in La Hulpe under the name ArtEx. The aim was to draw the attention of law enforcement agencies and emergency services to cultural heritage, which often bears the brunt of such disasters. This approach was therefore a first for Belgium. From the outset, the Blue Shield, alongside other heritage bodies, was involved in the preparations.
The Blue Shield took part in the disaster drill with 14 representatives: four evaluators, four observers, including one colleague from Bouclier Bleu France, and six volunteers from the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels private and public sectors.
Following the exercise, an agreement was signed by our Chairman Gustaaf Janssens and the Provincial Governor of Walloon Brabant, Gilles Mahieu, designating the Blauwe Schild as the sole point of contact for the rescue of heritage in the event of disasters, within Discipline 4 (logistical support and expertise). (see attachment).
Article 1 of the agreement clearly stipulates:
The purpose of this agreement is to set out the conditions under which the association’s volunteers provide their assistance during events or crisis situations that affect the movable and immovable cultural heritage in Walloon Brabant.
To this end, both parties undertake to cooperate closely.
With this in mind, the Blue Shield brings together all professional groups and specialist organisations in the field of heritage protection (commonly referred to as ‘Ex-Pat’) that may be involved in rescuing and securing collections in a crisis situation.
The Blue Shield is therefore the point of contact for the authorities identified in Article 2 regarding the circumstances of intervention and Article 3 concerning the type of missions that may be carried out.
With this in mind, our organisation, in agreement with the KIK-IRPA, had already set up a WhatsApp group called BLUE SHIELD ALERT, which was activated for the first time during the ArtEx disaster exercise.
The challenge now is to further flesh out the content of this agreement in close collaboration and with the necessary support of our heritage partners. Further updates on this will follow shortly.
