Records Emergency Information
State, Tribal, and Local Governments
Emergency preparedness minimizes damage from any emergency, whether a small-scale building problem or a catastrophic natural disaster. When a records emergency does occur, effective response and recovery actions are necessary to salvage and preserve as many state, tribal, and local government records as possible.
Prepare
Prepare in advance so damage to records can be prevented. When records are damaged, response and recovery techniques will limit damage and allow more records to be saved.
- Vital Records and Records Disaster Mitigation and Recovery: An Instructional Guide
- Salvage Operations for Water Damaged Archival Collections: A Second Glance
- Emergency Response Training
- Fire Prevention
- Lessons Learned in Emergencies
- Special Challenges (Fire and Fire Suppression)
Respond and Recover
Respond as soon as it is safe to enter the area after an emergency and Recover records or cultural property damaged by the emergency.
Immediate Response
- Emergency: If You’re First
- Emergency Assessment Checklist
- Save Your Treasures the Right Way
- Records Recovery Vendors
Paper
- Tips for the Care of Water-Damaged Family Heirlooms
- What should I do with wet records?
- Emergency Salvage of Wet Books and Records
- Comparison of Drying Techniques
- Fire Recovery: A Case Study
Photographs and Film
Magnetic Media, Audio and Video
Artifacts
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Safety First: Never enter an area affected by an emergency until the appropriate authority declares that it is safe.