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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.


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.

Water encountered during an emergency may be contaminated. The most common and dangerous contaminants in water are salt, chlorine and sewage. Contaminants, especially sewage, may require special health precautions. Follow advice of your local health officials. Protective gloves/clothing must be worn at all times when handling contaminated materials.

Immediate Response

Information by Media Type

Paper (unbound documents, maps, drawings, posters)

Photographs and Film (prints, negatives, sheets and rolls)

Bound Volumes (books, periodicals)

Audio and Video (tapes, disks)

Electronic Media (hard drives, diskettes, CDs)

Artifacts

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 • Telephone: 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272