Preservation and Archives Professionals

Records Emergency Information

Federal Agencies

Emergency preparedness minimizes damage from any emergency, whether a small scale building problem or a catastrophic natural disaster. When an emergency does occur, effective response and recovery actions are necessary to salvage and preserve as many Federal records as possible.

The links on this page will assist Federal records managers in preparing for, responding to and recovering from an emergency. Links are also provided for Federal records management assistance, laws and regulations concerning damaged records, and information on records management during disasters.


Records Management

Archival resources to use during a records emergency.


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.

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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

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PDF files require the free Adobe Reader.
More information on Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our Accessibility page.

Safety First Safety First:  Never enter an area affected by an emergency until the appropriate authority declares that it is safe.

News

NHPRC Grant
Senator Richard Lugar and the National Archives announce grant to Indiana.

National Archives Releases Natural Disasters DVD
Historic footage of natural disasters included on first collection of the new Our Planet Earth series.

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