Note: If any state archives or records administrators know of additional documents that should be listed here,
please email information to CoSA staff at info@statearchivists.org.
Updated March 15, 2010

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Emergency Preparedness and Recovery

See also CoSA Emergency Preparedness Initiative; Preservation

Alabama

• Hurricane Katrina Records Recovery Information
  http://www.archives.state.al.us/whatsnew/prkatrina.html
• "Air-Drying Wet Records Volumes or Other Books"
  http://www.archives.state.al.us/ol_pubs/govrec41.html#Drying
• Disaster Recovery Vendors
  http://www.archives.state.al.us/whatsnew/disastervendors.html
• Government Records News. Vol. 2 No. 2
  Identifying and protecting vital records, emergency measures,
  salvaging water-damaged records.
  http://www.asc.edu/archives/ol_pubs/govrec22.html

Arizona

• Disaster Planning for Government Agencies in Arizona
  http://www.lib.az.us/archives/images/pdf/g_disaster_government.pdf

California

• The California State Archives is one of the participating organizations
  in the California Preservation Program
  • Emergency preparedness and response
    http://www.calpreservation.org/disasters/index.html

  • Disaster assistance for libraries, archives, historical societies and cultural institutions
    including an emergency toll-free telephone number
    http://www.calpreservation.org/services/disaster_assist.html

Colorado

• Disaster Preparedness Planning
  http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/disaster.html

Connecticut

• Disaster Recovery Plan for Connecticut State Agencies, Towns and Municipalities
  (PDF document)
  http://www.cslib.org/publicrecords/disaster.pdf

Florida

• Disaster Recovery for Public Records Custodians, Archives and Libraries
  http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/disasterrecovery/
  which includes the following sections:
  • Disposition of Unrecoverable Public Records
  • Mold and mildew
  • Links to other organizations, e.g., FEMA, NEDCC, Heritage Preservation, Solinet, and many others
  • Contact information for disaster recovery vendors
• Records and Document Recovery Techniques (PDF chart)
  http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/DisasterRecovery/records_and_document_recovery_techniques.pdf
• Disaster recovery vendors
  http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/disasterrecovery/#vendors

Georgia

• Emergency Advice
  http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/default.htm
  Includes:

  • Disaster Preparedness Planning (technical leaflet)
    http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/disaster_preparedness_planning.htm
  • Emergency Response for Wet or Damaged Objects
    Adapted from the South Florida Conservation Center
    http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/emergency_response_wet_damaged_objects.htm
  • Mitigating Potential Hazards to Materials and Individuals Following a Disaster
    http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/mitigating_potential_hazards.htm
  • Resources to Aid in Salvaging Personal Belongings
    http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/salvaging_personal_belongings.htm
  • Responding to a Mold Outbreak
    http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/Responding_to_a_Mold_Outbreak.pdf
  • Selected Sources for Recovery
    http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/Emergency_Services_Vendors.pdf
  • Fillable Forms for Your Archives' Disaster Plan
    • Records Disaster Response Plan template
      http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/how_may_we_help_you/emergency_advice/RECORDS_DISASTER_RESPONSE_PLAN.doc
    • Disaster Prevention and Safety Checklist
      http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/pdf/Disaster%20Prevention-Safety%20Checklist%20_template_.pdf
    • Emergency Supplies stockpile Checklist
      http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/pdf/Emergency%20Supplies%20Stockpile%20Checklist%20_template_.pdf
    • Offsite Equipment and Services
      http://sos.georgia.gov/Archives/pdf/Off-Site%20Equipment%20and%20Services%20Checklist%20_template_.pdf

Idaho

• What will you do when disaster strikes? (PowerPoint presentation)
  http://www.idahohistory.net/WHAT_WILL_YOU_DO_WHEN_DISASTER_STRIKES.pdf

Iowa

• Disaster Preparedness Plan (technical leaflet, based on Georgia's)
  http://www.culturalaffairs.org/shsi/archives/technical-assistance/ihrab/ihrab-brochures/disaster-preparedness-plan.html

Kansas

• Kansas Disaster Recovery Assistance Network
  http://www.kshs.org/archives/kdran.htm

Louisiana

• Hurricane Katrina Recovery Information
  http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/archives/records/recmgt-index.htm

Minnesota

• Disaster Response and Recovery Resources
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/floodresponse.htm
• Salvage Procedures for Wet Items
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/emergency.html
  Archaeological Artifacts
  Books: Cloth or Paper Covers
  Books: Leather or Vellum Covers
  Inorganics: Ceramics, Glass, Metals, Stone
  Leather and Rawhide
  Magnetic Media: Computer Diskettes
  Magnetic Media: Reel-to-Reel Tapes
  Microfiche
  Microfilm and Motion Picture Film
  Organics: Bone, Hair, Horn, Ivory, Shell
  Paintings on Canvas
  Paper: Coated
  Paper: Framed or Matted, Preparation for Drying
  Paper: Uncoated
  Photographs and Transparencies
  Record Albums
  Scrapbooks
  Textiles and Clothing
  Textiles: Costume Accessories
  Vellum and Parchment: Bindings and Documents
  Wood
• Re-entry Checklist (what to do before going back into a damaged site)
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/disaster_checklist.pdf
• Disaster Resources on the Web
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/disaster_web_resources.pdf
• Disaster Salvage Tip Sheet
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/
  disastertipsheet.pdf
• Emergency Call List Form
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/emergency_call_list.pdf
• Emergency Preparedness Plan
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/emergencyplan.pdf
• Initial Situation Report
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/situation_report.pdf
• Disaster Preparedness
  http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/disaster.html

Mississippi

• Mississippi History Newsletter, special issue on Katrina recovery
  http://www.mdah.state.ms.us/pubs/mhn/spec-ed_katrina_lo-res.pdf

North Carolina

• Disaster Preparedness and Recovery: A Primer
  http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/records/Disaster_Preparedness_%20and_Recovery_files/frame.htm
• Salvaging Water-damaged Documents and Heirlooms
  http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/salvage.htm

Ohio

• Disaster Prevention and Planning, Part I
  By Miriam Kahn, Preservation Consultant, MBK Consulting
  Local History Notebook, January / February 1995
  http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/oahsm/notebook/janfeb1995.html
• Disaster Prevention and Planning, Part II
  By Miriam Kahn, Preservation Consultant, MBK Consulting
  Local History Notebook, March/April 1995
  http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/oahsm/notebook/marapr1995.html
• Disaster Preparedness and Recovery (Local Government Records Handbook)
  http://www.ohiohistory.org/textonly/resource/lgr/disasrl.html
• Digital Document Imaging
  Recommendations for State of Ohio Local Governments
  http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/lgr/ImagingGuidelines.html
  Recommendation 18: A disaster preparedness plan is paramount to a properly created
  system of image and data backup, storage and recovery.

Oregon

• Public Records: A Manual for Creating a Disaster Preparedness And Recovery Plan (PDF), April 2007.
  Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders and Oregon Secretary of State, Archives Division.
  http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/recmgmt/train/dp/disastermanual.pdf
• "The Call" (requires RealPlayer) This training video helps you to evaluate your agency’s preparedness for a variety of disasters and gives you pointers on ways to minimize your risk.

Pennsylvania

• Disaster Planning and Vital Records
  http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/local_government___
  judicial_system_services/2631/disaster_planning___vital_records_management/312506

South Carolina

• Disaster Planning and Recovery for SC State and Local Government Records
  http://arm.scdah.sc.gov/disaster/
• Disaster Preparedness and Recovery in State and Local Government Records Offices (Leaflet #16)
  http://arm.scdah.sc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/7A6DE0AC-1798-49DA-A027-DB6E9B27DA06/0/16.pdf
• Disaster Recovery Services
  http://arm.scdah.sc.gov/disaster/disastervendors/

Texas

• Disaster Planning and Recovery
  http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/disaster/index.html
• Disaster Preparedness Manual (for government agencies)
  HTML: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/recordspubs/dp.html
  PDF: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/slrm/recordspubs/dppdf.pdf
  Includes vital records identification and methods, disaster prevention and planning, recovery operations, sample disaster plan.

Utah

• Preservation and Emergency Preparedness
  http://www.archives.state.ut.us/micrographics/preservationemergency.html
• Disaster Preparedness for Archives and Records Centers: A Selected Bibliography
  http://www.archives.state.ut.us/micrographics/disaster-preparedness-bibliography.html

Virginia

• Chapter 13 - Disaster Preparedness
  http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwedo/records/manuals/00m-ch13.htm
• Disaster Planning Workbook
  http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwedo/records/manuals/dp-wkbk.htm

Washington

• Essential Records and Disaster Preparedness Manual
  http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/gs.aspx

Wisconsin

• Managing Disaster
  http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/localhistory/flood.asp

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Last updated: March 15, 2010 .