CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE, BACKGROUND AND AUTHORITIES

1-1. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Vital Records Program is to ensure

the selection and protection of that core of records necessary

to the Department in performing its essential functions in a

national emergency.

1-2. BACKGROUND. Under the \"Continuity of Government\" program, a

concept initiated in 1952 by Executive Order 10346, each

Federal department and agency is responsible for being prepared

to carry out its essential functions under all national

emergency conditions including a nuclear attack on the United

States.

a\. More specifically, HUD, under guidance from the Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is required to have the

capability to accomplish its essential emergency National

level functions without interruption from any one of three

geographic locations, and its essential emergency Regional

level functions from either of two geographic locations in

each region.

b\. Towards the fulfillment of the requirements in a. above,

HUD has established three National level emergency

operating facilities: one at the Headquarters building;

one at HUD\'s National Relocation Site; and one at the FEMA

Special Facility. Similarly each HUD Regional Office has

two emergency operating facilities: one at the Regional

Office building and the other at the FEMA Federal Regional

Center (FRC). (Almost all of HUD\'s Vital Records are

readily available in the Headquarters and Regional Office

buildings. It is therefore primarily for the emergency

operating facilities other than those in the Headquarters

and Regional Office buildings for which Vital Records need

to be identified and stored.)

1-3. AUTHORITIES.

a\. Executive Order 11490 directs the departments and agencies

to develop such plans and take such actions as necessary to

continue as a viable part of the Federal Government during

any emergency that might conceivably occur. These include

plans for maintaining the continuity of essential functions

through programs concerned with, among others, safekeeping

of Vital Records. Executive Order 11490 also directs the

General Services Administration to provide instructions and

advice on appraisal, selection, preservation, storage, and

salvage of essential records needed for the operation

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1-3. of the Federal Government after attack, on an emergency

basis, including a decentralized system. The General

Services Administration has provided such guidance in its

publication, \"Federal Archives and Records Centers\" (1979).

b\. Executive Order 12148 specifies that FEMA shall develop

policies and plans to assure the continuity of essential

Government activities through a variety of programs,

including the safekeeping of essential records.

c\. FEMA Federal Preparedness Circular No. 11 requires that

\"Safeguarding of essential records is to be performed in

accordance with policy guidance from FEMA and with program

guidance from the National Archives and Records Service,

General Services Administration.\" (The guidance provided

in this HUD Handbook is in accordance with this

requirement.)

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