Be able to manage people and make decisions within a short span of time. If a disaster affects your agency's records, immediately contact the Local Records Preservation Program. The staff will be able to help you make emergency record disposals and advise you on record restoration. When responding to a disaster that has affected the structure of your building, be sure that the area is safe to enter. Always consult with gas, electrical and structural officials.
Human life is more important than records or property.
Before attempting any records salvage, meet with people whose records are involved to establish priorities and later to identify material. In general, however, if large volumes of needed paper records become wet, it is best to freeze these records within three days and store them until they can be commercially dried by techniques such as vacuum drying at the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation in St. Louis. Store wet and frozen records in plastic milk cases on wooden pallets to facilitate moving, freezing and drying. Wet microfilm and photographic film may be kept in cool, clean, unchlorinated water for up to three days before being professionally restored. For more information, you may request at no charge a Disaster Planning for Vital Records manual.