Of all the records that your office creates, very few warrant the creation of back-up tapes and those that do will typically be an essential record. In short, essential records are usually records that are necessary to conduct emergency responses, to resume or continue operations,and to protect the safety and rights of residents. Other records…
Torrential rain blanketed your town, the nearby creek quickly swelled beyond its banks, and water seeped into your facility. Maybe you store your records near the restroom (we’ve heard stories) and a plumbing mishap/malfunction flooded your storage area. Perhaps your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system failed over the weekend and the humid conditions caused…
Every once in awhile we have the opportunity to explore an area that’s related to, but outside the traditional scope of, records management. As our agency’s Continuity of Operations (COOP) Coordinator, I attended the Emergency Management All Hazards/Stakeholders Summit in Houston 6 December to learn some tidbits to implement or at least consider in our planning efforts. The audience…
By Bret Adams and Angela Ossar, Government Information Analysts Central Texas has endured record-setting temperatures for weeks this summer, and is now receiving national attention as numerous devastating wildfires sweep across the landscape. Protecting government records from a large-scale disaster such as wildfires is a matter of planning. We offer below a refresher on the…
Closely associated with water damage is mold damage, a by-product of excessive moisture and temperature (and air, a food source, and surface to grow). As with water damage to your records, you may want to contact a vendor to assist with recovery and salvage efforts. First determine if the mold is active or dormant. Look and…
Folks in Laredo and other areas in South Texas recently have had to deal with flooding and there’s a strong possibility of some of their records being damaged. What do you do if this occurs to you? Well, is the water clean, salty, or potentially contaminated? You first want to know the nature of the water. Emergency authorities…
With hurricane season underway and Hurricane Alex (as of 30 June) headed north toward the southern tip of Texas, hopefully you have your emergency management plan in place, your vital/essential records identified and protected, and those records backed up and stored off-site (recommended at least 30 miles from the originals). Should you get hit by Alex…