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Contents of a Disaster Plan

Overview

Key components of a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan.

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This list summarizes the key components of a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan, one that deals with disaster prevention and damage reduction, immediate response activities, recovery or salvage procedures, and rehabilitation of damaged materials. It is useful to have a plan in which all these elements are fully developed. However, a "phased" approach can also be applied to disaster preparedness (as it can to preservation activities in general). It is acceptable, as a first phase, to begin with a few sections (even in outline form), particularly if the institution focuses first on those issues that are of greatest concern. In a subsequent phase, the planners can gradually add more detail and other sections as they become better educated, have time to pursue the plan, and are able to develop consensus on how the institution should organize its preparedness activities.

Body of the Disaster Plan

Emergency information sheet: one-page summary of immediate steps to be taken and individuals to be contacted.

Introduction to the plan: its purpose, author, organization, scheduled updates.

Communication plan (or "telephone tree"): names of those to be contacted, including office and home numbers, strategy for contacting them, and communication vehicles that can be used.

Institution-wide collection priorities: list, with locations and name/phone of collection specialist(s). Note: More detailed priorities -- by department, subject, and/or location -- should be indicated in an appendix to the plan.

Prevention/protection strategy: schedules, procedures, and persons responsible for routine testing and inspections (e.g., of fire alarms and suppression systems, roof, etc.), and procedures for follow-up to reported vulnerabilities. Note: Inspection checklists should appear in the appendix, and completed inspection forms should be retained to allow follow-up on reported problems.

Checklist of pre-disaster actions: outline of procedures to be followed in advance of emergency for which there is advance warning (e.g., hurricane, flooding), including assignment of responsibilities for those actions.

Instructions for response and recovery: summary of steps to be taken to salvage materials. It is useful in the body of the plan to summarize the procedures for the most likely incidents, and to include both more detail and a broader range of incidents in the appendix.

Appendices

Recovery team members: list of recovery/salvage team members (including work and home phone numbers), with description of their responsibilities, scope of authority, and reporting lines.

Collection priorities within departments, locations, and/or subject areas: lists, names of collection specialist(s) for each area, and location (perhaps indicated on floor plan).

Checklists for prevention/protection inspections: extra copies of forms to be used.

Response and recovery instructions: detailed, step-by-step instructions on all phases of salvage operation, including discussion of recovery from the range of incidents that are possible (e.g., roof/plumbing leaks, flooding, fire, etc.) and covering the various media included in the collection, such as books and journals, manuscripts/records, coated vs. uncoated stock, sound recordings, photographic media, computer/electronic media, etc.

Instructions for long-term rehabilitation: procedures for activities including marking and labeling, rebinding and repair, rehousing manuscript/archival materials, sorting and rehousing, smoke/soot removal, cleaning, etc.

Record-keeping forms: multiple copies of all forms that may be needed in the salvage operation, including inventory forms, packing lists, requisitions and purchase orders, etc.

Detailed building plans: separate sets covering each of the following: storage areas, aisles, entrances and exits, windows; fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinklers, smoke/fire detectors, annunciators; shut-offs and master switches for power, water, gas, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system, elevator controls, etc.; priority collections (by department).

Resource lists: locations and inventory of in-house supplies, sources of commercial supplies/equipment that may be purchased, names of consultants and other specialists, sources of auxiliary/volunteer personnel, etc. For lists of resources outside the institution, it will be useful to provide day and night/weekend contacts and phone numbers, along with some details about the resource such as the type and quantities of materials available, cost and payment terms, and/or special arrangements/contracts that exist.

Accounting information: description of institutional funds available in a recovery effort and procedures/authorization for access to them.

Insurance information: explanations of coverage, claim procedures, record-keeping requirements, restrictions on staff/volunteers entering a disaster area, information on state/federal disaster relief procedures.

Location of keys: information about the location of, and means of access to, keys or combinations for special collections, elevators, offices, etc. Note: For security reasons, it may not be prudent to provide exact information about all these. In such cases, the plan should specify a procedure for contacting the individuals who have the proprietary information.

Reading list: location and call number of materials in the collection, and perhaps full text of key works.

Further information about all aspects of disaster preparedness planning is available from the LYRASIS Preservation Program at 800.999.8558. The Program also provides lists of and referrals to commercial supply/service sources and specialist consultants, as well as training in disaster planning and recovery.