Purpose of the Plan
The purpose of this plan is to provide guidance with regard to the
recovery and restoration of mission critical documents and information
that may be damaged or lost in a mishap or disaster. "Mission critical"
is defined as documents and/or information necessary for the successful
day-to-day operation of the institution. For the purposes of this plan,
mission critical documents and information will be referred to as "records."
Activation of the Plan
Implementation of the provisions of this plan will depend largely on
the nature of the cause of damage to records.
Causes such as a leaking roof or a broken water line usually result
in localized damage which is limited to an office, office suite or floor
of a building. In cases of such localized damage, the manager(s) of
the affected unit(s) will be responsible for implementing the recovery
process.
Causes such as fire or severe weather often result in more widespread
damage. In such cases, it is possible that the NGCSU Emergency Protocol
and Safety Plan will be activated. The provisions of the Emergency Protocol
and Safety Plan take precedence over the Records Management Disaster
Preparedness Plan. When the Emergency Protocol and Safety Plan is in
effect, the Records Management Disaster Preparedness Plan is to be activated
only when clearance to enter the affected building(s) and begin assessing
damage to records has been given.
In all situations, the safety of students, faculty and staff is of
the utmost importance. Fire or severe weather may cause structural damage
that renders a building unsafe for occupancy. In the case of flooding,
the possibility of electrical shock exists even when there is no structural
damage. Personnel should not enter a damaged building until it has been
inspected and deemed safe for occupancy.
Types of Records
Electronic Data: In this case, records are maintained in an electronic
format and are stored on network servers. These records include, but
are not limited to, admissions files, academic transcripts, financial
records, human resource records, e-mail, and web page files.
Paper Files: Even with the use of electronic data storage, there remains
a significant amount of paper records that are mission critical. These
records include but are not limited to, admissions files, academic transcripts,
financial records, human resource records and various communications
and directives that were created before the advent of the widespread
use of electronic data storage. Additionally, there exist many paper
records of an archival nature that, while not necessarily mission critical,
are of great historical value to the institution.
Prevention of Loss or Damage
Electronic Data: The prevention of the loss of electronic data depends
on routine backing-up of server files. The Department of Information
and Instructional Technology performs a back-up of mission critical
electronic data once every 24 hours during the work week. This includes
all BANNER data, PeopleSoft data, E-mail files, web server images, and
application server images. The back-up tapes are stored in a fire and
water-proof cabinet in Dunlap Hall.
Paper Files: Most but not all mission critical paper format academic
records are stored in a fireproof vault when not being used. Additionally,
all but the oldest academic transcripts created prior to the advent
of electronic data storage have been put on micro-film and are stored
in a bank vault offsite.
Some of the mission critical paper administrative records (Financial,
human resources, etc.) are stored in fireproof vaults and cabinets,
but the voluminous nature of these records prevents storing all of them
in such facilities.
Disaster Recovery
Given that the institution's electronic records are properly backed
up and stored on a daily basis, the remainder of this plan will focus
on the recovery and restoration of paper records and will deal with
the most probable causes of damage; water and fire.
Units within the institution should approach disaster recovery for
mission critical records in the following manner:
- The unit manager(s) of the affected unit(s) should contact Plant
Operations for assistance with any necessary post-disaster clean-up.
- Unit managers and unit records managers will be responsible for
the initial assessment of the nature, extent, and severity of the
damage to records in their respective units. Since successful recovery
depends on quick action, this initial assessment should be conducted
as soon as possible after discovery of damage.
- Once the initial assessment has been completed, the unit manager
should contact the Director of Stewart Library. The director or his/her
designee will conduct a more detailed assessment of the damage and
advise as to what steps should be taken to increase the likelihood
of successfully recovering the damaged documents.
- Actions necessary to recover documents can range from simply air
drying damp records to hiring restoration specialists for severely
damaged records.
Typical Steps for Restoration from Water Damage
- Use air conditioning, fans and dehumidifiers to reduce humidity.
- Label and separate dry, damp and saturated records.
- On the advisement of the Director of Stewart Library or a restoration
specialist, saturated records may need to be frozen in preparation
of freeze drying. Depending on the volume of records involved, the
Dining Facility freezer may be used for this purpose until suitable
offsite freezer storage can be located.
Restoration Methods for Water Damage
There are two types of water damage. Direct damage occurs when documents
are completely saturated. Secondary damage occurs when documents are
damp due to high humidity related to flooding, etc. Methods for restoration
include the following:
- Air Drying: This process is quick and effective with smaller quantities
of records with secondary damage. In this process, records are separated
and spread out in a cool, dry location. Fans and air conditioning
are used to circulate dry air over the documents. This process is
usually complete within 72 hours.
- Dehumidifiers and Air Movers: This method is used with larger quantities
of records that have received secondary damage. In this process, the
documents are often left in their original containers and dehumidifiers
and air movers are brought into the facility. Depending on the volume
of records involved, this process can take weeks to complete. Because
there is the possibility of residual damage if this process is not
done properly, this process should be used only after consultation
with a restoration specialist and only if dehumidifiers and air movers
are available in sufficient quantity and capacity.
- Freezing: Freezing is appropriate when documents have received direct
damage. Usually done by a restoration specialist, this process involves
separating records and placing them in special containers in commercial
freezers. Depending on the volume of records involved, this process
can often require several months to complete.
Restoration Methods for Fire Damage
The full recovery of records damaged due to fire is less probable than
records damaged by water. For this reason, duplication and offsite storage
of mission critical records is vital.
- Documents damaged by fire that are recoverable will have a permanent
smoke odor. In cases where it is necessary, a process called "dry
cleaning" may remove most, if not all of the smoke odor. This process
is usually done by a restoration specialist and requires treating
each page of the affected records with a special solvent and allowing
them to dry.
Contacts
