Council on archives international records management trust
Developing an Emergency Plan
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- Introduction and Objectives
- Possible Emergencies or Disasters
Developing an Emergency PlanIdeally, the emergency plan will be a written and widely disseminated document, updated, reproduced and circulated as necessary. Since the document will serve as tool for communicating the disaster prevention and recovery plan to people within the organisation, it must be developed in coordination with all the players involved with handling emergencies within the organisation. Refer back to the discussion in Lesson 1 about who should be involved in preparing an emergency plan. The plan may be more or less detailed depending upon size of organisation and type of records. The emergency plan should contain the following information:
The format of the plan should be easy to read and understand. As well, the format should allow for any updates or additions to be added and for existing pages to be removed easily. Key people should receive a copy of the plan and all updates. A list of these people should be included in the document itself so that everyone knows who has the plan. At least one copy of the plan should be stored off site, such as in the home of the emergency planning coordinator, so that it is accessible during an emergency, even when personnel are not allowed into the building. An emergency plan will be a written, accessible and widely disseminated document. Following are descriptions of the key elements in a written emergency plan. Introduction and ObjectivesThe introduction explains the nature and purpose of the plan, a detailed list of the contents of the plan, who is responsible for its development, who has approved it and its scope. (For example, does it address emergency issues for the entire government records operation, the records centre or just the archival institution?). Also included should be the terms of reference for the emergency response team, a description of any applicable legislation, policy and management support for the plan as well as a policy statement from the director of the institution outlining the importance of emergency planning. As well, this part of the plan should outline the specific objectives to be achieved through good emergency management. The organisation should ask itself why it wants to ensure its essential records are protected. Objectives might include the following:
The introduction explains the purpose of the plan. The purpose of outlining objectives is to help ensure that the duties and activities identified are truly relevant to the key records needs of the organisation; framing objectives helps the organisation remain ‘on track’ with its emergency planning. See Appendices 1, 2 and 3 in Planning For Emergencies: A Procedures Manual for a sample terms of reference document, an outline of staff responsibilities, and a policy statement about emergency planning. Activity 15 Based on the activities you did in Lesson 1, where you considered possible risks to your institution’s records, identify two of the most important objectives for emergency planning for your institution. Explain your reasoning. Possible Emergencies or DisastersThe next part of the plan is a review the information gathered in the risk assessment and impact analysis, discussed in Lesson 1. The emergency plan should include a brief description of the possible emergencies or disasters that might befall the organisation and the potential impact of those disasters. For example, if an institution is in an earthquake-prone area but is never subjected to tornadoes, then the emphasis in the emergency plan should be on management of earthquake-related tasks, not tornado related work. Of course, all plans should include discussion of the common and potentially most hazardous threats, such as floods, leaks, power cuts or fire. The information gathered in the risk assessment and impact analysis will be included in the written plan. Activity 16 Based on the risk assessment and impact analysis exercises you completed in Lesson 1, indicate in order of priority the top five emergencies that could affect your institution’s records and information sources. Explain your reasoning for selecting those emergencies over others and placing them in the order you chose. Directory: documents -> educ training -> public sector rec documents -> Concept stage documents -> The great global switch-off documents -> Nonprofit grant application documents -> The Truth about the Rwandan Genocide documents -> Annual InStructional unit plan documents -> Chaos equipment included public sector rec -> Council on archives international records management trust Download 339.47 Kb. Share with your friends:
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