Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005.  Last year, Hurricane Sandy struck the New Jersey shore with a ravaging blow, also creating damage and chaos in parts of New York City, and in the past weeks, large swaths of destruction were created in the paths of tornadoes, including the EF5 storm that struck Moore, Oklahoma. In addition to tragic loss of homes and lives, no one knows for sure how many essential business, medical, legal, financial, and personal records were swept away by these storms alone. Considering these disasters, there are ways you or your organization can take steps, some at little cost or effort, to reduce your risk of losing vital information and records, as well as steps you can take if affected by such as disaster.

What are Vital Records?

Before we discuss how to protect vital records, it is important to understand what they are.  According to ARMA International, records are simply “recorded information, regardless of medium or characteristics, made or received by an organization in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business.”  Vital records are “records that are fundamental to the functioning of an organization and necessary to continue operations without delay under abnormal conditions.”  Vital records are typically divided into two categories.  First are emergency operating records.  These are records you would need in the first hours or days of a crisis, as well as mission critical records, and include records such as emergency contact lists (employee information and disaster recovery contractors), orders of succession, continuity of operations or business continuity plans, and emergency operations manuals.  The second groups of vital records are legal and financial rights records.  These include records that protect the rights of the agency or organization as well as those affected by the agency or organization, such as contracts or case files.

In part 2 of our “When Disaster Strikes” series, we will outline a five-step plan to protect your vital records. Stay tuned!

Contributed by: Tod Chernikoff, CRM CIP, Senior Records Manager, Cadence Group

Tod Chernikoff is a Certified Records Manager and Certified Information Professional.  He is Subject Matter Expert in the records and information management field with almost 20 years’ experience.  He has led records and information management programs in both public and private organizations, as well as serving as a consultant to a wide range of public and private clients in the US and abroad.

Image by:  Ilya Andriyanov at ©Depositphotos.com