Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Pennsylvania State Archives

    Disaster Planning and Essential Records

    Disaster Planning and Essential Records

    State and Local Governments:
    Call 717-783-3281 If You Have a Records Disaster

    During an Emergency

    Visit the Department of General Services Disaster/Emergency Procurement website which includes emergency procurement information for use by local governments, school districts, universities and state agencies in the event of a Governor-declared state of emergency. It includes information and resources for the procurement of emergency-related supplies, equipment, and services.

    Contact the PA State Archives at 717-783-3281 or by emailing local government staff.

    Follow the immediate response guidelines for localized flooding and insects and vermin.

    ​Appendix 6 from the PA State Archives Disaster Response and Recovery Plan has a directory of suppliers, local to Harrisburg.

    Appendix 7 from the PA State Archives Disaster Response and Recovery Plan has a directory of records recovery vendors.

    Preparing for an Emergency

    Essential Records

    Manual 210.8 Vital Records Disaster Training (PDF) assists State Government agencies with how to identify and protect essential (or vital) records.

    Watch 👉 Building Blocks for Records Readiness: Evaluating and Improving Disaster Related Performance Outcomes

    Disaster Planning Templates

    PHMC's staff at Pennsylvania State Archives (PSA) have prepared disaster planning and vital records protection templates. These templates can supplement existing continuity of operations plans (COOP) to further prepare for potential disasters that could affect records. The list includes information about prevention, preparation and recovery, forms to help develop lists of disaster response personnel, priority records, physical description of building, and hazardous materials and example vendor information.

    Training

    PHMC staff is available for disaster planning training for an audience of 25 or more. Contact 717-772-3257 or email local government staff.

    Other Resources

    • Continuity of Government Office in the Office of Administration requires state agencies develop plans to protect records that are vital to governmental activities so that critical services will be uninterrupted, maintained or restored in the event of a disaster.
    • The PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) website has planning and preparedness information for state and local disaster planning.
    • The PA State Archives is a member of the Resources for Emergencies Affecting Cultural Heritage (REACH) working group and proud partners with the American Institute for Conservation - Emergency Committee (AIC-EC). REACH and AIC-EC joined forces with the goal of creating and disseminating a one-stop-shop of trusted, high-quality resources on emergency management for cultural heritage institutions. The culmination of this collaboration is the AIC Emergency Committee Library, which is now available for free to the public. This library is an open-access resource hub for literature, research, tools, forms, and templates on emergency management.  
    • Alliance For Response brings together cultural heritage and emergency management professionals at forums at the local level, where virtually all disaster response begins, and helps the two communities engage in a continuing dialogue. The initial meeting leads to new partnerships and a variety of initiatives to enhance the protection of collections.