SAA session on records disasters

[Richard Boyden <richard.boyden@sanbruno.nara.gov>]

Here is a report from last week's convention of the Society of American
Archivists in Chicago, from Scott Roley of NARA's Office of Regional
Records Services:

"[An added session was entitled] 'Records Center Disasters:  What Have
We Learned?,' with Alan Andolsen of NAREMCO Services and Charles
Melberger of Diversified Records Services (they were the ones who had
the fire at their Pennsylvania commercial records center this year).  

In the lessons learned category Diversified will now on use smaller
records centers (easier to control fires) that are purpose built (no
rehabs) in business parks, not industrial areas (don't know what your
neighbors are up to--chemicals, etc.).  Perhaps most importantly, they
will only locate in major metropolitan areas with access to profesional
firefighting departments.  Apparently, the suburban/rural area Diversified
occupied in PA was served by a volunteer force.  Once all the humans
were safe, the volunteers chose to just let the fire burn, resulting in a
total loss of records.  There was some discussion, of the "loosening" of
the fire code for records when classified as "commodities."  Both
Andolsen and Melberger recommended the stricter NFPA codes 232 and
232A for records. . ."

__________________________________________________________________________
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server.  If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe bap" to majordomo@lists.stanford.edu