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Emergency preparedness

Guide on Emergency and Disaster Control

It is the policy of the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada to protect the facilities and records entrusted in our care as well as to protect the lives of visitors and staff. This is a fundamental requirement of all levels of management in the departments calling for the development of sound strategies for mitigating against an emergency or a disaster and for ensuring prompt resumption of operations.

This Guide includes guidelines and suggested procedures in three major components of emergency planning; Readiness, Response and Recovery, that strengthen the ability of the departments to prevent foreseeable disasters, minimize potential damage to records and to buildings, and foster a high degree of readiness. These guidelines and procedures are approved and practiced jointly by the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada.

Table of Contents

• Purpose
• Exceptions
• Scope
• Principles
• Definitions
• Disaster Control Organization
• Accountability
• Declaration

Purpose

The purpose of this Guide on Emergency and Disaster Control is to set out requirements for protecting the records in our care from any emergency/disaster, natural or manmade. It also recommends ways in which management, custodians, conservators, facilities managers, and other staff responsible for the operation of the institutions can mitigate against a disaster.

Exceptions

Detailed emergency procedures for the evacuation and safety of persons in our facility are covered in various departmental bulletins, posted orders, and directives issued by the Security Services Section, Management Services Branch. Therefore they are not repeated in this guide. Contingency plans for Business Resumption Planning, to ensure the continual availability of essential services, programs, and operations, will be dealt with separately by the appropriate branches of the National Archives and the National Library.

Emergency Preparedness