Note: This plan was last revised January 2002
Preface
This manual will serve as a guide to action should an emergency or natural disaster ever strike either of the Robert Morris University Libraries. If such an event does occur, it will be essential that the proper personnel be notified as quickly as possible so that damage to the collection may be minimized. The Library Staff, Administration and Physical Plant Department will have copies of this plan, so that all may be familiar with the proper procedures to be followed. In the event of a catastrophic disaster, it may be necessary to secure the services of a professional consultant for assistance in managing the recovery. This document will be re-evaluated and revised on a regular basis. The most important elements in dealing with disaster situations are advanced preparation and quick communication. This plan provides a sound and logical basis for carrying out a disaster recovery project.
Disaster Recovery Team
Team Administrator: Will make all decisions that require financial authority, will decide what to salvage and at what cost and where to concentrate the efforts of other team members.
Recovery Manager: Should be knowledgeable in the recovery procedures for fire and water damaged materials. Will evaluate the extent of damage and help train volunteers and staff in the proper handling of damaged materials. Will coordinate all recovery operations.
Team Recorder: Responsible for all records generated during the recovery operation such as insurance records, alpha-numeric stack records, storage records and photographic records of damage.
Communication Manager: Will direct a control center that provides communication for the entire recovery operation. Duties will include handling incoming and outgoing messages and interacting with outside agencies.
University Representatives: Representatives from Physical Plant, the University's Office of Purchasing and Business afairs and the Computer Operations and Services will be responsible for contributing to recovery efforts in their respective areas.
Disaster Recovery Team Members - Campus
Team Administrator: Fran Caplan
Recovery Manager: Chris Devine
Team Recorder: Virginia Yannick
Communications Manager: Chris Devine
Physical Plant Representative: Paul Persson
RMU Police Representative: Mark Welker
Business Operations Representative: Tom Arnold
Computer Operations Representative: Lisa Bazley
Disaster Recovery Team Members - Center for Adult and Continuing Education
Team Administrator: Fran Caplan
Recovery Manager: Chris Devine
Team Recorder: Virginia Yannick
Communications Manager: Chris Devine
Physical Plant Representative: Paul Persson
RMU Police Representative: Mark Welker
Business Operations Representative: Tom Arnold
Computer Operations Representative: Lisa Bazley
Initial Procedures - Campus
In the event of a disaster (fire, flood, tornado, broken water pipes, vandalism or similar event) the RMU Police, Physical Plant Department, local fire department, ambulance service, and utility companies should be called if it is determined that their assistance is necessary. Should the RMU Police be first on the scene, they should immediately call the duty maintenance crew to come to the building and then notify the Library Director. It should be noted that there is an emergency telephone line in the Patrick Henry Center that will function even if all other telephone service on campus has been disrupted. This line is connected to the fax machine in room 206. Access to the fax line may be obtained by use of a spare telephone that is kept in the top drawer on the left side of the Reference Desk.
If a disaster should take place at a time when the Library is closed, the Physical Plant Department (with the assistance of any outside agencies deemed to be necessary) should immediately attempt to stabilize the situation so as to limit the amount of damage that will occur to the Library and its holdings. The RMU Police will contact the Library Director who will, in turn, convene a meeting of the RMU Library's Disaster Recovery Team. The Library Director will also notify the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services and the President of the University.
The Disaster Recovery Team should be assembled as soon possible in a secure area that is as close to the Library as is feasible.
In the case of a truly serious incident in which there has been extensive fire, water or structural damage, the library building should not be entered until the Physical Plant Department and consulting experts have determined that all hazardous conditions have been eliminated.
A room in which there is standing water must not be entered before all electrical power in the building has been turned off. The threat of accidental electrocution in such a situation must be acknowledged and considered in terms of possible action.
The Team Administrator will, in conjunction with the Disaster Recovery Team, determine what actions are to be taken, what materials will be required and what personnel will be necessary to implement the recovery plan.
The Communications Manager will, along with any other designated persons, make the arrangements for obtaining all equipment necessary for the recovery plan. In the event that telephone service should be disrupted on campus, the Purchasing and Business Operations Department will obtain cellular telephones for the use of the Disaster Recovery Team until normal service can be restored. be entered before all electrical power in the building has been turned off. The threat of accidental electrocution in such a situation must be acknowledged and considered in terms of possible action.
Recovery Plan Implementation
The recovery plan must be implemented in a manner that is rapid yet consistent with sound and tested procedures. Frantic and careless attempts at salvage will be ultimately counter-productive. The plan should be completely developed and thoroughly considered before it is put into action.
If the disaster is of a sufficient magnitude, the possibility of securing the services of a disaster consultant should be considered.
In the event of a catastrophic incident that results in the destruction of the library building or much of the Library's collection, a decision may have to be made as to which portions of the collection the recovery effort will attempt to salvage. This decision will be made by the Library Director in consultation with the Disaster Recovery Team and in consideration of the RMU Library's salvage priorities. Highest priority for salvage and reclamation must be given to the Library's government documents shelflist which is housed in room 220 (i.e. the Technical Services Department).
Water damage is considered to be the most pernicious threat to library materials that occurs in a disaster situation. Wet materials must be stabilized within 48 hours if the development of irreversibly and utterly destructive mold and mildew is to be avoided.
The Library Director will determine whether the library staff can supply sufficient personnel for the recovery effort or if additional help will be necessary. The assistance of RMU students and staff as volunteers might be considered under certain circumstances. The services of volunteers should be limited to clearly defined tasks and they must be closely supervised at all times. A record should be kept of the names of all persons who assist in the recovery project so that letters of thanks may later be sent.
The nature of the incident will naturally determine what actions will need to be taken. Some events could require the evacuation of library materials to a secure area elsewhere on or even off-campus. All due attention must be given to the protection of the undamaged part of the collection. It may therefore be necessary to carefully cover large numbers of undamaged stacks with drop cloths or, under certain circumstances, move undamaged parts of the collection. It is essential that any movement of books be done in an orderly fashion with careful attention given to accurate record keeping using the Library's alpha-numeric system of stack identification.
The Library's alpha-numeric system of identification must be assigned to all stack areas in which there has been any damage to materials or from which any materials will be moved. Large pieces of freezer tape should be affixed to the ranges and smaller pieces placed on the individual shelves. Waterproof markers can then be used to apply the appropriate identifying codes.
Books that have been damaged by fire alone are stable and are not subject to further deterioration. These materials require no immediate attention provided they are in a safe area and are not threatened with any additional damage.
The critical danger to library materials in disaster situations comes in the form of water damage. It must be recognized that the various media owned by the Library require different treatment methods for successful recovery.
Mass dehumidification may be considered in instances in which there has been a great deal of water damage to the Library's materials. In this process, large dehumidifiers are used to create an ultra-dry environment in which library materials and furnishings dry extremely quickly, without any movement of damaged materials and with a minimum of further trauma. If this method is to be utilized, it must however be initiated within 24 hours of the accident.
Newspapers and ephemeral material damaged by water should usually be discarded. A record should be kept, however, of which pieces have been removed.
Wet microfilm and microfiche should be submerged in cold tap water. Microfilm should be kept in boxes and fiche in envelopes. Large clean plastic garbage cans with lids should be filled with cold water and ice if necessary. Only one medium should be placed in each can. Arrangements should then be made for rewashing and drying within 48 hours by a local film processing company.
Water-damaged books may also be recovered through the vacuum freeze-drying process. If this method is to be used, the wet books should be drained and placed spine down, one layer deep, in cardboard boxes or milk crates that have been lined with plastic trash bags. If milk crates are used, pieces of cardboard must be placed between the crates and the books so that the pattern of the crates is not impressed into the books. Every other book must be wrapped in waxed paper. The books should not be squeezed or opened. The alpha-numeric location from which the books are taken must be written on the box using freezer tape and indelible markers.
Water-soaked books must be frozen in a blast-freezer at -20 F within 48 hours. Wet books are stable once they are frozen; they may be kept indefinitely in this state and returned to the collection as need requires. The recovery of frozen books which are encased in ice must be achieved by vacuum freeze-drying. In the vacuum freeze-drying process, water is sublimated (i.e. it passes directly from a solid to a gaseous state) and there is minimal further damage to the books. The transportation of frozen books to the freeze-drying plant must be done in refrigerated trucks.
Small numbers of books which are merely damp or wet around the edges may be air-dried. The air drying of books must begin as soon as possible in a well-ventilated room in which the temperature is below 70 F. and the humidity less than 50%. Fans should be provided to hasten the drying process and inhibit the growth of mold. The books should be placed on a flat surface that has been covered with clean, dry paper. The books should be fanned open slightly and white paper towels placed between front and back covers and between every twenty pages of text. Pages which are stuck together must not be pulled apart.
The towels should be changed when they are wet. New towels should then be placed in different locations of the book and the book turned upside down. Wet paper towels may be dried and reused if they are not stained. When the pages at the center of the book are dry, the towels should be removed and the book allowed to dry for several more days. Books with glossy paper must have towels placed between every page or the pages will stick together and be totally destroyed. After drying, the books may be flattened by placement under weight. Consideration may be given to commercial rebinding.
Photographic prints may be kept in cold water for up to 48 hours. They then must be air-dried. Although less satisfactory for prints than air-drying, prints may also be frozen in the manner of books. Photographs should never, however, be vacuum freeze-dried.
Phonograph records and compact disks should be carefully dried and stored in a secure place. It may not be always be possible to salvage wet magnetic audio and videotapes and therefore off-site backup copies of irreplaceable items should always be kept. If a wet tape's cartridge can be opened and only the outer edges of the tape are found to be wet, the edges should be washed with clean water and left to dry. When the tape is dry, it may be wound against a felt pad. The cassette may then be closed and the tape copied.
Large numbers of wet manuscript and archival materials should be kept in groups, wrapped in waxed paper, frozen immediately and ultimately recovered through the freeze-drying process. Small numbers of wet single sheets of paper may be lifted using sheets of mylar film and then set out to air dry. Due to the risk of tearing, one should never attempt to separate wet sheets of paper by hand: a piece of mylar film must be used.
Caution: The presence of brightly colored mold after a water-related disaster could indicate the presence of potentially deadly bacteria. This is a particular threat after incidents that occur in hot weather and in cases in which immediate action is not possible. In such cases it is essential to seek the counsel of a specialist in biological pathogens. Should widespread mold develop, the advice of an experienced conservator should be obtained before a toxic chemical fogging treatment is applied.
Restoration of Materials
Materials which have been damaged must be monitored for one year after their reclamation. Each recovered book should be checked to ensure that it is completely dry before being reshelved.
Shelves which were affected by water should be washed with a germicidal disinfectant before any books are replaced.
Books which were rendered misshapen from water damage should be shelved loosely at first lest their bindings and spines be broken. With time, it will be possible to safely increase the pressure on the books.
Notations should be made prior to reshelving as to which books should be rebound.
The collection must be inventoried after all books have been reshelved. Losses should at that time be reported.
Temperatures in the area of the damaged books should be kept as low as possible and humidity not be allowed to exceed 55%. Hygrometers, thermometers and dehumidifiers should be utilized if they are found to be necessary.
A musty odor around previously water-damaged books may indicate the development of mold or mildew. Should such an odor be discovered, the assistance of an experienced conservator must be immediately obtained.
RECOVERY SUPPLIES
In House
Extension cords Physical Plant 8219
Fans Physical Plant 8219
First aid kit Library Secretary 8367
Flashlights Library Secretary 8367
Lighting, portable Physical Plant 8219
Mops, buckets, sponges Physical Plant 8219
Paper towels Physical Plant 8219
Pens, pads Library Secretary 8367
Pallets, wooden Physical Plant 8219
Scissors, tape Library Secretary 8367
Tables, folding Physical Plant 8219
Trash cans, plastic Physical Plant 8219
Vacuums (wet/dry) Physical Plant 8219
Offsite
Baggies, ziplock Giant Eagle 412-264-3856
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Cartons, cardboard U Haul 412-262-4881
5356 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
State Liquor Store 412-264-2344
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Dehumidifiers Nations Rent 412-364-8697
639 Rochester Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA
Disinfectant, soap Giant Eagle 412-264-3856
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Dust Masks Home Depot 412-494-2844
440 Home Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA
Eye Protection (goggles) Home Depot 412-494-2844
440 Home Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA
Fans (rental) Nations Rent 412-364-8697
639 Rochester Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA
Freezer tape Giant Eagle 412-264-3856
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Generators (portable) Nations Rent 412-364-8697
639 Rochester Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA
Gloves (rubber) Giant Eagle 412-264-3856
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Gloves (work) Home Depot 412-494-2844
440 Home Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA
Moisture Meters Delmhorst Instrument 800-222-0638
51 Indian Lane East
Towaco, NJ 07082
Pumps (portable) Nations Rent 412-364-8697
639 Rochester Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA
Refrigerated trucks Ryder Truck Rental 412- 262-1960
8000 University Boulevard
Coraopolis, PA 15108
Refrigerated trucks U-Haul 412-262-4881
5356 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Sponges (smoke removing) The Gonzo Corporation 781-828-7779
P.O. Box 491
Canton, MA 02021.
Trash bags Giant Eagle 412-264-3856
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
Trash cans K-Mart 412-262-1961
825 Beaver Grade Rd.
Moon Township, PA
Waxed paper Giant Eagle 412-264-3856
5990 University Boulevard
Moon Township, PA
DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES
Audiovisual Recovery
Belfor 800-856-3333
2425 Blue Smoke Court South
Fort Worth, TX 76105
Document Reprocessors 716-554-4500
5611 Water Street
Middlesex, NY 14507
Freeze-Drying Facilities
Aeroscopic Engineers 818-543-3930
5245 San Fernando Rd West
Los Angeles CA 90039
BMS 516-349-2888
11 Marietta Road
Glen Cove, NY 11542
Belfor 800-856-3333
2425 Blue Smoke Court South
Fort Worth, TX 76105
Blackmon-Mooring-Steamatic 800-433-2940
1000 Forest Park Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Document Reprocessors 716-554-4500
5611 Water Street
Middlesex, NY 14507
Freezer Storage
Allegheny Cold Storage 412-782-3670
16 57th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
New Federal Cold Storage 412-471-5161
1501 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Fumigation and Disinfection
Aeroscopic Engineers 818-543-3930
5245 San Fernando Rd West
Los Angeles CA 90039
BMS 516-349-2888
11 Marietta Road
Glen Cove, NY 11542
Magnetic Media Recovery
Aeroscopic Engineers 818-543-3930
5245 San Fernando Rd West
Los Angeles CA 90039
Belfor 800-856-3333
2425 Blue Smoke Court South
Fort Worth, TX 76105
Document Reprocessors 716-554-4500
5611 Water Street
Middlesex, NY 14507
Microform Recovery
Document Reprocessors 716-554-4500
5611 Water Street
Middlesex, NY 14507
Smoke and Fire Damage Recovery
UnSmoke Restorx Systems 412-351-8686
1135 Braddock Avenue
Braddock, PA 15104
Water Damage Recovery Services (Dehumidification)
Munters Corporation
79 Monroe Street 978-388-4900
Amesbury, MA 01913
PATRICK HENRY EVACUATION PLAN
This building is of fireproof construction. However, all fires should be taken seriously. In case the fire alarm is sounded, the building is to be evacuated immediately. In order to have a safe and orderly evacuation, please observe the following directions:
1. Remain calm and move as quickly as possible using the assigned exits.
2. Do not take time to pick up personal belongings while evacuating the building.
3. Staff or students seated nearest to windows should close them.
4. Please do not yell "FIRE." Remember that panic is the biggest danger.
5. Move away from the building and keep all doors cleared.
SECOND FLOOR
Rooms 220, 228, 230 -- use the corridor exit behind the Reference Office.
Reference Area -- use the corridor exit behind the Reference Office.
Rooms 208, 210, 212, 214, 216 -- use back stairwell "C".
Periodicals Area -- use back stairwell "C".
Rooms 200, 202, 204, 206, 232, 234 -- use front stairwell "A".
THIRD FLOOR
Rooms 300, 302, 304, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 333 -- use stairwell "B".
Rooms 306, 308, 310, 312-- use back stairwell "C".
CENTER FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION EVACUATION PLAN
1. In case of fire, sound the fire alarm. The bell for the alarm will ring continuously until it is disconnected. Fire alarm stations are located near all exits on each floor. Do not cry out "FIRE!" The building is of fireproof construction and panic is the only real danger.
2. Close all windows and doors, if possible.
3. Fire extinguishers are located in the hallways and fire hoses in the stairwells of each floor.
The list below indicates the stairwell that each room in the building should use for exiting in an emergency:
STAIRWELL 1
Rooms 201, 202, 206, 207, 301, 302, 306, 307, 401, 402, 406, 407, 701, 702, 706, 707, Library, 8th Floor, Cafeteria, Heritage Room
STAIRWELL 2
Computer Center, Student Affairs, Student Lounge, Placement, Rooms 309, 311, 312, 313, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413, Library, Lecture Hall, Cafeteria, Heritage Room
STAIRWELL 3
Rooms. 208, 308, 408, 608, AV Repair, Library
STAIRWELL 4
Rooms 203, 204, 205, 303, 304, 404, 405, 604, 605, 606, 703, 7th Floor, Library, 8th Floor
ELEVATORS ARE NOT TO BE USED IN CASE OF FIRE!
In case of evacuation, nobody is to return to the building until authorized by the Director of the Center for Adult and Continuing Education.
ALPHA-NUMERIC STACK IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
1. All shelf ranges which contain damaged materials should first be identified and recorded. The ranges should then be labeled (using freezer tape and indelible markers) with the stack numbers that have been assigned to them.
2. Each shelf within the range must next be assigned and labeled with a two-part identification code. The first part of the code is the stack range number. The second part of the code is a grid coordinate that indicates the shelf's relative position within the range. In the RMU library's identification system, numbers refer to horizontal location and letters to vertical location. The stack range number is combined with the grid coordinate to form the identification code.
Note, however, that the two elements are separated by a colon. The identification code thus formed refers to a unique location in the Library and it must be placed on all boxes which contain library materials (damaged or undamaged) that are to be moved.
Materials from the reference, circulation or periodicals areas need only be placed in boxes marked with the name of the area from which they were taken.