Beyond the Fireproof Safe: Protecting Township History from Natural Disasters

A township’s records tell the story of its community.

Property records, meeting minutes, maps, permits, historical documents and other files may represent decades, or even generations, of local history. They also contain information township staff and residents depend on every day.

But what happens when those records are stored in the same building when disaster strikes?

A fire, flood, severe storm or even a burst pipe can damage decades of paper records in a matter of minutes. While filing cabinets and fire-resistant safes can provide some protection, a strong disaster recovery plan should go further.

When the Only Copy Is on Paper

Paper records are vulnerable by nature.

Water can cause pages to deteriorate, ink to bleed and mold to develop. Fire and smoke can make documents unreadable or destroy them completely. Even an isolated plumbing issue can cause significant damage when records are stored in a basement, storage room or other affected area.

History has shown just how significant these losses can be. In 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed approximately 16 to 18 million military personnel files. No duplicate or microfilm copies had been maintained for the records that were lost.

For local governments, the scale may be smaller, but the lesson is the same: if only one copy of an important record exists, there is always a risk of losing it.

A Simple Rule for More Resilient Records

One way to think about disaster preparedness is the 3-2-1 approach:

3 copies of important information.
Avoid relying on one and only one version of a critical record.

2 different formats or storage methods.
For example, an original physical record may be supplemented with a secure digital copy.

1 copy stored off-site.
Keeping every version in the same building leaves them vulnerable to the same fire, flood or other emergency.

For townships with decades of physical records, implementing this approach doesn't mean everything needs to change overnight. It can begin by identifying the records that would be most difficult, costly or impossible to replace.

Digital Records Can Help Keep Government Moving

Disaster preparedness isn't only about preserving history. It's also about maintaining access to the information necessary to serve the community.

During an emergency, township staff may still need access to property information, meeting records, contracts, maps, permits or other essential documents.

Digitizing important records can make information accessible even when the original documents or the building where they're stored cannot be accessed.

This is an important part of continuity planning. FEMA guidance emphasizes identifying and protecting vital records needed for an agency to continue or restore essential functions following an emergency.

With properly organized digital records, staff can spend less time trying to locate or reconstruct information and more time responding to the needs of their community.

We've Seen What Happens When Records Aren't Protected

The risks aren't hypothetical.

The City of Mobile, Alabama, notes that fire, flood, theft and neglect have created gaps in city records dating back to the 1800s. To help prevent future losses, its archives created duplicate copies of nearly one million 19th-century records and established additional preservation policies.

There are also examples of digitization proving its value when disaster does occur.

After Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey in 2012, Brick Township was able to use digitized construction and land-use records to assist with recovery. Those records helped residents, property owners, insurance adjusters and government agencies with tasks ranging from insurance claims to rebuilding storm-damaged structures.

The township hadn't originally digitized those documents for disaster recovery, but when the community needed them, the information was available.

Physical Records Still Need the Right Protection

Digitization is an important part of disaster preparedness, but not every original document should be discarded after it's scanned.

Historical records, permanent records and other documents that must or should be retained physically need an appropriate storage environment.

Moving records away from crowded offices, basements and storage rooms can reduce their exposure to everyday risks while helping township staff better understand what they have and where it is located.

Combining digital archival with secure off-site physical records storage provides another layer of protection. Important information remains accessible digitally while original documents can be preserved in a dedicated records storage environment.

Protect the Records Your Community Can't Replace

Disaster recovery planning often focuses on buildings, equipment and technology. Records deserve a place in that plan, too.

The best time to determine how your township would recover its records isn't after a pipe bursts or a storm damages the building. It's while those records are still safe, accessible and ready to be preserved.

At Brenco, we help local governments protect important information through professional document scanning, digital archival and secure physical records storage. Whether you're looking to preserve historical documents, improve access to active records or create a stronger backup strategy, we can help you build a records management plan designed for the future.

Don't wait until disaster puts your records at risk. Contact us to start protecting your township's history today.