During an emergency response, local administration and/or Local Emergency Management Team (LEMT) is responsible for:
- Public safety and life safety decisions
- Security
- Facilities management
- Business continuity plan
- External communication with the press, the public, and the rest of Harvard
- Budget authority to pay for salvage supplies, recovery vendors, contractors, and staff overtime
- Insurance claim management
- Collection management to determine collection priorities and documentation protocol
- Authorization to engage the Library Collections Emergency Team (LCET)
- Procuring space for salvage activities and granting access to salvage team members
- Providing an on-site Recorder; recruiting local staff assistance and volunteers as needed
LCET provides:
- Focus on stabilizing collections and preventing further damage (response)
- Format-specific expertise in salvage of collections (planning for recovery)
- On-site support as required by the situation
- Advice on stabilization of the indoor environment (temperature, humidity, air quality)
- Advice on choice of recovery vendors
- Documentation support, if needed
- Liaison between local leadership and HL leadership, if needed
- Transition to Preservation Services staff for recovery phase