The Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court’s office has implemented comprehensive disaster preparedness measures to protect more than 45 million digitized document images spanning from 1825 to the present.
As Clerk Jon Gegenheimer noted, “Electronic records are impervious to fire, wind, water, theft, vandalism, and illicit manipulation.” The office protects those records through multiple backup systems: magnetic tape storage at remote facilities, duplicate copies at the Louisiana State Archives in Baton Rouge, and microfilm copies stored both locally and in the state archives. “Redundancy is essential to preserving the public record,” Gegenheimer emphasized.
JeffNet, the clerk’s remote access system, remained fully functional during Hurricane Katrina, allowing legal professionals and the public to access records from anywhere with an internet connection. The office maintains a Continuity of Operations Plan including provisions for establishing an alternate office with portable servers if evacuation becomes necessary.