Before London's Thames barrier was constructed, the river posed flood threats to many areas of the city. The conservation department of the Camberwell School of Arts and Craft (UK) was frequently approached for help and advice for dealing with potential and actual threats to paper materials (primarily office records). In 1981 the inner London education authority awarded a grant for the establishment of an information and conservation data bank, with one of the main areas of research that of disaster planning. Information is given (with photographs) on their assistance in two fires with recovery of water-damaged materials. In 1986 the data and archival damage control centre was set up to continue to offer this service, but as an independent body.