In Time Of Emergency by Department of Defense
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THE ATTENTION OR ALERT SIGNAL. This is used by some local governments to
get the attention of citizens in a time of threatened or impending
natural disaster, or some other peacetime emergency. The signal itself
is a 3-to 5-minute _steady blast_ on sirens, whistles, horns or other
devices. In most places, the Attention or Alert Signal means that the
local government wants to broadcast important information on radio or
television concerning a peacetime disaster. (See Chapter 1 of Major
Natural Disasters section of this handbook.)
WHAT TO DO WHEN SIGNALS SOUND
1. _If you should hear the Attack Warning Signal_--unless your local
government has instructed you otherwise--go immediately to a public
fallout shelter marked like this, or to your home fallout shelter. Turn
on a radio, tune it to any local station that is broadcasting, and
listen for official information. Follow whatever instructions are
given.
If you are at home and there is no public or private shelter available,
you may be able to improvise some last-minute protection for yourself
and your family by following the suggestions in Chapter 5 (pages 33-38)
of this handbook. As a last resort, take cover anywhere you can.
2. If you should hear the Attention or Alert Signal, turn on a radio or
TV set, tune it to any local station, and follow the official
instructions being broadcast.
DON'T USE THE TELEPHONE
Whichever signal is sounding, _don't_ use the telephone to obtain
further information and advice about the emergency. Depend on the radio
or television, since the government will be broadcasting all the
information it has available. The telephone lines will be needed for
official calls. Help keep them open.
LEARN YOUR COMMUNITY'S SIGNALS NOW
As mentioned before not all communities in the U.S. have outdoor warning
systems, and not all communities with warning systems have adopted the
two "standard" warning signals.
You should therefore _find out now_ from your local Civil Defense Office
what signals are being used, in _your_ community; what they sound like;
what they mean; and what actions you should take when you hear them.
Then memorize this information, or write it down on a card to carry with
you at all times. Also, post it in your home. Check at least once each
year to see if there are any changes.
IF THERE IS A NUCLEAR FLASH
It is possible--but extremely unlikely--that your first warning of an
enemy attack might be the flash of a nuclear explosion in the sky some
distance away. Or there might be a flash after warning had been given,
possibly while you were on your way to shelter.
* TAKE COVER INSTANTLY. If there should be a nuclear flash--especially
if you are outdoors and feel warmth at the same time--take cover
_instantly_ in the best place you can find. By getting inside or under
something within a few _seconds_, you might avoid being seriously burned
by the heat or injured by the blast wave of the nuclear explosion. If
the explosion were some distance away, you might have 5 to 15 _seconds_
before being seriously injured by the heat, and perhaps 30 to 60
_seconds_ before the blast wave arrived. Getting under cover within
these time limits might save your life or avoid serious injury. Also, to
avoid injuring your eyes, _never look at the flash of an explosion or
the nuclear fireball_.
* WHERE TO TAKE COVER. You could take cover in any kind of a building, a
storm cellar or fruit cellar, a subway station or tunnel--or even in a
ditch or culvert alongside the road, a highway underpass, a storm sewer,
a cave or outcropping of rock, a pile of heavy materials, a trench or
other excavation. Even getting under a parked automobile, bus or train,
or a heavy piece of furniture, would protect you to some extent. If no
cover is available, simply lie down on the ground and curl up. The
important thing is to avoid being burned by the heat, thrown about by
the blast, or struck by flying objects.
* BEST POSITION AFTER TAKING COVER. After taking cover you should lie on
your side in a curled-up position, and cover your head with your arms
and hands. This would give you some additional protection.
* MOVE TO A FALLOUT SHELTER LATER. If you protected yourself against the
blast and heat waves by instantly taking cover, you could get protection
from the radioactive fallout (which would arrive later) by moving to a
fallout shelter.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 4
FALLOUT SHELTERS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SUMMARY
BEFORE AN EMERGENCY
1. Learn the locations of the public fallout shelters that your local
government wants you to go to in a time of attack. If no instructions of
this kind have been issued, learn the locations of the public shelters
nearest to you when you are at home, work, or school. Make sure each
member of the family knows these locations.
2. If there is no public fallout shelter near your home, prepare a
permanent or preplanned family shelter at home.
DURING AN EMERGENCY
1. When you are warned of an enemy attack, go immediately to a public
fallout shelter or to your own home shelter, unless your local
government has given you other instructions.
2. Stay in shelter until you receive official notice that it is safe to
come out.
FALLOUT SHELTERS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
After a nuclear attack, fallout particles would drift down on most areas
of this country. To protect themselves from the radiation given off by
these particles, people in affected areas would have to stay in fallout
shelters for 2 or 3 days to as long as 2 weeks. Many people would go to
public fallout shelters, while others--through choice or
necessity--would take refuge in private or home fallout shelters.
IDENTIFYING PUBLIC SHELTERS
Most communities now have public fallout shelters that would protect
many of their residents against fallout radiation. Where there are still
not enough public shelters to accommodate all citizens, efforts are
being made to provide more. In the meantime, local governments plan to
make use of the best available shelter.
Most of the existing public shelters are located in larger buildings and
are marked with this standard yellow-and-black fallout shelter sign.
Other public shelters are in smaller buildings, subways, tunnels, mines
and other facilities. These also are marked with shelter signs, or would
be marked in a time of emergency.
LEARN THE LOCATIONS OF PUBLIC SHELTERS
An attack might come at any hour of the day or night. Therefore you
should find out _now_ the locations of those public fallout shelters
designated by your local government for your use. If no designations
have yet been made, learn the locations of public shelters that are
nearest to you when you are at home, work, school, or any other place
where you spend considerable time.
This advice applies to all members of the family. Your children
especially should be given clear instructions _now_ on where to find a
fallout shelter at all times of the day, and told what other actions
they should take in case an attack should occur.
A HOME SHELTER MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE
Public fallout shelters usually offer some advantages over home
shelters. However, in many places--especially suburban and rural
areas--there are few public shelters. If there is none near you, a home
fallout shelter may save your life.
The basements of some homes are usable as family fallout shelters as
they now stand, without any alterations or changes--especially if the
house has two or more stories, and its basement is below ground level.
However, most home basements would need some improvements in order to
shield their occupants adequately from the radiation given off by
fallout particles. Usually, householders can make these improvements
themselves, with moderate effort and at low cost. Millions of homes have
been surveyed for the U.S. Office of Civil Defense by the U.S. Census
Bureau, and these householders have received information on how much
fallout protection their basements would provide, and how to improve
this protection.
SHIELDING MATERIAL IS REQUIRED
In setting up any home fallout shelter, the basic aim is to place enough
"shielding material" between the people in the shelter and the fallout
particles outside.
Shielding material is any substance that would absorb and deflect the
invisible rays given off by fallout particles outside the house, and
thus reduce the amount of radiation reaching the occupants of the
shelter. The thicker or denser the shielding material is, the more it
would protect the shelter occupants.
Some radiation protection is provided by the existing, standard walls
and ceiling of a basement. But if they are not thick or dense enough,
other shielding material will have to be added.
Concrete, bricks, earth and sand are some of the materials that are
dense or heavy enough to provide fallout protection. For comparative
purposes, 4 inches of concrete would provide the same shielding density
as:
--5 to 6 inches of bricks.
--6 inches of sand or gravel . .\ May be packed into bags, cartons, boxes,
--7 inches or earth. . . . . . ./ or other containers for easier
handling.
--8 inches of hollow concrete blocks (6 inches if filled with sand).
--10 inches of water.
--14 inches of books or magazines.
--18 inches of wood.
HOW TO PREPARE A HOME SHELTER
If there is no public fallout shelter near your home, or if you would
prefer to use a family-type shelter in a time of attack, you should
prepare a home fallout shelter. Here is how to do it:
* A PERMANENT BASEMENT SHELTER. If your home basement--or one corner of
it--is below ground level, your best and easiest action would be to
prepare a permanent-type family shelter there. The required shielding
material would cost perhaps $100-$200, and if you have basic carpentry
or masonry skills you probably could do the work yourself in a short
time.
Here are three methods of providing a permanent family shelter in the
"best" corner of your home basement--that is, the corner which is most
below ground level. If you decide to set up one of these shelters,
_first get the free plan for it_ by writing to Civil Defense, Army
Publications Center, 2800 Eastern Blvd. (Middle River), Baltimore, Md.
21220. In ordering a plan, use the full name shown for it.
CEILING MODIFICATION PLAN A
If nearly all your basement is below ground level, you can use this plan
to build a fallout shelter area in one corner of it, without changing
the appearance of it or interfering with its normal peacetime use.
However, if 12 inches or more of the basement wall is above ground
level, this plan should _not_ be used unless you add the "optional
walls" shown in the sketch.
Overhead protection is obtained by screwing plywood sheets securely to
the joists, and then filling the spaces between the joists with bricks
or concrete blocks. An extra beam and a screwjack column may be needed
to support the extra weight.
Building this shelter requires some basic woodworking skills and about
$150-$200 for materials. It can be set up while the house is being
built, or afterward.
ALTERNATE CEILING MODIFICATION PLAN B
This is similar to Plan A, except that new extra joists are fitted into
part of the basement ceiling to support the added weight of the
shielding (instead of using a beam and a screwjack column).
The new wooden joists are cut to length and notched at the ends, then
installed between the existing joists.
After plywood panels are screwed securely to the joists, bricks or
concrete blocks are then packed tightly into the spaces between the
joists. The bricks or blocks, as well as the joists themselves, will
reduce the amount of fallout radiation penetrating downward into the
basement.
Approximately one-quarter of the total basement ceiling should be
reinforced with extra joists and shielding material.
_Important:_ This plan (like Plan A) should _not_ be used if 12 inches
or more of your basement wall is above ground level, unless you add the
"optional walls" inside your basement that are shown in the Plan A
sketch.
PERMANENT CONCRETE BLOCK OR BRICK SHELTER PLAN C
This shelter will provide excellent protection, and can be constructed
easily at a cost of $150 in most parts of the country.
Made of concrete blocks or bricks, the shelter should be located in the
corner of your basement that is most below ground level. It can be built
low, to serve as a "sitdown" shelter; or by making it higher you can
have a shelter in which people can stand erect.
The shelter ceiling, however, should _not_ be higher than the outside
ground level of the basement corner where the shelter is located.
The higher your basement is above ground level, the thicker you should
make the walls and roof of this shelter, since your regular basement
walls will provide only limited shielding against outside radiation.
Natural ventilation is provided by the shelter entrance, and by the air
vents shown in the shelter wall.
This shelter can be used as a storage room or for other useful purposes
in non-emergency periods.
A PREPLANNED BASEMENT SHELTER. If your home has a basement but you do
not wish to set up a permanent-type basement shelter, the next best
thing would be to arrange to assemble a "preplanned" home shelter. This
simply means gathering together, in advance, the shielding material you
would need to make your basement (or one part of it) resistant to
fallout radiation. This material could be stored in or around your home,
ready for use whenever you decided to set up your basement shelter.
Here are two kinds of preplanned basement shelters. If you want to set
up one of these, be sure to _get the free plan for it first_ by writing
to Civil Defense, Army Publications Center, 2800 Eastern Blvd. (Middle
River), Baltimore, Md. 21220. Mention the full name of the plan you
want.
PREPLANNED SNACK BAR SHELTER PLAN D
This is a snack bar built of bricks or concrete blocks, set in mortar,
in the "best" corner of your basement (the corner that is most below
ground level). It can be converted quickly into a fallout shelter by
lowering a strong, hinged "false ceiling" so that it rests on the snack
bar.
When the false ceiling is lowered into place in a time of emergency, the
hollow sections of it can be filled with bricks or concrete blocks.
These can be stored conveniently nearby, or can be used as room dividers
or recreation room furniture (see bench in sketch).
PREPLANNED TILT-UP STORAGE UNIT PLAN E
A tilt-up storage unit in the best corner of your basement is another
method of setting up a "preplanned" family fallout shelter.
The top of the storage unit should be hinged to the wall. In peacetime,
the unit can be used as a bookcase, pantry, or storage facility.
In a time of emergency, the storage unit can be tilted so that the
bottom of it rests on a wall of bricks or concrete blocks that you have
stored nearby.
Other bricks or blocks should then be placed in the storage unit's
compartments, to provide an overhead shield against fallout radiation.
The fallout protection offered by your home basement also can be
increased by adding shielding material to the outside, exposed portion
of your basement walls, and by covering your basement windows with
shielding material.
You can cover the above-ground portion of the basement walls with earth,
sand, bricks, concrete blocks, stones from your patio, or other
material.
You also can use any of these substances to block basement windows and
thus prevent outside fallout radiation from entering your basement in
that manner.
* A PERMANENT OUTSIDE SHELTER. If your home has no basement, or if you
prefer to have a permanent-type home shelter in your yard, you can
obtain instructions on how to construct several different kinds of
outside fallout shelters by writing to the U.S. Office of Civil Defense,
Department of Defense, Washington, D.C. 20310. There is no charge for
these.
WHEN TO LEAVE SHELTER
You should not come out of shelter until you are told by authorities
that it is safe to do so. Special instruments are needed to detect
fallout radiation and to measure its intensity. Unless you have these
instruments, you will have to depend on your local government to tell
you when to leave shelter.
This information probably would be given on the radio, which is one
reason why you should keep on hand a battery-powered radio that works in
your shelter area.
If you came out of shelter too soon, while the fallout particles outside
were still highly radioactive, you might receive enough radiation to
make you sick or even kill you.
Remember that _fallout particles_ can be seen, but the _rays_ they give
off cannot be seen. If you see unusual quantities of gritty particles
outside (on window ledges, sidewalks, cars, etc.) after an attack, you
should assume that they are fallout particles, and therefore stay inside
your shelter until you are told it is safe to come out.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 5
IMPROVISING FALLOUT PROTECTION
SUMMARY
BEFORE AN EMERGENCY
1. If there is no public fallout shelter near your home and you have
decided _not_ to prepare a permanent or preplanned shelter in your
basement or yard, make sure that you have on hand _now_ the materials
and tools needed to improvise an emergency shelter at home. These would
include shielding material (for an inside shelter), and lumber and a
shovel (for an outside shelter).
DURING AN EMERGENCY
1. If you have no better shelter to go to, improvise an emergency
shelter at home.
2. Usually, the best place for an improvised shelter would be in your
basement or storm cellar.
3. If you don't have a basement or storm cellar, you might be able to
improvise a shelter in the crawl space under your house, outside in your
yard, or (as a last resort) on the ground floor of your house. In some
places, a boat would provide some fallout protection.
IMPROVISING FALLOUT PROTECTION
If an enemy attack should occur when you are at home, and you have made
no advance shelter preparations, you still might be able to improvise a
shelter either inside or outside your house. In a time of emergency, the
radio broadcasts may tell you whether you have time to improvise a
shelter or should take cover immediately.
An improvised shelter probably would not give you as much protection as
a permanent or a preplanned family shelter, but any protection is better
than none, and might save your life.
The best place to improvise a shelter would be the basement or storm
cellar, if your home has one.
SHIELDING MATERIAL NEEDED
To improvise a shelter you would need shielding materials such as those
mentioned on page 25--concrete blocks, bricks, sand, etc. Other things
could also be used as shielding material, or to support shielding
material, such as:
--House doors that have been taken off their hinges (especially heavy
outside doors).
--Dressers and chests (fill the drawers with sand or earth after they
are placed in position, so they won't be too heavy to carry and won't
collapse while being carried).
--Trunks, boxes and cartons (fill them with sand or earth after they are
placed in position).
--Tables and bookcases.
--Large appliances (such as washers and dryers).
--Books, magazines, and stacks of firewood or lumber.
--Flagstones from outside walks and patios.
IMPROVISING A BASEMENT SHELTER
Here are two ways of improvising fallout protection in the basement of a
home:
Set up a large, sturdy table or workbench in the corner of your basement
that is most below ground level.
On the table, pile as much shielding material as it will hold without
collapsing. Around the table, place as much shielding material as
possible.
When family members are "inside the shelter"--that is, under the
table--block the opening with other shielding material.
If you don't have a large table or workbench available--or if more
shelter space is needed--place furniture or large appliances in the
corner of the basement so they will serve as the "walls" of your
shelter.
As a "ceiling" for it, use doors from the house that have been taken off
their hinges. On top of the doors, pile as much shielding material as
they will support. Stack other shielding material around the "walls" of
your shelter.
When all persons are inside the shelter space, block the opening with
shielding material.
USING A STORM CELLAR FOR FALLOUT PROTECTION
A below-ground storm cellar can be used as an improvised fallout
shelter, but additional shielding material may be needed to provide
adequate protection from fallout radiation.
If the existing roof of the storm cellar is made of wood or other light
material, it should be covered with one foot of earth or an equivalent
thickness of other shielding material (see page 25) for overhead
shielding from fallout. More posts or braces may be needed to support
the extra weight.
After the roof has been shielded, better protection can be provided by
blocking the entrance way with 8-inch concrete blocks or an equivalent
thickness of sandbags, bricks, earth or other shielding material, after
all occupants are inside the shelter. A few inches should be left open
at the top for air. After particles have stopped falling, the outside
door may be left open to provide better ventilation.
If shielding material is not available for the entrance way, shelter
occupants should stay as far away from it as possible. They also should
raise the outside door of the storm cellar now and then to knock off any
fallout particles that may have collected on it.
USING THE CRAWL SPACE UNDER YOUR HOUSE
Some homes without basements have "crawl space" between the first floor
and the ground underneath the house. If you have this space under your
house--and if the house is set on foundation walls, rather than on
pillars--you can improvise fallout protection for your family there.
First, get access to the crawl space through the floor or through the
outside foundation wall. (A trapdoor or other entry could be made now,
before an emergency occurs.)
As the location for your shelter, select a crawl-space area that is
under the center of the house, as far away from the outside foundation
walls as possible.
Around the selected shelter area, place shielding material-- preferably
bricks or blocks, or containers filled with sand or earth--from the
ground level up to the first floor of the house, so that the shielding
material forms the "walls" of your shelter area. On the floor above,
place other shielding material to form a "roof" for the shelter area.
If time permits, dig out more earth and make the shelter area deeper, so
you can stand erect or at least sit up in it.
IMPROVISING AN OUTSIDE SHELTER
If your home has no basement, no storm cellar and no protected crawl
space, here are two ways of improvising fallout protection in your yard:
* Dig an L-shaped trench, about 4 feet deep and 3 feet wide. One side of
the L, which will be the shelter area, should be long enough to
accommodate all family members. The other side of the L can be shorter,
since its purpose is to serve as an entrance-way and to reduce the
amount of radiation getting into the shelter area.
Cover the entire trench with lumber (or with house doors that have been
taken off their hinges), except for about 2 feet on the short side of
the L, to provide access and ventilation.
On top of the lumber or doors, pile earth 1 to 2 feet high, or cover
them with other shielding material.
If necessary, support or "shore up" the walls of the trench, as well as
the lumber or doors, so they will not collapse.
* Dig a shallow ditch, 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide, parallel to and
4 feet from the outside wall of your house.
Remove the heaviest doors from the house. Place the bottoms of the doors
in the ditch (so they won't slip), and lean the doors against the wall
of the house.
On the doors, pile 12 to 18 inches of earth or sand. Stack or pile other
shielding material at the sides of the doors, and also on the other side
of the house wall (to protect you against radiation coming from that
direction).
If possible, make the shelter area deeper by digging out more earth
inside it. Also dig some other shallow ditches, to allow rain water to
drain away.
AN IMPROVISED SHELTER ON THE GROUND FLOOR
If your home has no basement or storm cellar (and no crawl space that is
surrounded by foundation walls up to the first floor), you can get some
limited fallout protection by improvising a fallout shelter on the first
or ground floor of your house. However, this type of shelter probably
would not give you nearly as much protection as the other types of
improvised shelters described in this chapter.
Use an inner hall, inner room or large clothes closet on the ground
floor, away from outside walls and windows.
With doors, furniture and appliances, plus stacks of other shielding
material, you can create an enclosure large enough to live in for a
short time. If possible, use boxes filled with sand or earth as
shielding material, and fill drawers and trunks with sand or earth.