In Time Of Emergency by Department of Defense
D >>
Department of Defense >> In Time Of Emergency
If there is not room for the shielding material in the limited space of
a closet or small room, you can place the material on the other sides of
the walls, or on the floor overhead.
BOATS AS IMPROVISED SHELTERS
If no better fallout protection is available, a boat with an enclosed
cabin could be used. However, in addition to emergency supplies such as
food, drinking water and a battery-powered radio, you should have aboard
the items you would need (a broom, bucket, or pump-and-hose) to sweep
off or flush off any fallout particles that might collect on the boat.
The boat should be anchored or cruised slowly at least 200 feet
offshore, where the water is at least 5 feet deep. This distance from
shore would protect you from radioactive fallout particles that had
fallen on the nearby land. A 5-foot depth would absorb the radiation
from particles falling into the water and settling on the bottom.
If particles drift down on the boat, stay inside the cabin most of the
time. Go outside now and then, and sweep or flush off any particles that
have collected on the boat.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 6
SUPPLIES FOR FALLOUT SHELTERS
SUMMARY
BEFORE AN EMERGENCY
1. If you intend to go to a _public_ fallout shelter in a time of
attack, find out _now_ whether it has emergency supplies in it.
--If it _has_ emergency supplies, always keep on hand at home (or in
your car) those few additional supplies you would need to take with you.
--If it _does not have_ emergency supplies, always keep on hand at home
all the supplies you would need to take with you.
2. If you intend to use a family fallout shelter at home, always keep on
hand, in and around your home, all the supplies and equipment you would
need for a shelter stay of two weeks.
DURING AN EMERGENCY
1. If you are going to a _public_ fallout shelter, take with you the
supplies you will need.
2. If you are going to your _home_ fallout shelter, gather up the
supplies and equipment you want to take to the shelter area with you.
SUPPLIES FOR FALLOUT SHELTERS
People gathered in public and private fallout shelters to escape fallout
radiation after a nuclear attack would have to stay there--at least part
of the time--for a week or two.
During this time they would need certain supplies and equipment in order
to stay alive and well, and to cope with emergency situations that might
occur in their shelters.
This chapter tells you what supplies and equipment to take with you if
you go to a public fallout shelter, and what items you should keep on
hand if you plan to use a family fallout shelter at home.
WHAT TO TAKE TO A PUBLIC FALLOUT SHELTER
To augment the supply of food and liquids usually found in large
buildings, most public fallout shelters are stocked--and others are
being stocked--with emergency supplies. These include water containers,
emergency food rations, sanitation items, basic medical supplies, and
instruments to measure the radiation given off by fallout particles.
If the public shelter you will use in a time of attack contains these or
other emergency supplies, you should plan to take with you only these
additional items:
--Special medicines or foods required by members of your family, such as
insulin, heart tablets, dietetic food or baby food.
--A blanket for each family member.
--A battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries.
If the public shelter you are going to does _not_ contain emergency
supplies, you should take with you all the above items, _plus_ as much
potable liquids (water, fruit and vegetable juices, etc.) and
ready-to-eat food as you can carry to the shelter.
STOCKS FOR A HOME SHELTER
If you intend to use a home fallout shelter, you should _gather together
now_ all the things you and your family would need for 2 weeks, even
though you probably wouldn't have to remain inside shelter for that
entire period.
All these items need not be stocked in your home shelter area. They can
be stored elsewhere in or around your house, as long as you could find
them easily and move them to your shelter area quickly in a time of
emergency.
* THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITIES. There are a few things you _must_ have. They
are water, food, sanitation supplies, and any special medicines or foods
needed by family members such as insulin, heart tablets, dietetic food
and baby food.
* THE COMPLETE LIST. In addition to the absolute necessities, there are
other important items. Some of them may be needed to save lives. At the
least, they will be helpful to you. Here is a list of all major
items--both essential and desirable.
WATER. This is even more important than food. Enough water should be
available to give each person at least one quart per day for 14 days.
Store it in plastic containers, or in bottles or cans. All should have
tight stoppers. Part of your water supply might be "trapped" water in
the pipes of your home plumbing system, and part of it might be in the
form of bottled or canned beverages, fruit or vegetable juices, or milk.
A water-purifying agent (either water-purifying tablets, or 2 percent
tincture of iodine, or a liquid chlorine household bleach) should also
be stored, in case you need to purify any cloudy or "suspicious" water
that may contain bacteria.
FOOD. Enough food should be kept on hand to feed all shelter occupants
for 14 days, including special foods needed by infants, elderly persons,
and those on limited diets. Most people in shelter can get along on
about half as much food as usual. If possible store canned or
sealed-package foods, preferably those not requiring refrigeration or
cooking. These should be replaced periodically. Here is a table showing
the suggested replacement periods, in months, for some of the types of
food suitable to store for emergency use.[3]
Milk: _Months_
Evaporated 6
Nonfat dry or whole dry milk,
in metal container 6
Canned meat, poultry, fish:
Meat, poultry 18
Fish 12
Mixtures of meats, vegetables,
cereal products 18
Condensed meat-and-vegetable
soups 8
Fruits and vegetables:
Berries and sour cherries,
canned 6
Citrus fruit juices, canned 6
Other fruits and fruit juices,
canned 18
Dried fruit, in metal container 6
Tomatoes, sauerkraut, canned 6
Other vegetables, canned
(including dry beans and
dry peas) 18
Cereals and baked goods:
Ready-to-eat cereals:
In metal container 12
In original paper package 1
Uncooked cereal (quick-cooking
or instant):
In metal container 24
In original paper package 12
Hydrogenated (or antioxidant-treated)
fats, vegetable oil 12
Sugars, sweets, nuts:
Sugar will keep indefinitely
Hard candy, gum 18
Nuts, canned 12
Instant puddings 12
Miscellaneous:
Coffee, tea, cocoa (instant) 18
Dry cream product (instant) 12
Bouillon products 12
Flavored beverage powders 24
Salt will keep indefinitely
Flavoring extracts (e.g., pepper) 24
Soda, baking powder 12
SANITATION SUPPLIES. Since you may not be able to use your regular
bathroom during a period of emergency, you should keep on hand these
sanitation supplies: A metal container with a tight-fitting lid, to use
as an emergency toilet; one or two large garbage cans with covers (for
human wastes and garbage); plastic bags to line the toilet container;
disinfectant; toilet paper; soap; wash cloths and towels; a pail or
basin; and sanitary napkins.
MEDICINES AND FIRST AID SUPPLIES. This should include any medicines
being regularly taken, or likely to be needed, by family members. First
aid supplies should include all those found in a good first aid kit
(bandages, antiseptics, etc.), plus all the items normally kept in a
well-stocked home medicine chest (aspirin, thermometer, baking soda,
petroleum jelly, etc.). A good first aid handbook is also recommended.
INFANT SUPPLIES. Families with babies should keep on hand a two-week
stock of infant supplies such as canned milk or baby formula, disposable
diapers, bottles and nipples, rubber sheeting, blankets and baby
clothing. Because water for washing might be limited, baby clothing and
bedding should be stored in larger-than-normal quantities.
COOKING AND EATING UTENSILS. Emergency supplies should include pots,
pans, knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, napkins, paper towels,
measuring cup, bottle opener, can opener, and pocket knife. If possible,
disposable items should be stored. A heat source also might be helpful,
such as an electric hot plate (for use if power is available), or a camp
stove or canned-heat stove (in case power is shut off). However, if a
stove is used indoors, adequate ventilation is needed.
CLOTHING. Several changes of clean clothing--especially undergarments
and socks or stockings--should be ready for shelter use, in case water
for washing should be scarce.
BEDDING. Blankets are the most important items of bedding that would be
needed in a shelter, but occupants probably would be more comfortable if
they also had available pillows, sheets, and air mattresses or sleeping
bags.
FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT. Simple fire fighting tools, and knowledge of
how to use them, may be very useful. A hand-pumped fire extinguisher of
the inexpensive, 5-gallon, water type is preferred. Carbon tetrachloride
and other vaporizing-liquid type extinguishers are not recommended for
use in small enclosed spaces, because of the danger of fumes. Other
useful fire equipment for home use includes buckets filled with sand, a
ladder, and a garden hose.
GENERAL EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS. The essential items in this category are a
battery-powered radio and a flashlight or lantern, with spare batteries.
The radio might be your only link with the outside world, and you might
have to depend on it for all your information and instructions,
especially for advice on when to leave shelter.
Other useful items: a shovel, broom, axe, crowbar, kerosene lantern,
short rubber hose for siphoning, coil of half-inch rope at least 25 feet
long, coil of wire, hammer, pliers, screwdriver, wrench, nails and
screws.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. In addition to such practical items as matches,
candles, and civil defense instructions, some personal convenience items
could be brought into the home shelter if space permits. These might
include books and magazines, writing materials, a clock and calendar,
playing cards and hobby materials, a sewing kit, and toiletries such as
toothbrushes, cosmetics, and shaving supplies.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 7
WATER, FOOD, AND SANITATION IN A SHELTER
SUMMARY
BEFORE AN EMERGENCY
1. Read this chapter fully, and learn how you would have to manage your
water, food and sanitation problems if you had to spend a week or two in
a fallout shelter, especially a home shelter.
DURING AN EMERGENCY
1. If you are in a _public_ fallout shelter, do exactly what the shelter
manager tells you to do. He will take care of you to the best of his
ability.
2. If you are in a _home_ shelter, follow the advice given in this
chapter concerning water, food and sanitation. Take care of your water
and food supplies, keep them clean, and make them last for the period
you may have to stay in shelter. If necessary, set up an emergency
toilet, keep it clean, and make sure it is used properly.
WATER, FOOD, AND SANITATION IN A SHELTER
At all times and under all conditions, human beings must have sufficient
water, adequate food and proper sanitation in order to stay alive and
healthy. When people are living in a fallout shelter--even for a week or
two--water and food may be scarce, and it may be difficult to maintain
normal sanitary conditions. Water and food supplies may have to be
"managed"--that is, taken care of, kept clean, and rationed to each
person in the shelter. Sanitation also may have to be managed and
controlled, perhaps by setting up emergency toilets and rules to insure
that they are used properly.
If you go to a _public_ fallout shelter in a time of attack, you
probably would not need to know a great deal about managing water, food,
and sanitation. A shelter manager and his assistants would handle these
problems with the cooperation of all in the shelter. He would make the
best use of whatever water and food supplies were available, provide
emergency toilets if necessary, set up rules for living in the shelter,
arrange for the shelter occupants to carry on various activities
necessary for health and well-being, and decide when it was safe for the
group to leave shelter and for how long at a time.
In a _home_ fallout shelter, however, you and your family would be
largely on your own. You would have to take care of yourselves, solve
your own problems, make your own living arrangements, subsist on the
supplies you had previously stocked, and find out for yourself (probably
by listening to the radio) when it was safe to leave shelter. In this
situation, one of your most important tasks would be to manage your
water and food supplies, and maintain sanitation. The following guidance
is intended to help you do this.
CARE AND USE OF WATER SUPPLIES
The average person in a shelter would need at least 1 quart of water or
other liquids per day to drink, but more would be useful (to allow some
for washing, etc.). Therefore a rationing plan might be required in your
home shelter, so as to make your available liquids last for 14 days.
(Many communities may continue to have potable water available, and
families could relax their rationing plans.)
In addition to water stored in containers, there is usually other water
available in most homes that is drinkable, such as:
--Water and other liquids normally found in the kitchen, including ice
cubes, milk, soft drinks, and fruit and vegetable juices.
--Water (20 to 60 gallons) in the hot water tank.
--Water in the _flush tanks_ (not the bowls) of home toilets.
--Water in the pipes of your home plumbing system. In a time of nuclear
attack, local authorities may instruct householders to _turn off_ the
main water valves in their homes to avoid having water drain away in
case of a break and loss of pressure in the water mains. With the main
valve in your house closed, all the pipes in the house would still be
full of water. To use this water, _turn on_ the faucet that is located
at the _highest_ point in your house, to let air into the system; and
then draw water, as needed, from the faucet that is located at the
_lowest_ point in your house.
In a home shelter, occupants should drink first the water they know is
uncontaminated, such as that mentioned above. Of course, if local
authorities tell you the regular water is drinkable, it should be used.
If necessary, "suspicious" water--such as cloudy water from regular
faucets or perhaps some muddy water from a nearby stream or pond--can be
used after it has been purified. This is how to purify it:
1. Strain the water through a paper towel or several thicknesses of
clean cloth, to remove dirt and fallout particles, if any. Or else let
the water "settle" in a container for 24 hours, by which time any solid
particles would have sunk to the bottom. A handful of clay soil in each
gallon of water would help this settling process.
2. After the solid particles have been removed, boil the water if
possible for 3 to 5 minutes, or add a water-purifying agent to it. This
could be either: (_a_) water-purifying tablets, available at drug
stores, or (_b_) two percent tincture of iodine, or (_c_) liquid
chlorine household bleach, provided the label says that it contains
hypochlorite as its _only_ active ingredient. For each gallon of water,
use 4 water-purifying tablets, or 12 drops of tincture of iodine, or 8
drops of liquid chlorine bleach. If the water is cloudy, these amounts
should be doubled.
There would not be much danger of drinking radioactive particles in
water, as they would sink quickly to the bottom of the container or
stream. Very few would dissolve in the water. Although open reservoirs
might contain some radioactive iodine in the first few days after an
attack, this danger is considered minor except to very young children.
CARE AND USE OF FOOD SUPPLIES
Food also should be rationed carefully in a home shelter, to make it
last for at least a 2-week period of shelter occupancy. Usually, half
the normal intake would be adequate, except for growing children or
pregnant women.
In a shelter, it is especially important to be sanitary in the storing,
handling and eating of food, so as to avoid digestive upsets or other
more serious illness, and to avoid attracting vermin. Be sure to:
--Keep all food in covered containers.
--Keep cooking and eating utensils clean.
--Keep all garbage in a closed container, or dispose of it outside the
home when it is safe to go outside. If possible, bury it. Avoid letting
garbage or trash accumulate inside the shelter, both for fire and
sanitation reasons.
EMERGENCY TOILET FACILITIES
In many home shelters, people would have to use emergency toilets until
it was safe to leave shelter for brief periods of time.
An emergency toilet, consisting of a watertight container with a
snug-fitting cover, would be necessary. It could be a garbage container,
or a pail or bucket. If the container is small, a larger container, also
with a cover, should be available to empty the contents into for later
disposal. If possible, both containers should be lined with plastic
bags.
This emergency toilet could be fitted with some kind of seat, especially
for children or elderly persons. Or it may be possible to remove the
seat from a wooden chair, cut a hole in it, and place the container
underneath. For privacy, the toilet could be screened from view.
Every time someone uses the toilet, he should pour or sprinkle into it a
small amount of regular household disinfectant, such as creosol or
chlorine bleach, to keep down odors and germs. After each use, the lid
should be put back on.
When the toilet container needs to be emptied, and outside radiation
levels permit, the contents should be buried outside in a hole 1 or 2
feet deep. This would prevent the spread of disease by rats and insects.
If the regular toilets inside the home--or the sewer lines--are not
usable for any reason, an outside toilet should be built when it is safe
to do so.
If anyone has been outside and fallout particles have collected on his
shoes or clothing, they should be brushed off before he enters the
shelter area again.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 8
FIRE HAZARDS
SUMMARY
BEFORE AN EMERGENCY
1. Follow the normal fire prevention rules given in this chapter.
2. Keep on hand at home the basic fire fighting tools mentioned in
this chapter.
DURING AN EMERGENCY
1. Close doors, windows, venetian blinds, shades, and drapes in your
house.
2. Unless otherwise advised, fill buckets and other containers with
water, for emergency fire fighting as well as other purposes.
3. If a fire should occur, fight it promptly, following the recommended
procedures.
FIRE HAZARDS
Fire, always a danger, could be even more of a disaster during a nuclear
attack emergency when the fire department might not be available to help
you. Also, the risk of fire would be greater at that time.
Normal fire-prevention rules are of special importance in an emergency.
They include familiar commonsense precautions such as not allowing trash
to accumulate, especially near heat sources; exercising extreme caution
in the use of flammable fluids such as gasoline, naphtha, etc.; storage
of such fluids outdoors when possible; care in the use of electricity;
repairing of faulty wiring and avoiding overloaded circuits; and repair
of faulty heating systems.
These special fire precautions should be taken in a time of nuclear
emergency, especially if you plan to use a home shelter:
(1) Keep some of the intense heat rays from nuclear explosions from
entering your house by closing your doors, windows, venetian blinds,
window shades and drapes. If the climate will not permit this for an
extended period of time, close as many as possible, then close the rest
when the Attack Warning Signal is given.
(2) Unless local authorities advise otherwise, fill buckets, bathtubs
and other containers with water, for use in emergency fire fighting.
If a fire does occur, your home might be saved if you know how to fight
fires, and have on hand some basic firefighting tools. These should
include a garden hose, a ladder, buckets filled with sand, containers
filled with water, and a fire extinguisher. Keep in mind that
vaporizing-liquid types of fire extinguishers can produce dangerous
fumes when used in small enclosed spaces.
Remember the 3 basic ways to put out a fire:
* Take away its fuel.
* Take away its air (smother it).
* Cool it with water or fire-extinguisher chemicals.
_Ordinary fires_ should be fought by:
--Getting the burning material out of the house (carry it out, or throw
it out of a door or window if you can); or
--Putting out the fire with water, sand, earth or fire-extinguisher
chemicals; or
--Smothering the fire with a rug or blanket, preferably wet.
_Special types of fires_ require special methods:
--If it is an _electrical fire_, be sure to shut off the electricity
first. Then put out the flames with water or anything else available. If
you can't shut off the electricity, don't use water on an electrical
fire.
--If it is an _oil or grease fire_, shut off the supply of whatever is
burning. Then smother the flames with sand, earth, rugs, or other heavy
materials. Don't use water.
--If it is a _gas fire_, shut off the gas supply. Then use water, sand,
or earth to put out whatever is burning.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 9
EMERGENCY CARE OF THE SICK AND INJURED
SUMMARY
BEFORE AN EMERGENCY
1. Take the Medical Self-Help course, or a First Aid course.
2. If this is not possible, obtain a good first aid manual, study it,
and keep it at home; or study the emergency medical instructions given
in this chapter, and keep this handbook at home.
3. Obtain a good first aid kit, and keep your home medicine chest well
stocked with supplies you may need in a time of emergency.
DURING AN EMERGENCY
1. Try to get a doctor or nurse (or at least a person trained in first
aid) to treat anyone who is injured or sick.
2. If no one better qualified is available, take charge yourself.
EMERGENCY CARE OF THE SICK AND INJURED
A nuclear attack on the United States would cause great numbers of
casualties, and there would be fewer doctors, nurses and hospitals
available to care for them. Even in areas where no nuclear weapons
exploded, radioactive fallout could prevent doctors and nurses from
reaching injured or sick persons for a considerable period of time.
People would have to help each other during the emergency. Those in a
stocked public fallout shelter would have available the basic medical
kit stored there, and perhaps one or more shelter occupants might be a
doctor, nurse, or trained first-aider. But persons in a home shelter
would have only the medical supplies available at home, and would have
to depend on their own knowledge of first aid and emergency medical
care.
Both adults and teenagers can acquire these valuable skills now by
taking free courses that are offered in many communities, such as the
Medical Self-Help course or a First Aid course.
The following information is no substitute for one of these courses.
This basic guidance may save lives during a nuclear emergency, however,
by helping untrained persons take care of the sick and injured when
professional medical assistance may not be immediately available.
GENERAL RULES FOR ANY MEDICAL EMERGENCY
1. First of all, _do no harm_. Often, well-meaning but untrained persons
worsen the injury or illness in their attempts to help. Get competent
medical assistance, if possible. Do not assume responsibility for a
patient if you can get the help of a doctor, nurse, or experienced
first-aid worker. But if no one better qualified is available, take
charge yourself.
2. _Look for stoppage of breathing, and for serious bleeding._ These are
the two most life-threatening conditions you can do something about.
They demand _immediate_ treatment (see pages 58 and 61).
8. _Prevent shock, or treat it._ Shock, a serious condition of acute
circulatory failure, usually accompanies a severe or painful injury, a
serious loss of blood, or a severe emotional upset. If you _expect_
shock, and take prompt action, you can prevent it or lessen its
severity. This may save the patient's life. (Treatment of shock is
discussed on page 62).