In Time of Emergency Part 3

THE STANDARD WARNING SIGNALS

The two "standard" signals that have been adopted in _most_ communities are these:

THE ATTACK WARNING SIGNAL. This will be sounded only in case of enemy attack. The signal itself is a 3- to 5-minute _wavering sound_ on the sirens, or a _series of short blasts_ on whistles, horns or other devices, repeated as deemed necessary. The Attack Warning Signal means that an actual enemy attack against the United States has been detected, and that protective action should be taken immediately. This signal has no other meaning, and will be used for no other purpose.

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 underpa.s.s, 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 bas.e.m.e.nts 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 bas.e.m.e.nt is below ground level.

However, most home bas.e.m.e.nts 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 bas.e.m.e.nts would provide, and how to improve this protection.

SHIELDING MATERIAL IS REQUIRED