OCCUPYING A PUBLIC SHELTER

[Music] [Applause] midafternoon USA a community like thousands of others throughout the country like your community you are a housewife doing your shopping or a little girl out walking the [Music] dog you're a boy trying out your new baseball glove you're a construction worker with the day off catching up on some chores around the [Music] house or a senior citizen catching up on his dreams suddenly something [Music] [Applause] happens something that halts the normal routine of your day your nation has become the target of a nuclear attack to prevent you from being a casualty you must stop what you are doing and be prepared to take cover most likely in a public shelter what will you do there how will you react how will you adjust to the new and different way of life you will encounter living in a public shelter [Music] in our projected situation a nuclear detonation has taken place several hundred miles from this community dangerous radioactive fallout is being carried downwind toward the area this is one of several public Fallout shelters in the town with the train shelter manager and staff Donald Barnes attended a shelter management course given by an instructor who had received federally sponsored training Barnes knows the importance of prompt organization within the shelter for the welfare of the [Music] occupants in this this shelter each person is given a registration form which will indicate important data about the occupant the form provides a ready means to determine the skills and capabilities of the occupants which may be used in the various shelter functions not all shelters will be organized or operated in the same manner procedures will depend on the size of the shelter its floor plan facilities supplies and the availability of trained personnel where the number of occupants is large enough a supervisor for each shelter function may be needed members of the community who have prepared themselves with training in civil defense adult education courses or in such areas as disaster Aid or medical self-help can provide valuable guidance in the shelter situation housewife Lenor pyton has listed on her registration form that she had taken a Red Cross home nursing course in the absence of professional medical personnel manager Barnes assigns her the job of nurse a section has been set aside as a first aid area Mrs pton will check the medical supplies and arrange facilities for care of the sick and [Music] injured to Hal Benton construction worker and former military policeman goes the assignment of security and control contr a necessary function in any situation where many people are confined in a limited area for a length of time seeking solace in this time of trial office worker Bert gains finds in himself a native ability to comfort others to bring them spiritual guidance and hope the alert shelter manager is always on the watch for the emergent leader who can help to ease the burden of shelter living [Music] Gaines is asked to serve as religious counselor Carrie Wilkins cashier at the supermarket is put in charge of vital food and water supplies Mrs Wilkins will keep a careful check on these provisions and their handling and distribution this includes those Provisions furnished by the federal government in shelters which meet certain basic requirements in many shelters these will be the only provision [Music] available other assignments are made to complete the supervision of key shelter functions the first meal in the [Music] shelter to facilitate the procedure the shelter population is grouped into units each with its own leader selected from the occupants who keeps a record of the rations issued to the people in his unit [Music] water is stored on the basis of 3 and2 gallons per person in the shelter Federal rations provide 10,000 calories per person additional food items may be added to shelter Provisions by the community these might include special food foods for persons with dietary needs utensils for cooking and washing and additional water rations for cleaning and [Music] washing we're going to be in this shelter for an undetermined length of time now this is a new and different experience for all of us it will require understanding tolerance and cooperation on the part of all it will be necessary to establish certain rules and regulations to ensure our safety as your shelter manager I urge you to observe them now procedures have been set up for efficient shelter functions and I would like to explain these to you number one medical facilities early orientation of the occupants is vital so that they will have some idea of what lies ahead in his his responsibility as shelter manager Barn's legal status and Authority must be made clear to the occupants above all he must have their Confidence from the beginning if he is to do his job efficiently he discusses with them the shelter staff and organization the facilities available operating procedures the daily schedule he emphasizes their dependence on one another in the shelter situation and the need for a helping hand questions are asked and answered as frankly as possible no attempt is made to hide the seriousness of the situation but the shelter manager uses his own discretion in seeing that the occupants are not needlessly upset health of the occupants is a major consideration anyone with a special medical condition is asked to notify the appointed nurse who collects medications and keeps them in a central place sickness in the shelter can present a very serious problem and preventive measures against illness are taken wherever possible people in a stress situation often find comfort in religion the religious counselor sees that everyone who seeks the consolation of his faith is given the opportunity for counsel meditation or prayer [Music] bedtime Planning by the community has provided enough CS for most of this shelter population not furnished by the federal government cuts and other Comfort items are the responsibility of each Community Martin K operator of a hardware store knows something about inventories and schedules and has been put in charge of sleeping Arrangements he prepares a sleeping schedule which will allow everyone in each group a chance to get some rest the shelter is secured for the night an ideal time for a smoke but smoking is permitted only when the shelter management determines the ventilation in the area and oxygen requirements these will naturally vary in different shelters While most of the occupants sleep an important part of shelter operations is to provide a constant watch for emergency and the unexpected a night watch ensures continuous and safe operation Around the Clock Communications equipment is monitored for news of outside developments our instructions from the town civil defense emergency Operation Center telephone could be operable where Fallout was a hazard but blast and heat effects were minimal a change of shift and time for radiological survey one of the most important shelter activities which goes on night and day [Music] the dosimeter is used to register the total radiation [Music] dose a train specialist the radiological monitor keeps track of radiation levels within the shelter so that a complete record of the dose and dose rate is [Music] available morning and the shelter routine settles down occupants must get used to new ways in an environment still strange to them [Music] chemical sanitation [Music] facilities with many of the conveniences of personal care no longer available cleanliness and personal hygiene become more important than ever in the mass situation every precaution must be taken against infection and disease various in shelter programs such as a demonstration on medical self-help stim simulate interest among the occupants and provide training in important shelter needs other training may be presented on such subjects as the care and handling of Food Supplies health and sanitation safety and Fire Prevention or any subject related to the well-being of the occupant during his shelter [Music] stay we've received the following message from the mayor of our town your city government has prepared itself to deal with this type of situation we are ready to care for our people the radiation level in the community is still too high to undertake any outdoor activity remain in your shelters we will keep you informed of local conditions again let me emphasize the need of remaining in your shelter one of the great needs of the shelter occupant is to know what is going on outside an information vacuum is detrimental to morale shelter management is responsible for keeping the people informed messages from government authorities and news of outside conditions are conveyed to the occupants as often as possible for their part shelter occum must begin thinking about their responsibility to aid in recovery when they return to their Community rumors flourish more easily in the stress situation and care will be taken by the shelter management that only accurate clear and concise information is presented recreational programs fill an urgent need to limber up muscles stiff from confinement in the small area to provide mental relaxation [Music] [Music] [Music] for some people adjustment will be more difficult than for others is there anything I can do Mrs one it's the not knowing that makes it so hard not knowing what's happened to him your family my husband and my little boy Mark's only five my husband took him down to the plant to show him the equipment Mark's awfully good with his hands my husband thinks he'll make a good machines when he grows up Mrs Warren latest list of the people in other shelters have just arrived I've checked them all this one just came in I'll take a look and see if they're on it is your husband's name Neil no Robert in large cities early receipt of such lists is unlikely but every effort will be made to keep the shelter occupants informed yes here we are Robert and Mark War they're in the shelter at the factory let me [Music] see reactions to stress are as varied as human personality we doing in here anyway we'd be just as well off taking our chances on the outside you're lucky we have people here who know how to handle things we've got a lot of people in this place to look after why don't you pull yourself together help us calm some of these other folks Mr gains over here could use a little assistance I just put the geraniums in last spring they've done fine this the soil is real good I've been building it up for years with compost my wife used to say even pinin could grow in that soil the way I took care of it what's going to happen to it now don't know what I would do without my garden it's all I have it's the government's fault they got us into this we pay taxes and we have a right to expect them to prevent this sort of thing from happening I know how you feel but remember we're the government you and I and all the rest and we didn't start this war the enemy did but we did provide shelters for our safety just like this one and with your help and that of all the rest we'll make out all right resentment anger anxiety grief these are a few of the psychological responses that may result from the shelter situation [Music] there may even be overt antisocial Behavior which might jeopardize the safety of the other occupants necessary measures to maintain order and Security will be taken by the shelter management some shelters have a forced ventilation system it may be inoperative during some portions of the shelter stay in this situation discomfort of the occupant increases human tolerance to temperature rises in confined areas has limitations and dangerous levels can be [Music] reached Depending on time place and population shelters may be more crowded than the one you see here normal requirements are an average of 10 square ft of floor space per [Music] person almost 2 weeks have passed there has been some illness some of the occupants have veloped headaches but their ordeal is nearly over some remain [Music] Disturbed others have accepted the situation occupants are thrown back on their individual resources to pass the time there's a [Music] swam out to the LI so frog and he [Music] look one question is foremost in their minds how long will they have to remain in the shelter the answer depends on several factors primarily on the the radiological situation in the area outside the most important thing for the occupants to remember is the longer the shelter wait the less danger because Fallout decays with time the emergency Operation Center authorities will decide when people should leave the shelter it is a vital decision and it is made only after the fullest possible information about the local situation has been obtained [Music] the shelter manager will present reasons for staying or reasons why it would be better to go so that the shelter occupants are fully informed periodic reports have confirmed that the radioactivity has been decaying steadily now it appears it will be reasonably safe to permit departure from the shelter for short periods of time plans are made for emergence first a group will be permitted to leave the shelter for rooms in the same area later work details will be sent out to help restore normal Community functions finally there will be permanent [Music] emergence remember that that life in a shelter will not be like living under normal conditions suppose in our story there had been no shelter no plan no Organization no trained [Music] Personnel suppose no one was there who understood the nature of the problems the shelter occupants faced suppose no one had known when or if ever there would be hope of returning to a life previously known in the perilous world of this nuclear age shelter is protection Community shelter planning will result in the best use of our shelter facilities should the siren sound would your community be ready with the kind of shelter preparation you have just seen would you be better prepared or would you not be prepared at all shelter living will be what you the community make it what you have provided for that our normal everyday way of life may not be suspended this is our wish and our hope but housewife children work [Music] man the agent in our own interest all of us should have some idea of what to expect if our survival should ever depend on living in a public shelter [Music]