Public Safety Information (1968)

this is civil defense information from the Department of Defense Washington this short program is to provide you with basic information for your safety if this country is ever attacked with nuclear weapons if the United States should be attacked it's almost certain that our networks of warning stations would give advance warning in time for you to reach shelter or at least take cover the standard attack warning signal is a three to five minute wavering sound like this [Music] the attack warning signal means that an actual enemy attack has been detected and you should take protective action immediately do not use the telephone to find out what's happening listen to your radio or television the telephone lines will be needed for official calls help keep them open the main hazards of a nuclear attack or blast heat fire and fallout radiation blast effects will affect only a small percentage of the geography of the US some protection against blast and heat can be found by taking shelter in the basement or inner hallway of a building but if you're caught in the open and there's a brilliant flash in the distance take cover immediately get into a ditch or culvert behind a tree or a wall anything solid curl up in a ball or cover your head with your arms count slowly to 200 then go to the nearest shelter you may be able to avoid fire injuries by putting out small fires or escaping from large ones that might occur in your area when a nuclear weapon explodes near the ground great quantities of soil and debris are drawn up to form a radioactive cloud then spread by the winds before falling to earth as radioactive fallout fallout particles vary from the size of a grain of sand to fine dust they vary in color particles may be black gray or brown they give off invisible gamma rays like x-rays people can protect themselves against fallout and have a good chance of surviving by staying inside a fallout shelter the most dangerous period is the first 24 hours after fallout arrives but you might have to stay in the shelter as long as two weeks if you receive warning of an enemy attack get to the nearest fallout shelter promptly most public shelters are marked by this black and yellow sign there are many kinds of fallout shelters the farther away you are from the fallout particles outside the less radiation you will receive building materials such as concrete and brick served to absorb many of the gamma rays and keep them from reaching you a fallout shelter does not need to be a special type of building or an underground bunker it can be any space provided the walls and roof are thick or heavy enough to absorb much of the radiation a shelter can be the basement or inner corridor of any large building the basement of a home or a subway or tunnel if regular shelter isn't available and your home has a below ground basement it would be the best place to improvise protection from fallout choose the basement corner most below ground and away from windows drag in a heavy bench or table to make a roof for your shelter then wall yourself in on the two open sides with heavy appliances or dressers and chests filled with earth or sand to help absorb radiation cover it with anything thick and heavy such as firewood flag stones books or boxes filled with earth if your home lacks the protection of a basement choose a first floor hall or room away from outside walls and windows use doors off their hinges furniture and appliances stacks of heavy materials trunks or drawers filled with sand or earth to make an enclosure large enough to live in for a short time there's one easy sensible thing you should do to prepare for a possible time of emergency set aside a few simple basic supplies the supplies must be those which are absolutely necessary for survival get flashlights and extra batteries battery-powered radio and blankets prepare a first-aid kit and any special medicine needed such as insulin and heart tablets assemble some food items that you do not have to cook or refrigerate such as evaporated milk also water and covered containers or beverages such as canned drinks and juices and baby food if needed if in time of emergency you plan to use the home shelter take time now to set aside some basic supplies store enough for all your family for 14 days families with babies should keep on hand a two-week stock of infant supplies if you take shelter at home a minimum of three or four gallons of drinking water would be needed by each member of your family local authorities may instruct you to turn off the main water valve so the contaminated water is not drawn in the pipes inside the house will still be full of water safe to use turn on the faucet located at the highest point in your house to let air into the system then drain water from the faucet located at the lowest point you can also use water in your hot water heater in the flush tanks of toilets in ice cube trays and liquids in the form of milk soft drinks and can juices this is civil defense information from Washington