Safety Measures In Public Shelters (1963)

[Music] the value of a community shelter can be greatly enhanced if the shelter has a plan for safety the responsibility for safety is that of the manager and his safety team shelters should be inspected regularly to see that safety equipment and supplies are in place in operating condition and ready to support the plan three important elements of shelter safety are fire prevention and fighting maintenance of order and emergency escape this manager is safety conscious you can tell by the emphasis he gives it in his shelter operations plan note that in his operations chart in the staff column organization of a safety watch is shown as one of the first things to do then plan emergency action and drill below that conduct safety inspections and periodic safety and evacuation drills safety is vital in this shelter it should be safety precautions begin in the first moments of occupancy provide a container in which to store personal items collected from occupants that may be potential hazards list the items with the owners names and tag them this systematic procedure will make a good impression it demonstrates the presence of authority and organization collect personal items as early as possible and place them in the container to show that they will be carefully protected useful items such as food flashlights or radios may be turned in and will supplement the shelter stocks for the good of all special foods and medicines should be stored to prevent loss or damage and given as needed to the owner security personnel should be trained individuals who can control groups effectively or handle persons who ignore the rules they will supervise the admission of occupants during the entry phase and prevent free movement either in or out of the shelter especially during the dangerous radiation period good security is a positive contribution to morale since the great majority of people desire law and order proper ventilation temperature and humidity are vital to shelter safety they are the responsibilities of the health and sanitation team three special instruments may be provided by the local community to help the teams do their job one is the hygrometer for determining effective temperature and humidity others are the oxygen and carbon dioxide indicators shelter safety can be improved by taking appropriate actions when indicated by these instruments the health and sanitation team also is responsible for first aid to the injured it should include members who know how to handle casualties the federal government provides a medical kit of essentials to treat illness and injuries this kit and any other supplies provided by the community for more serious casualties should be checked regularly the function of the safety team is to see that the shelter population does not fall victim to preventable hazards such as fire fumes smoke poor ventilation or collapse of the shelter to do the job the safety team needs equipment and trained personnel men with engineering and building maintenance experience should be organized pre-attacked and made familiar with the potential hazards of their designated shelters so that in emergencies they may go into action with a minimum of delay their tools should be chosen to fit the potential hazards of the particular shelter shelter accidents may force shelter occupants into relatively unprotected areas temporarily when it is safe to return to the shelter the safety team should be competent to help ray deaf personnel decontaminate the occupants and speed up reentry the collapse of a building overhead may leave shelter occupants largely unhurt but trapped here again trained personnel enlisted in advance experts in damage control and firemen with tools can hold off further damage and injury to people until additional help can be summoned useful items may include an attention getter such as whistle or powered megaphone to advertise your presence for outside help when all else fails an ever-present danger in shelters is fire all shelters should be inspected pre-attacked to determine the required extinguishers to fight fire and to note their types sizes quantities and proper locations for use extinguishers should be strategically placed throughout the shelter for ready use although in many places it may be better to store them at a central point to protect against loss or damage if extinguishers are available in the building near the shelter they should be identified for use in the shelter when needed see the directions for use are posted prominently shelter occupants should be able to fight fires effectively and can with simple training extinguishers should be chosen to fight the potential hazards in the shelter no one extinguisher is best for all types of fires this dry chemical extinguisher is designed for electrical and oil fires and surface fires in deep rubbish fires the soaking effect of water is better the soda acid extinguisher is permitted to many people and is easy to use however the extinguishing agent is water and so should not be used on live electrical fires or flaming liquids oil fat or gasoline the steerer pump is ideal for shelters because it functions indefinitely so long as there is a constant source of water if running water is available a hose that will reach all parts of the shelter is desirable it should have a spray nozzle to make it suitable for oil fires don't use it with live electrical fires but do not depend solely on hose as water pressure may drop leaving the shelter without fire protection inspect extinguishers regularly for broken clogged or damaged nozzles and hoses look for leaks or corrosion protect water extinguishers from freezing of course the best fire protection is prevention provide sand buckets for a cigarette disposal and reduce every fire hazard to a minimum when the shelter is occupied do not permit entry of unnecessary fire hazards that would defeat the fire safety provided by the safety team local governments are responsible for supplying security extrication and firefighting equipment and for their proper safeguarding and maintenance an inventory list of all equipment indicate when inspections are made and that corrective action has been taken when required with this personal inspection this manager knows that his shelter is ready for use and he knows that his safety team is competent its members are from town police fire and rescue squads from construction crafts and civil engineering and safety groups the team knows the potential hazards in this shelter has established rules conducted drills gotten advice coordinated with the maintenance teams and incorporated the results of their work in the shelter operations plan this shelter if the emergency comes will be as well protected against the hazards from within as it is against the hazards from without you