AV Geeks Lunch 6 24 2022

hi everybody this is skip alzheimer and welcome to the av geeks lunchtime streaming show we're not live uh this is pre-recorded and i otherwise i've been wearing this same shirt for days like four days it's ripe uh anyways it's friday so it's fallout shelter friday um i don't know why i said that except that i have a bunch of films that we can watch about fallout shelters and about working uh for the civil defense program uh the first firm we're gonna watch is basically what a pain in the butt it is to work in civil defense and i believe it's a volunteer situation or you get like a little bit of money but it's basically it's not like a full-time gig you're not expected to uh you know do this solely like you're supposed to have another job so this is a day without end enjoy [Music] a town in the united states a town in the nuclear age it's early evening two men sit in an office in the town hall the mayor of the town sam rice and civil defense director bill logan i think we finally got something going here sam there's still some bugs in it but at least we're on the way good what have you got there well first of all here's a revised disaster plan i've been working on looks like you've been burning the midnight oil burning it i run clean dry other stuff sam one of the main problems we've got to work out is communications i thought we were in pretty good shape there we're going to need more communications equipment in the emergency operating center oh how much do you think it'll cost here's the brochure and the unit i think we should have i know i know it's more money than we figured on spending but communications is one of the most important parts of the whole civil defense system and we don't have nearly enough even with the federal government's matching funds program this is going to cost a bundle well how much is emergency protection worth saying what kind of a price tag do you put on the safety of our wives and kids you don't have to sell me remember civil defense is my responsibility to start with but the council now they think we're spending too much money already it's about time they realize that we've got to extend ourselves a little if we're ever going to get any kind of adequate emergency program in this town bill logan former officer in the united states army now retired and appointed by mayor rice as civil defense director one year ago a man with a difficult job emergency protection against enemy attack protection against natural disaster when and if they occur bill wants his town to be ready with a well-organized emergency plan a plan that could save lives and property many of the larger municipalities have full-time paid directors some civil defense directors serve voluntarily on a part-time basis bill logan is a full-time man but his work day is never long enough for all the things he has to do take today for instance 9 a.m a meeting with harry coyle in charge of shelter management instruction for the town his problem not enough people are taking the shelter management course shelter management is one of the most important elements in today's civil defense system handling of large groups of people in disaster situations calls for special knowledge of many kinds measures against nuclear disaster in particular demand completely new techniques and approaches it was at civil defense director logan's suggestion that harry attended a federal civil defense shelter management instruction course so he could come back and teach others at school harry was impressed with the amount of civil defense planning that had been written up for instruction purposes the possibility of nuclear warfare in our time has produced a library of civil defense studies which anticipates as far as possible the nature of the nuclear threat and ways in which its devastating effects might be contained [Music] but if harry coyle is going to use this knowledge to good advantage he's got to have people to teach many who are willing to learn say they just can't take the time heard it many times since he became the town civil defense director people always had so much to do [Music] bill has an idea maybe if they were to arrange a public presentation work up a program that would make the people realize how important civil defense was to each of them they might create more support for civil defense activities bill will look into it just as he will follow up on many other matters during the day 10 am a visit to the owner of an office building on main street to see about the space to which shelter provisions are to be delivered well suppose we uh store them over here in these closets that way i won't have to move any of my storage supplies that's no good mr lawrence there's not enough room there what about this section off the lower main corridor can't do it we use that for temporary rentals you'd be surprised how many people want space for just a few months isn't there any room at all off that corridor you could make available for the shelter provisions i don't see where look don't get me wrong i'm for civil defense 100 percent but i got to think of my business well now wait a minute there at the other end of the corridor you've got some space mark development what's that for well it's not being used right now we're keeping that open for future plans hey that's an idea i could let you put the shelter provisions right in here after all civil defense is future plans isn't it i'm glad you see it that way mr lorenz 11 15 am a phone call to hermann bayless a local mover arrangements have to be made to pick up the shelter provisions from the federal warehouse and deliver them to mr lorenz building pickup and delivery from warehouse to community shelter where the provisions will be stored is the responsibility of the local government mr bayless is offering the use of one of his trucks without charge a fact for which director logan ever aware of his limited budget is very grateful 11 45 am a visit from bob martinson in charge of radiological training radiation detection instruments supplied by the federal government to local communities have arrived bob has checked out the equipment and reports it in good order he also tells bill that there has been a good turnout for radiological defense classes 12 noon a speaking engagement at a luncheon of a local civic group often the civil defense director will be called upon to present talks here he has an opportunity to discuss local civil defense problems and the need for understanding and support of emergency programs i know it's hard for most of us to imagine what an actual nuclear emergency would be like we'd rather not think about it but somebody's got to do the thinking and the planning just in case the need should arise and as remote as the possibility may seem it is a possibility if this country should ever become the victim of a nuclear attack hundreds maybe thousands of our towns would be affected more than anything else there would be a need a great need for protection against dangerous radioactive fallout contrary to what a lot of people may think it is possible for our country to survive a nuclear attack if we are prepared for it with an adequate civil defense that defense begins right here in our town in each and every town throughout the country we all need public fallout shelters more public fallout shelters we need equipment for them we need people trained in the special skills of civil defense we need the support of our municipal governments finally and most of all we need a plain common sense approach to the whole problem of civil defense instead of a lot of emotional and defeatist attitudes 1 30 p.m a meeting with the town engineer to examine a plan for providing emergency services in case normal power sources are not available local private utility companies will be checked to determine the extent of their standby facilities bill will also contact highway police and fire departments to explore means of augmenting their capabilities to meet a possible nuclear emergency or natural disaster 2 30 pm a visit to a local women's club for a meeting with the club officers the women's club presents a gift to the local emergency organization in the form of a check covering the cost of cots and blankets or one of the town's larger public shelters since federal government shelter provisions include only survival items such as food water and sanitation equipment the check for the comfort items is good news to the local civil authorities oh uh by the way mrs clark do you think that some of your other club members might be willing to help us out with a presentation we're planning why yes i'm quite sure several of us would be interested good we're going to need a fairly large place for the presentation i think i can help you there mr logan my husband is manager of the movie house here in town i'm sure he'll be able to arrange for you to use a theater fine we'll want to show a few short films presents and demonstrations first aid survival techniques the kind of thing families should be concerned with perhaps some of your other club members or their husbands might be willing to take part if they have some special knowledge that might have some bearing on civil defense i majored in psychology in college mr logan and i once did a paper on group dynamics it wasn't directly involved with civil defense but if there's anything that i can do it shouldn't be hard to apply your background in the shelter situation for instance some very thorough psychological studies have been done on mass behavior and shelters i'm sure you'll be able to make a very interesting contribution to the program perhaps we can run a trailer at the theater advertising the civil defense presentation say what about a telephone campaign reminding people of the date good idea i'd like to see a big turnout for this a town this size should have more people involved in emergency planning why don't we circulate a questionnaire asking people to list any special skills they may have i know several of our members have taken courses in home nursing mrs sanders nephew has an amateur radio license i'm sure he'd be willing to help out the civil defense director will try to make use of the talents of every available person who might be able to contribute in some way to emergency preparations even hobbies or spare time activities might be constructively put to use in civil defense programs a shortwave amateur radio operator could serve in the local emergency communications setup the photographic hobbyist may be enlisted to put together a pictorial presentation of the town's civil defense activities bill logan knows that civil defense is not a one-man job and that the citizens may possess many possibilities for assistance 4 30 pm a visit to a factory on the outskirts of town when checked as part of the federal government's national fallout shelter survey program this building met government standards as a public shelter bill has obtained the owner's signature on a federal license indicating the owner's consent to use the building 5 15 pm on the way back to the office a call at a fire house to check on arrangements for a training exercise in rescue operations which is to be held at the shopping center plaza test alerts and exercises must be held periodically 5 45 p.m back at his office bill undertakes further administrative details of organizing planning and budgeting in case of nuclear attack the services of all government agencies and departments of the community might be required simultaneously new functions not normally a part of regular government must be provided for the civil defense director as a representative of the local government is responsible for seeing that the town is adequately supplied and staffed to meet all emergency needs 7 pm bill takes some of his problems to his friend and boss mayor rice the clock on the wall has long since registered the end of the work day but for men like bill logan deeply involved with civil defense planning for his community the day has no end bill is just one civil defense director in one american town those who have taken on civil defense leadership in other municipalities and rural districts throughout the nation may have different problems to cope with depending on the needs of their communities but all will share the basic responsibility of protection for their people during emergency in order to continue doing his job successfully bill logan and all civil defense directors must keep in mind the major objectives of the national civil defense program to provide fallout protection for all of this nation citizens to develop the means to give timely warning to the nation of impending attack and attack hazards to develop effective control and direction of emergency operations at all levels of government to establish an effective emergency communication system among governmental authorities and with the public to develop the capability to collect evaluate and disseminate information on radioactive fallout to develop and operate systems whereby the nature and extent of damage resulting from enemy attack can be evaluated within the framework of these objectives the local civil defense director functions as staff coordinator for his community's emergency planning and operations the civil defense job is a big one often frustrating sometimes rewarding it's a job that comes with the realities of our time a challenge that can be met through civil defense leaders who understand the threat and have the ability to prepare their communities to meet it [Music] never mind the threat of soviet radiation and atomic fallout it's it's the annoying business owners and the people that just can't be put out to help um save uh society and civilization after an atomic war um it's really fascinating to kind of read between the lines with this um just like what has to be done to manipulate people to consider um you know well they're safeguards we we're trying to do safeguards in place but we need you to help we need you to contribute um and uh it's it's interesting personal sacrifice and you know to support the the local society like or business sacrifice to support the local society and like all that all right uh this next film is uh also it's made for people that work in civil defense and work for a specific shelter and it's about the meetings that they have to have before the shelters are actually used and the thing is like the shelters um at the time were for fallout but could be used for things like tornadoes not for floods because most of them were underground but um yeah tornadoes and potentially hurricanes when there's not like a lot it's basically dealing with the wind so here's planning for public shelter entry enjoy [Music] mr johnson please harvey this is dave taylor i just wanted to remind you the meeting tonight at the shelter now only those staff members who'd be directly involved with the initial entry of the shelter will be there well there's uh you as operations deputy bill sherman our supply and maintenance chief mrs carter our health and sanitation team leader and uh walter miller the new communications man joe cook our deputy for information and training is sick and he can't make it no you don't have to bring anything harvey we'll have clipboards and writing materials in the shelter for you and you can make a few notes tonight all right fine we'll see you at 7 30. goodbye now uh mr robbins this is dave taylor the manager for your shelter i sent you a letter about assisting joe cook with information and training well joe's sick and i was wondering if you could make a meeting tonight oh well this won't be our only meeting mr robbins the next one's in two weeks how about coming over and meeting the rest of the staff then all right fine look i'll check with you again in about 10 days all right goodbye oh have a good trip oh hi dave hi harvey nice to see you you planning or socializing um a little of both oh hey mrs carter hi bill all right what's in the jug oh coffee for everybody good what miller not here yet who's that walt miller the young fellow works at the circle radio tv show he's our new communications man let's wait outside for him say dave i was thinking about entry that's our subject for tonight i ought to place a member of my security team right here in this doorway to keep an eye on what people are bringing along and you'll have to be firm about what comes in i take it the furniture and large boxes of personal effects will have to be left outside here that's right harvard you can judge for yourself what's going to take up room and be a real nuisance in the crowded shelter and plan for it if you can get rid of those things at the door it'll be a lot easier than dragging them back outside later i thought of something else why don't you have your wife at the door harvey she could give some help to the women she gets along very well with children make people feel better seeing her here and it wouldn't hurt to have another woman familiar with staff activities to help out mrs carter anyway i think hazel would like to be included i'll tell her when i get home i [Music] will oh hello walter oh i'm sorry i'm late mr taylor that's all right i'd like you to meet mrs carter our health and sanitation team leader how are you mr harvey johnson operations deputy well i know it was just good and uh bill sherman here in charge of supply and maintenance i know you all right let's get started oh uh this is the key to the door with a couple of extras uh we'll give one to you harvey and uh bill you get one too and we'll have to decide on another place to keep one in case any of us don't make it all right let's go inside uh let me try mine huh be my guest oh thank you uh walter you want to join us for the table please all right the things we're going to discuss on the areas new particular people represent the rest of the staff is in here i thought tonight we should become generally acquainted with the shelter and with the supplies and equipment we'd be working with immediately upon entry also what our function should be at that time as a matter of fact that's the first important point you know any one of you may have to act the shelter manager yes we should all be capable of filling each other's jobs just in case one of us doesn't get here that's it exactly harvey now here is the organizational chart for our shovel it shows our jobs and our relationship to each other and this is the order we'd move up to fill any vacant spots in case any of us should fail to arrive uh here are some copies of that for you which you may have uh as an example uh we should all know what medical supplies are available if for instance mrs carter doesn't arrive now she happens to be a nurse but we may have to find someone with first aid training from among the shelter occupants also we could spill any of these slots by selecting people from the shelter i can teach everyone what they need to know about operating the radio okay walter that's what we're here for but tonight i thought we'd just have a general kind of orientation i don't want to make this too long but i do want to be sure that each of us understands the other's job all right let's go through the shelter now and check out the various duties i'd like you each to explain your own as you know them first oh somebody's judy wanted me to get this place cleaned up get these nails and scrapes out of here i'll take care of that okay this is the administrative packet which will be kept on the shelf here the first one of us to arrive during an attack should immediately get this packet and follow the instructions inside you'll find certain items which we've put in here we have stationary tablets pencils pens erasers and so forth david you've already got the registration form yes and this is important the registration form should be filled in as quickly as possible by all the occupants here is a list of the various technical references we have in the shelter medical guide to shelter management and other civil defense manuals our log journal which will be kept by the administrative clerk and two copies of the shelter operations plan how we will operate and uh what we will do dave i think we should post the uh organization chart the sops and the uh staff duties along with a map on the bulletin board that's a good idea let me make a note of it now we've all seen the shelter already but let's all walk through together now now this door is the primary entrance and exit for the shelter itself just outside this door in the hallway the raideth monitors will check for contamination of personnel and equipment harvey you'll have a member of the security team here two direct incoming occupants and keep count as we discussed outside right i'll try to be here or nearby myself harvey i've been thinking about uh strangers to the community who might find themselves here uh well if you direct them to me or to some of us who live around here and already know each other it would be a start toward cooperation and kind of making them feel welcome that's a very good idea look if anybody else has any other ideas keep bringing them up as we go along all right this is a special chest for valuables and any dangerous items that occupants may bring in upon arrival things such as pocket knives or weapons will be left here and the receipt will be issued that is also part of the security job keeping you're pretty busy doing entry on harvey that's right now communications as you see we have a telephone and a small radio transmitter receiver walter okay this is a cb transceiver model s1050 with a frequency range of 26.956 mega cycles to 2.255 mega cycles divided into 13 unique channels and utilizing six fixed crystal channels for uh wall transfer this is a power plug this is the outlet and you just plug it in here and then turn it on here it'll also operate with batteries our first job when we get here should be to try to make contact with the control center either by telephone or by radio so somebody should be standing by in case i'm not here we should try to contact control center immediately and let them know our situation okay any questions we'll have complete practice and technical sessions later walkers now the telephone is our main line of communication if it doesn't work then the radio is a backup all right phil how about supply well over here we have containers of government food health and medical supplies according to the capacity of the shelter also some extras you've put in there we will have to get rid of those crates now the first thing when you enter during an attack must check over these supplies on the bulletin board will be an inventory of all the supplies and equipment in the shelter those must be checked over too and the supply team will issue anything that's needed immediately for food sanitation or any of the extras i've mentioned the medical supplies or mrs carter's billyway well uh this is a standard medical kit and it's more than adequate for handling the more common illnesses and injuries also inside our booklets on the treatment and use of medicine now the sanitation team will be responsible immediately for signing people to keep this place clean and for putting into effect rules for sanitation and personal hygiene another important point when the shelter is entered check power water sanitary facilities and emergency items be sure that everything is is working also check heating and ventilation this must all be done immediately in case we have to send someone outside the shelter to make repairs i want to do it before fallout radiation arrives of course radiological monitoring and checking will take place right after entry now joe cook isn't here tonight so except for information that just about sums up the various staff duties on entry why don't we go and sit down and discuss it further as a last thing tonight i'd like to go over the initial duties of the shelter manager as i said any one of you may have to act in that capacity the manager's primary duty is to coordinate all shelter activities and to make final decisions when necessary not becoming so involved in every tiny detail in each case that he can't be objective the manager should establish his authority immediately upon entry by introducing himself and since he'll be one of the few persons who knows what to expect he should display confidence and relative calmness as we all should then as soon as possible the manager should get the attention of the entire shelter group and speak to them reassuring them of their safety from radiation as long as they remain within the shelter and also what to expect while in here well the more the occupants know about the shelter and shelter living the more confident they'll be right harvey so one of our first duties is an orientation for the occupants to help them get settled and learn where everything is then i'll introduce each of you and explain your specific duty i'll make it clear that our shelter offers us adequate protection our supplies and equipment are adequate and they certainly should know this then we'll give them a briefing on our standing operating procedures rules for safety and health and a tentative daily schedule the registration form should be filled in as quickly as possible by all the occupants the administrative clerk will collect them and analyze them so that the occupants can be given responsibilities we'll also want them to start thinking about representatives to the advisory committee then we'll make a firm daily schedule through discussions with the advisory committee and the entire shelter group now we'll have a copy of this in the administrative packet for your reference i hope you'll think about what we've talked about tonight and come up with some additional ideas especially developing your own mind is what you're going to do first upon entry as a matter of fact i think it'd be a good idea right now if you'd make some notes on your specific activities based on what we went through tonight now first first remember the administrative pack with the standing operating procedures and the registration forms next keep in mind security watch at the door we want to be certain all the people get in and settle as quickly and calmly as possible also harvey the safety chest for valuables and any dangerous items then we have the telephone and waltz radio set for communications making contact with headquarters as soon as possible although uh mr sherman is in charge of supplies and facilities remember that mrs carter has to check all the medical supplies in the sanitation setup right away we have to know that everything is in place in working order i'm sure each one of you could do a creditable job as acting shelter manager and i'm sure you'll cooperate with me or whomever takes my place if i'm late i'll simply take up where the acting shelter manager left off i think we're very well squared away for the first meeting david is this the playlist complete today yes it is mrs carter oh uh one more thing before you go um here here is a list of uh various items we might want the people to bring in if they care to uh things like blankets uh extra food and so forth why don't you all just take a coffee okay that just about wraps it up we'll all meet here together with mr robbins in two weeks at 7 30 on the 23rd i'll give you a phone call on the monday that week just to remind you good night thanks for coming harley bye walter see you again [Music] a lot of paper push in there so i'm sure that the civil defense administration was like well how do we show them how to do a meeting well why don't we just show them a meeting and then they'll glean from it um i i love uh you know so the these are fascinating films for me because it's all about like how do we maintain um our civilization and our structure uh when everything's blown to hell outside like how does how does that happen um and so these are steps towards that direction and of course you know you have to have office supplies and you have to fill out forms and you have to tell people not to bring their personal belongings in like you know all that stuff is is really you know the it's like what do you take on a lifeboat it's the same type of thing it's it's really fascinating to kind of see these exercises and these ideas this last film that we are going to watch is radioactive fallout and shelter and it gives you some helpful tips on how to deal with radioactive fallout that has made it into your daily life um like how do you deal with food that has fallout shelter or has fallout on it not fallout shelter uh and how do you do these other things and this is part of a series it's kind of a self-help help medical series that was showing first aid was also showing infant care and kid care and was basically shown to say like uh you might be somewhere where there's not a doctor and you might not be able to get access to a doctor for two weeks so what can we do to help the average citizen cope and deal with things and it's it's it's fascinating it's it's really kind of an interesting thing so here is radioactive fallout and shelter enjoy [Music] medical self-help is an emergency measure to be used only in cases of sudden or extraordinary misfortune if people require medical care in the course of normal everyday living they should always be treated by a doctor however when disaster strikes you may not be able to obtain trained medical aid in time there are many forms of disaster they can happen to you and your family at any moment this film is one of a series on medical self-help its purpose is to teach you what to do in an emergency situation when there is no doctor this powerful x-ray machine a tool of medical science is being used for healing purposes the radiant energy it emits is able to kill all living tissue within its beam both sick and healthy cells of the human body its invisible rays so highly penetrated that protective shielding with lead glass windows must be used x-rays are much like the gamma rays of radioactive fallout [Music] we began our picture with x-rays because you are all to some degree familiar with their effects but radioactive fallout is another matter if you're like most people it creates many questions in your mind and you have doubtless read or heard some falsehoods and misconceptions this film will tell you what you need to know about fallout so that if our country is ever subjected to a nuclear attack you can help yourself and your family to survive its dangers for fallout is probably the most dangerous product of nuclear disaster in terms of the number of people who could be affected it is also the one from which we are best able to protect ourselves let's examine what happens when a nuclear weapon is exploded near the earth first there is blast or the pressure wave created by the explosion along with heat the most intense ever created on earth both will extend great distances from the point of the explosion from 1 to 20 or 25 miles depending on the size of the weapon however the further away you are from the site of the explosion the less are the chances you will suffer the fatal effects of blast and heat there is yet a third immediate result of a nuclear detonation initial radiation the final effect is residual radiation the main concern of this film or radiation that follows the explosion and one that may remain at high altitudes for some time before falling back to earth what exactly is residual radiation our sun like other stellar bodies of the universe is a giant nuclear furnace burning at temperatures of millions of degrees while emitting various types of radiations among these are gamma rays shorter in wavelength than their closest neighbor x-rays the earth's atmosphere prevents these radiations dangerous to the health of man and animal from reaching our planet however when a nuclear weapon is exploded man is creating on earth in the splitting of atomic nuclei his own nuclear furnace to produce the gamma and beta radiations of outer space let's see now just how this radiation is created at the time of the burst vast amounts of dirt stone and other debris vaporized by the heat of the explosion are sucked up into the rising cloud as the mushroom cloud forms these particles are made radioactive for as they cool and condense they are contaminated by residue from the bomb these particles when they fall back to earth are what we call radioactive fallout can you or anyone else predict with accuracy the pattern by which fallout particles will return to earth the answer is no for fallout will depend on the number size and location of nuclear weapons exploded and the direction of upper air currents let's for example explore the fallout produced by one of these nuclear weapons it sends its column of radioactive material up to eighty thousand feet or about 16 miles or more above the earth here the radioactive particles beginning to drift downward are at the mercy of upper air currents that vary from day to day descending at various altitudes through many different layers of air that may be moving at varying speeds and directions thus winds on the surface of the earth give little help in determining the direction or the occurrence of fallout meteorologists with their special instruments however can appraise altitudes as well as the total distance fallout will be carried in a nuclear attack keep tuned to your local radio station it will keep you posted where fallout is taking place and its approximate amounts though you may be able to see this dust once it reaches the earth you cannot see or detect the radiation it emits without the aid of radiological instruments nor can you taste smell or feel this radiation why is fallout so dangerous to human and animal life because each particle gives off radiation as if it were a tiny x-ray machine this radiation consists mainly of gamma rays which are extremely penetrating like x-rays gamma rays are able to injure even destroy the cells of our body if we are exposed to a sufficient dosage long enough or if we eat or drink material contaminated by fallout particles exposure to gamma rays can make you sick can even cause death however no matter how long one may be exposed to fallout he does not become radioactive nor can anyone catch radiation sickness from him like a contagious disease in fact this radiation cannot make anyone or anything radioactive now let us suppose that fallout has descended on this scan we'll let salt represent fallout dust the particles don't go through the tin the radiation does but radiation is harmless to all except living materials it has no effect on the food inside now if you wipe away the fallout particles or better still wash them away the food inside can not be contaminated and is perfectly safe to eat the same is true of all foods and liquids that have been protected by packagings or containers even the thinnest layer of cellophane if you don't swallow the dust there is no ill effect if water for washing is in short supply canned goods that may have been exposed to fallout can be handled safely with a piece of paper towel use one sheet of paper to lift the can and turn it upside down there is no dust on the bottom now dispose of the paper wipe the sides of the can with a new piece of towel and don't forget to put the contaminated paper in a covered receptacle now open the clean top there will be no harmful particles in the food itself a sealed loaf of bread that has been exposed to fallout can be salvaged in a similar manner turn the loaf upside down to expose the bottom which will be clear of dust then dispose of the towel now insert a sharp knife through the wax paper at the center of the loaf and cut upwards making a slot four or five inches lengthwise insert your fingers through the slot and rip the paper slowly open the bread can be safely removed to a clean place finally dispose of the wax paper contaminated vegetables such as potatoes can be paired like this use a clean piece of newspaper and working first in one corner cut off one end move to a clean surface of the paper and peel in this manner move to another area of the paper and remove the other end dispose of all peelings and soiled paper carefully after handling any contaminated food containers or vegetables wash your hands fall out dust is dangerous but it can be dealt with by following safe procedures there is another widespread legend the fear that fallout spells death to all life on earth the plain fact is that even if a great number of nuclear weapons were exploded the resulting fallout would cover only a small area of the world's total land mass the real concern then is this if we are in that area how do we protect ourselves like x-rays radiation from fallout can go through almost every kind of building material over 99 percent would pass through glass 66 percent through wood sheathing 50 through a brick veneer wall but only one percent of gamma radiation would penetrate 18 inches of concrete and though it's not a building material it's important to know that only one percent would pass through 25 inches of earth quite aside from the shielding effect of building materials the intensity of radiation decreases with the square of the distance from the source thus ten feet away from a particle of fallout the radiation rate is only one percent of that encountered at a distance of one foot other things being equal the central parts of a building are safer the radiation rate or the intensity from fallout decreases with the passage of time in fact for every 7-fold increase in time the radiation will be reduced by a factor of 10. that means that at 7 hours after the explosion the radiation level will be about ten percent of its intensity at one hour at 49 hours it will be about one percent within two weeks the radiation rate can be expected to decay to about one tenth of one percent therefore the most vital period to seek protection from fallout is the first few days after nuclear attack even more so the first few hours but remember even with the passage of time a low level of radiation can be dangerous that is why you may need to remain within a sheltered area for as long as two weeks these then are the three basic factors in protection against fallout time distance and shielding time meaning the longer you stay protected from fallout the safer you will be distance or the further away you get from fallout the safer you will be shielding meaning the more mass or weight you put between yourself and fallout the safer you will be you have often seen this sign on buildings it means that indoors is a public fallout shelter one of many and various kinds of buildings in your community that are similarly identified architects and engineers have carefully surveyed the shielding qualities of these areas to ensure they offer a minimum protection factor of 40 or more meaning that in the event of fallout from a nuclear explosion the mass and weight this shelter will place between you and the source of radiation will make you at least 40 times safer than if you were outdoors each of these shelters will hold at least 50 people and has been stocked by the government with austere supplies food water sanitation equipment medical kits and radiological instruments but what about millions who live in suburbs or rural areas often far beyond quick walking distance of the nearest public shelter with foresight you can have a home shelter for the protection of your family built from specifications and cost estimates for various types of shelters provided by your local civil defense office the home shelter should be stocked with supplies of food and water sufficient for two weeks here you are afforded time distance and shielding if and when fallout so dangerous to human health should ever occur in your community just how much radiation can you receive without becoming sick we measure exposure to gamma radiation from fallout in units called renkins they're the same units used to measure x-rays named for vilheim conrad renkin the discoverer of x-rays people and animals may develop radiation sickness if they have been exposed to large amounts of radiation over a short period of time few people become sick who have been exposed to a total radiation dose of 100 renkins or less however exposure to more than 300 renkins over a period of a few days will cause sickness may cause death and if you receive an exposure of 600 renkins in that same period of time death is almost certain how can you tell just how much radiation you've been exposed to these are the instruments commonly used to detect and measure radiation they are part of the equipment supplied to the radiological monitoring team of every public shelter with them you can determine not only the total amounts of radiation received but also the dose rate per unit of time or the dose rate in renkins per hour this is the dosimeter conveniently shaped to be worn on one's person at all times it is able to measure the total accumulated radiation exposure in renkin the charger adjust the dosimeter to a zero reading prior to its use with each separate exposure to radiation building cumulatively on the dosimeter gauge so that a reading of the total dose is available at any given time next the geiger counter this instrument measures radiation in fractions of wrenching per hour within or outside the shelter finally the survey meter able to measure higher intensities of radiation that may exist outside the shelter for home shelters detection and measuring instruments are available from commercial sources however most householders will rely chiefly on their portable radios to receive readings as they are taken by civil defense monitoring team if there is a nuclear attack and you survive the initial effects of an explosion you will have at least a half hour to get to a public or home fallout shelter therefore to be safe from radiation sickness get into the best available shelter as soon as possible once there stay put because each time you're exposed to fallout radiation over a period of a few days the dosage continues to build until it reaches dangerous quantities if you're among those compelled to travel through a fallout area on essential errands there are certain rules to follow protect your body with boots or rubbers gloves headgear and outer clothing that can be removed before you re-enter the shelter on returning brush off the rest of your clothing thoroughly as well as any parts of your body that may have been exposed to fallout if sufficient water is available wash your face and hands carefully remember these are the dosages of radiation as they affect human health 100 renkins little or no effects 300 renkins sickness or death 600 renkins death recovery from radiation sickness is nothing new patients who are treated by x-rays routinely experience this sickness and get over it of course the dosages they receive are carefully measured just as in combating the virus of the common cold your general state of health will often govern how quickly you can throw off the effects of mild or moderate radiation sickness an emergency situation where there is no doctor always treat radiation sickness by treating its symptoms in fact these symptoms are often similar to those produced by extreme anxiety or emotional stress so it's best not to try to determine their cause i repeat do not try to diagnose merely treat the symptoms just as you would if they were the result of any other type of illness these are the symptoms of mild as well as moderate radiation sickness one or more of which may appear shortly after exposure to fallout fatigue loss of appetite nausea vomiting prostration the treatment is rest for nausea you may give the patient any of the commercial preparations that settle an upset stomach or one half teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water tea and other hot liquids may be helpful when a high fever is present apply cold wet packs aspirin also tends to reduce a fever in severe radiation sickness along with the early symptoms other symptoms may appear a week or more after exposure recovery is possible but it'll take longer the symptoms are diarrhea inflammation of mouth and throat loss of hair for treatment control the diarrhea and give aspirin and warm water gargles people are naturally alarmed at the thought of bodily changes that may follow severe radiation sickness such as loss of hair or sterility these conditions are usually temporary and will disappear with recovery so i hope we've dispelled another commonly held myth you can get over radiation sickness just as you get over many others nevertheless don't minimize the danger of fallout remember its effects are cumulative the only real protection against it is to take shelter now let's review some of the outstanding facts we have learned in this brief exploration of a vitally important subject fallout is composed of trillions of particles of dust that are made radioactive by residue from the nuclear weapon during the aftermath of the explosion in a nuclear attack depend on your local radio station to tell you where fallout is taking place you may be able to see some of the fallout dust when it reaches the earth but you cannot taste smell or feel the radiation itself the gamma rays given off by fallout are able to injure or destroy the living cells of our body if we are exposed long enough food or water in containers that prevent contamination by fallout dust is perfectly safe radiation is harmful only to living tissues packaged foods that have been exposed to fallout should be open carefully by following proper procedures you can eat such foods without danger to health radiation can pass through most building materials but its intensity is diminished in proportion to the weight and mass of the material or the shielding the intensity also decreases with distance from the fallout the radiation rate will decrease or decay rapidly with time it is most dangerous in the first few days after explosion thus the three basic factors that protect you from fallout radiation are time distance and shielding you should know the location of the nearest public shelter in your community inside it you will be at least 40 times safer from fallout than you would be outdoors and it has been stocked with supplies to sustain its occupants for up to two weeks if you're not within walking distance of a public shelter you can provide a satisfactory home shelter for your family radiation is invisible but we have accurate instruments with which to measure it in wrenching units the dosimeter can be worn on the person and measures the accumulated radiation exposure the total dose at any given time the geiger counter measures radiation in fractions of renkins per hour inside or outside the shelter the survey meter is used to measure the higher intensities of radiation that may be present outside the shelter assuming that you have the protection of a good shelter within a half hour after nuclear attack you will probably have little or no radiation sickness if there are victims who appear to have radiation sickness do not diagnose treat the symptoms perhaps the most important thing you have learned is to see the danger in its true perspective make no mistake nuclear attack would be a terrible catastrophe millions of our people would be killed by the initial blast and heat millions more would be threatened by death from radioactive fallout but that is a threat that can be combated can with knowledge preparation and courage be faced and conquered [Music] yeah um kind of a quick primer on uh what to do if you're exposed to radioactivity um just for the layman not for the doctor um and it's not a sav it's a not a magic staff basically they say yeah a bunch of people will die but some other people that could die from getting exposure to fallout we can help them so um it was a fascinating time during the cold war and um there's still lessons to be learned there obviously so thanks for joining us today uh have a great weekend if you like what you saw thumbs up or hit the like button even if you were mildly intrigued by what we were showing we don't always just show atomic and fallout shelter films we show a variety of different things and we'll be back live on monday but if you like what you saw you can also buy us coffee at ko-fi.com av geeks i hope everybody has a great weekend and we'll be back on monday everybody take care bye you