Protection In A Nuclear Age

[Music] [Music] we live in a world world of tension and conflict and peace even where it does exist does so without guarantees for tomorrow we must therefore face the hard reality that someday a nuclear attack against the United States could [Music] occur and equally important we must also realize that horrifying as that Prospect may seem destructive as such an attack might be we can survive it would not mean the end of the world the end of our nation and you can greatly improve your own chances of survival if you remember these facts about protection in the nuclear age [Music] three things to remember in time of emergency our government and many many others around the world will be doing everything in their power to keep the peace second you'll probably have some time to prepare of course attack could come by surprise but more likely there would be a time of growing International tension with all its signs and warnings lasting days perhaps even weeks giving you time for some preparations third wherever we live we're all inclined to think of our own Hometown as Target number one but this is a very big country with many cities Industries military bases and defense department studies show that even under the heaviest possible attack less than 5% of our entire land area would be affected by blast and heat from nuclear weapons of course that 5% contains a large percentage of our population but even in these high-risk areas if there's sufficient time to permit evacuation many millions milons of lives could be saved the other 95% of our land would Escape untouched except possibly by radioactive fallout now here are things you need to know first the warning signals there are two of them and it's important that you know the difference the attention or alert signal is used used for peacetime emergencies tornado and hurricane warnings industrial explosions other immediate threats to your safety the signal is a long steady blast on the civil defense Sirens or other warning devices it means turn on your radio or television set your local authorities have a peacetime emergency message for you the attack warning signal is a 3 to 5 minute wavering sound on the [Music] sirens or a series of short blasts on whistles or horns this signal has only one meaning an actual enemy attack against the United States has been detected [Music] don't pick up the phone to find out what's happening the lines need to be kept clear for official emergency use don't wait if you're at work or in school take cover in the basement or an inner [Music] Corridor at home go to your basement or fallout shelter or find protection under the stairs take a battery powered radio with you then tune to your local emergency broadcast station for news and official instructions here are the official instructions you must take cover immediately when a nuclear weapon explodes four things happen first a blinding flash of light next a searing wave of heat shooting out from the nuclear Fireball then the blast wave carrying dangerous debris and finally if the burst has occurred at or near ground level there soon will be radioactive fallout dropping from that mushroom cloud whatever you do don't look at the flash it can blind you in instead take cover immediately behind a tree or a wall in the shelter of a ditch curl up in a ball and cover your head with hands and arms stay there till both the Heat and the blast waves have passed [Applause] if your home is in an area where the heat wave has started small fires use the next few minutes to put them out prevent them from growing into big ones then shut off your main water valve you'll have at least 30 minutes to do all this before radioactive fallout starts coming down when a nuclear weapon explodes on or near the ground tons of dirt and debris are pulverized and carried up into the mushroom cloud vaporized by intense heat then condensed into millions of tiny particles of Fallout no bigger than grains of salt or sand spread by high altitude winds Fallout can blanket wide areas and wherever it falls it spells danger the tiny particles emit invisible gamma rays much like X-rays and if your body absorbs too much of this radiation it can cause sickness or death it's not contagious you can safely treat a victim of radiation sickness without fear of catching it the one thing that can make you a victim is direct exposure to Fallout and you do have defenses against it Mass distance and time Mass means thick heavy dense materials to Shield you and screen out most of the radiation like 16 in of brick 12 in of concrete or concrete block filled with sand even 2 ft of packed Earth your second defense is distance the farther you are from the source of radiation The Fallout settled on the roof and ground ground the safer you'll be in large buildings of heavy construction both the basement and the inner corridors upstairs offer good protection from radiation they combine both mass and distance and finally there's time luckily radioactivity from Fallout weakens very rapidly in fact 7 hours after the blast the level of radioactivity will drop a full 90% after 2 days 99% of the radioactivity is gone and after 2 weeks only one1 of 1% is left [Laughter] in short time is your ally with protection you can wait it out if attack seems threatened there are three kinds of Protection One public shelter two home shelter and three relocation one go to the nearest public fallout shelter wherever you see these black and yellow fallout shelter signs there are more than enough public shelters to Shield our whole population if they were perfectly distributed unfortunately they're not if the nearest public shelter is too far away stay home and find shelter there if you have a home fallout shelter in your basement fine if not we'll tell you later how to improvise some Fallout protection for people who live in the high-risk areas a third defense is possible if there is time temporary relocation in a nuclear attack the greatest dangers would be blast and fire in the target areas which means the people most threatened would be those living or working near our missile sites near strategic military bases and near some of our larger centers of Industry the simplest way to save them is to move them out to small towns and rural areas where the only likely danger is Fallout so the federal government in cooperation with state and local governments is now working on detailed plans for temporary relocation of these high-risk areas if crisis ever threatens it is a difficult and complex problem requiring much planning but it is possible after all we relocate millions of workers from our big cities every evening rush hour we have moved hundreds of thousands to Safety in time of hurricane or flood and in a case like this it could save as many as 100 million lines Evac it would be an orderly controlled evacuation your own local authorities will give detailed instructions through radio television and the Press telling you what Necessities to Take Along what Arrangements have been made for transportation by bus train nor private car where you will find safety in the small town or rural host areas and what routes to follow to get there when you arrive reception centers will be there to welcome you and assign you temporary housing and special Arrangements will be made to upgrade the local level of Fallout protection in case the crisis should be followed by attack in fact we need Fallout protection in place everywhere well there's no telling where it may be needed but even if you're unable to reach a shelter you can still improvise some protection set up a strong table or workbench in the corner that's most below ground level and away from Windows cover the top with as much heavy materials as it will safely hold doors bricks flag Stones books wall it in with heavy bookcases chests of drawers then fill the drawers with Earth or sand for added shielding if your house is built on a slab Foundation use the concrete floor for shelter unless the soil's too r or a high water table prevents dig a trench alongside the house tunnel under the footing and up digging out a shelter under the concrete slab just big enough to contain your family Shore up the slab with Timber if need be and slant some heavy doors covered with soil over the outside trench for added protection from Fallout and rain or you can dig an L-shaped trench in your yard about 4 ft deep and 3 ft wide make the longer side of the L big enough to accommodate your family the shorter leg will serve as the entrance Shore up the sides of the trench for safety cover it with house doors or heavy Timbers then pile 2 ft of Earth on top for protection in rural areas excellent Fallout shelters can be found in natural caves tunnels mines with horizontal shafts and storm or root cellers cover the cellar with a foot or two of Earth then Shield the entrance with brick or block to protect you from radiation of course the best home protection of all would be a basement fallout shelter built before any crisis occurs your local civil defense director can supply the plans with a little time some money for materials and do it yourself labor you can supply the rest wherever you are you'll need emergency supplies if Fallout in your area is light you may be in shelter only a few days but to be on the safe side store enough precooked canned or packaged food plus special foods for the baby diet foods for the sick and elderly and enough water to last you if necessary for a week or more water is the most important you'll need at least a quart better yet a gall for each person for each day store it in tightly sealed glass or plastic bottles you can also use the bottled or canned beverages fruit and vegetable juices and milk from your refrigerator then there's your hot water tank water in the flush tanks not the bowls of the toilets and water trapped in the house piping system close off the main valve to keep that precious water from draining away into the outside Mains turn on the faucet located at the highest point in the building to let some air into the system then drain water as needed from the lowest point don't forget the sanitation supplies a metal container with a tight lid for an emergency toilet and toilet tissues a garbage can for wastes plastic liners and disinfectants medicines and first aid supplies blankets and bedding extra clothing and underwear soap towels personal hygiene items flashlight light and candles fire extinguisher and buckets of sand and a battery powered radio with extra batteries so you can receive news and official instructions if you're going to a public fallout shelter bring as much water and ready to eat food as possible extra clothing blankets a flashlight FL special medicines and personal hygiene items if you're being moved to safety from a high-risk area pack all the other basic necessities your family takes when going on a trip plus blankets bedding special medicines for your own protection remember these basic facts first the attack warning signal a 3 to 5 minute wavering sound on the [Music] sirens or short blasts on whistles or [Music] horns next the effects of a nuclear explosion a blinding Flash the heat wave then the following blast wave and finally radioactive fallout remember your three defenses against Fallout Mass thick heavy dense materials to Shield you from the radiation from Fallout distance the farther you are from The Fallout that's settled on the roof and the ground the safer you'll be and time radioactivity does weaken rapidly with shelter you can wait it out take a battery powered radio with you then tune to your local emergency broadcast station they'll tell you when it's safe to come out don't forget spare batteries for for your radio remember too that you have three choices one to go to a public fallout shelter know where the nearest one is to your office your home your children's school be prepared to Take Along food water the other necessities we've mentioned if you decide to take shelter at home home know how to improvise and improve your protection there and do lay in enough supplies relocation if you live in a high-risk area your local authorities may ask you to move to Safety in the small town or rural areas be sure you know their emergency plan so you'll know exactly where to go and what to do whatever the choice take time now to make your own family protection plan know what you'll need make your plan practical and make sure each member of the family knows exactly what to do if crisis ever comes don't wait till you need it that's too late do it now the Earth from space can seem a a fair and pleasant place and perhaps through strength and unceasing efforts to settle international disputes by peaceful means will manage to keep it that way the greatest danger is hopelessness the fear that nuclear attack would mean the end of our world so why not just give up lie down and die that idea could bring senseless and useless death to many for protection is possible and your own chances of survival will be much greater if you remember these facts about protection in the nuclear age [Music] d [Music] [Music]