TIME OF DISASTER

so the moment when disaster struck for the people of this community time suddenly stopped for them their world of peace and order was suddenly brought to an end but disaster does not restrict itself to any particular time or place it may come in the dead of night it may come at dawn at midday or at dusk no one particular season is disasters alive or disaster lurks behind the smiling face of summer and grips the winter plains with snow and despair in the great timberlands of the far west disaster dons a robe of licking flame disaster stalks the prairies as a sinister cloud of whirling dust or demolishes the waterfront of a huge city man-made or nature on the rampage disaster can occur anytime anywhere appearing in the swiftness of a moment striking with the impact of calamity upon people upon property leaving in its wake a toll of staggering destruction and human misery go down the disaster roll of recent years vicksburg mississippi flint michigan waco texas worcester massachusetts and even the nation's capital in each of these cities municipal services were unable to cope with the sudden tremendous demands imposed by a major disaster then every man woman and child trained or untrained had to pitch in and help to reduce the toll of death and loss even avert the very course of disaster and so this lesson was learned a community unprepared for major disaster will suffer the greatest loss but in a community with a civil defense plan ready to be put into action at a moment's notice man can rest from disaster a part of the toll it would normally take realizing this most states and territories have designated the state civil defense office as the coordinating disaster agency this is the town a community with a civil defense plan to meet a major disaster the time is anytime the place anywhere in the united states and the courthouse building is the office of the local civil defense director at his disposal are volunteers some with civil defense training he knows the location of needed equipment and supplies he knows that in the event of major disaster he and his state can call on the federal civil defense administration for financial aid and the help of other federal agencies meanwhile time ticks away days weeks years disaster may never come but if it does this community is prepared the local civil defense headquarters or the control center become the focal point in a great mass effort by all organized groups and volunteers near the site of this major disaster volunteers help root traffic within the area workers trained and rescued are already engaged in search for survivors here the city firemen battle the flames assisted by trained civil defense auxiliary firefighters meanwhile other skilled volunteers enrolled in the engineering service are busy removing wreckage while heavy equipment aids in clearing a path to casualties trapped in demolished buildings equipment from federal stockpiles begins to appear on the scene many normal communication facilities have been temporarily knocked out but walkie-talkies are manned by civil defense trained volunteers stationed at disaster points throughout the city while others work at communications centers or as messengers survivors receive first aid treatment while the more seriously injured are removed to a hospital where facilities are provided to meet the emergency here in this major disaster the federal stockpile of emergency medical supplies and equipment is made available providing emergency care for disaster sufferers is a responsibility of the american red cross which sets up registration and information services and provides victims with food shelter and clothing and emergency medical assistance in short a smooth functioning disaster operation utilizing all available manpower and facilities to help rest from the forces of natural or wartime disaster part of the normal toll this time of disaster all of us hope never comes but should this disaster ever strike our chances of survival will be all the greater through civil defense training and preparation disaster man-made or nature on the rampage too often the lesson is learned too late in a community unprepared disaster will take its full toll catastrophe must be met head-on civil defense is our best hope against a time we pray may never come but a time that could be tomorrow the time of disaster you