[Music]
[Sound of bomb exploding]
Everyone on earth lives within 30 minutes of potential destruction and nuclear bombs, or missiles.
Our times are perilous,
almost unthinkably so.
And it is for that very reason that we must think about it and do something about it , too.
There's no sensible solution except-
preparedness- while we work at the same time to alleviate the dangers that beset the world.
Even with the worst nuclear attack imaginable it is still possible that a very large portion of our population-
-could survive- if the proper steps are taken now in civil defense preparedness.
In this film, we expect to briefly show you the steps being taken at the Marshall Space Flight Center,
and how you and your family can participate.
[Music]
-A nuclear explosion has four effects- blast and shock, thermal radiation or heat,
initial nuclear radiation and residual nuclear radiation.
Generally there is little or no protection against the first two.
However, with proper planning, it is possible to protect against nuclear radiation.
Radiation or fallout might arrive outside the totally devastated area within 30 minutes,
or as much as 24 hours later depending on distance and winds.
Persons exposed to sufficient amounts of fallout will develop radiation sickness,
the symptoms of which include nausea,vomiting, diarrhea, fever,
listlessness, and a general feeling of fatigue. In severe doses radiation causes death.
The most important protection you can have against fallout is shelter.
The deadly radiation is partially absorbed, and reduced in intensity, as it passes through any material.
All buildings at the Marshall Space Flight Center have been surveyed by the Corps of Engineers to determine their protection factor.
The Center does contain enough strong buildings with basements, test fans and block houses, to accommodate all its employees-
-civil service and contractors- and their families.
Approved structures are marked with this distinctive yellow and black sign.
But buildings alone will not save lives unless adequate preparations have first been made to ensure their proper use.
Such preparations are the primary responsibility of the Marshall Center's Civil Defense Committee.
Its plans are closely coordinated with those of the Army organizations which share Redstone Arsenal
and with the city of Huntsville and Madison County.
Essentially, Marshall Civil Defense Committee is concerned with preparing now
to meet the basic needs which would be required for Center personnel
and their families to survive fallout.
These same preparations can also be a value
in response to such local disasters as severe weather, fire, or explosion.
The four basic civil defense needs are an effective warning system,
adequate fallout shelters,
train shelter staff members, and
life-sustaining shelter supplies.
Warning of a nuclear attack will be broadcast over the so called big voice
loudspeaker systems,
installed at the Marshall Center and in downtown Huntsville and other cities.
[siren tone]
- [voice of announcer] Attention, Attention. This is an official civil defense warning. This is NOT a test.
The United States is under nuclear attack. Take cover immediately in your area fallout shelter.
Repeat. The United States is under nuclear attack. Take cover immediately in your area fallout shelter.
-A wavering siren tone is the take cover signal.
[police siren]
City and county officials along with commercial television and radio,
will assist in warning the population.
[police siren]
-[voice of announcer] The nation is under nuclear attack. The nation is under nuclear attack.
-We repeat the nation is under nuclear attack.
This is a extreme emergency. You are urged to remain calm.
-Proceed to your designated shelter without delay."
[siren]
-An emergency broadcast system to bring official information will then go into operation.
All stations not a part of this system must then go off the air.
Radio station WFIX operating on frequency 1450, is authorized to remain in operation in the Huntsville area.
When the warning reaches you by whatever means,
you should immediately begin preparations to reach your fallout shelter.
For most Marshall personnel and their families the best shelter will be that at the Center.
Where you happen to be at the time of warning,
whether downtown, at home,
or at work, will of course be a primary factor in determining, which shelter you will seek.
Maps showing locations of community shelters in Huntsville and
similar maps for surrounding towns are available free from your local Civil Defense office.
Shelter maps for Madison County and surrounding counties are also available.
Every Marshall Center employee should have such a map for his home community.
A complete and comprehensive community shelter plan is being mailed to each residence throughout Madison County.
A shelter map for the Marshall Center is printed inside the back cover of your Marshall telephone directory.
Additional maps can be obtained from the MSFC Civil Defense Committee.
Marshall is divided into three areas. Area A is bounded on the south by Martin Road, and on the east by Rideout Road.
The fallout shelter for Area A is Building 4708 of the Quality and Reliability Assurance Laboratory.
It has a shelter capacity of approximately
4,000 persons.
Area B includes the Headquarters area and southward to Digney Road.
Area B shelters are buildings 4200, 4201, and
4202 in the Headquarters complex,
plus building 4207, the Center Communications Building.
Total area of the shelter capacity is approximately 5,000 persons.
Area C, encompassing the remainder of the Center,
has shelters in 15 buildings with total capacity of approximately of
13,000 persons.
Area C shelters are in buildings 4610,
4619
and 4646 in the Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory area.
Building 4663 in the Computation Lab area. And in the test lab area west of Dodd Road,
buildings 4666,
4670,
and 4674.
Plus east of Dodd Road, buildings 4566,
4522,
4551,
4561,
4583, 4570, 4564, and 4572.
Each Marshall employees should know his own shelter and should be sure his family also knows how to reach it.
Each shelter has been stocked with vital supplies for a 2-week occupancy.
A ten thousand calorie food supply per person,
water containers and water, based on one quart per day per person,
radiation measuring instruments,
sanitation facilities and supplies, and medical supplies.
In addition, two 200 bed packaged hospitals are also stored at the Marshall Center for emergency use.
Shelter staff members have been assigned and have received training in their duties.
A shelter manager will be in charge of each building,
with staff members for operations,
communications, feeding, health and sanitation, supply and maintenance,
radiological monitoring, safety,
information and training,
recreation, and religious affairs.
A fallout shelter operational plan would be used as a guide for daily activities,
covering everything from shelter entry,
to emergence from the shelter when radiation danger has subsided.
An emergency operating center or command post will be manned by personnel trained in the operation of communications equipment,
necessary to maintain contact with higher authorities, as well as for overall direction and coordination of activities
throughout the Marshall Center.
Training and radiological monitoring is one of the most vital aspects of civil defense.
Special detection equipment is required,
since you cannot feel, see, smell, or taste radiation entering your body.
Two detection instruments are used: a survey meter, which measures radiation dose rate,
and the dosimeter, which measures total radiation exposure dose.
At least one person trained with such equipment is assigned to each shelter.
Two rescue service teams are organized at Marshall to render aid during natural disasters,
as well as in the event of nuclear attack.
A medical self-help training program is also underway at Marshall with the goal of providing training to at least one member of each family.
All of this extensive emergency preparedness, provisions for an effective warning system,
adequate fallout shelters,
stocks of life-sustaining supplies,
and trained shelter staff members --all this planning is aimed at saving your life.
[music]
-[voice of radio announcer] Attention attention.
The nation is under nuclear attack- repeat-the nation is under nuclear attack.
This is an extreme emergency.
You are urged to remain calm.
Proceed to your designated
shelter without delay. [wavering siren tone]
-But your own actions in the event of a nuclear attack would also determine your survival.
You should take such items as a transistor radio,
a flashlight, any special medicine you require.
And additional foodstuffs with you when you're prepared to leave immediately for your designated shelter.
You should remember to take along several blankets and even a toy for the children.
[siren]
Wearing a raincoat and hat will help shield your body against fallout enroute to the shelter.
[siren]
In such a time of fear and anxiety,
your own calmness and efficiency and the task of moving your family to your designated shelter
as quickly and safely as possible would count for a great deal.
[siren]
Car windows should be rolled up tight to lessen the chance of fallout contaminating the interior.
[siren]
Keep your car in good operating condition at all times and keep plenty of gasoline in the tank.
Proceed as rapidly as possible, but drive safely, don't panic.
The fallout shelter can't help you a bit if you don't get there.
[traffic sounds]
Upon arrival at your shelter, you should brush off your outer clothing to help remove contamination,
and leave these articles for storage.
[siren]
Radiological monitoring of all persons will be performed before entering the shelter.
[sound of someone playing harmonica]
Inside the shelter your life during the period of danger from fallout, perhaps up to two weeks,
would needless to say, be a relatively bleak and anxious existence, but considering the alternatives, a quite tolerable one.
[music / harmonica]
What we do to survive a possible nuclear attack requires the complete cooperation of every citizen
There's a very real possibility of saving lives through preparedness now.
Your Marshall Center Civil Defense Emergency Preparedness Program is a life insurance policy,
one we hope and pray,
we never have to cash in.