Evening star., 1942-04-13
Realism Sought
In Tomorrow's
b|ackout Test
Citizens Told to Act
As If Actual Roid
Were in Progress

Every citizen was urged today to
conduct himself exactly as he would
under actual air raid conditions and
stage his own air raid rehearsal to-
morrow night during the blackout.
Col. Lennuel Bolles. executive Of
District civilian defense. who made
the request, pointed out that In
time Of stress a person will do what
he has practiced. He wants each
person instinctively to do the things
that have been outlined during the
past months
Without listing specific instruc-
tions to citizens, he cited the You
and an Air Raid" series published by
The Star and later put out in
pamphlet form as guide to conduct
OF citizens tomorrow night.
IF we are to get the most out Of
this blackout." he said. I'VE should
rehearse as completely as possible"
Early Preparations Made.
Col. Bolles made it clear that as
a result of the previous longer black
outs every home and business house
should be ready for an air raid at a
moments notice. He warned against
starting to put up blackout ma
terials at the alarm. In other words,
blackout materials should be up in
the rooms that are to be used dur
ing the blackout so that only the
lights not necessary to normal living
will be turned out at the alarm.
Home practice would include not
only obtaining a complete blackout
at the signal given by the sirens.
but also keeping away from win
dows, going to refuge rooms, get
ting of the streets and taking
other precautions that would assure
greater safety under an actual air
raid.
The three objectives of the test,
which will occur some time between
9 pm. and midnight, are for COM
munications, mobilization of civilian
defenders and quickness of execut-
ing a total blackout, with a few
exceptions.
The communications system will
work two ways. About a half hour
before the blackout, civilian de-
tenders will be notified through the
communications system to go to their
posts. The system will also be
tested by wardens making their
reports on simulated incidents"
Sealed Instructions.
At conference with Col. Boles
yesterday at afraid warden head
quarters, deputy wardens Of the
Districts metropolitan area were
given sealed instructions which will
not be opened until the warning
sounds. Col Boles was loath to
discuss these instructions since they
are for test purposes but he made
1t clear that the instructions give
wardens an opportunity to go into
action-deciding whether or not
the incident" should be handled
by wardens on duty in the vicinity
or reported to the control center.
Emphasizing that the test will
fall short If somebody short cuts it."
Col. Bolles asked the wardens to
stress the deadly seriousness Of
this thing all along the line"
The first public warning Of the
test will come when the alarm is
sounded by the 38 afraid sirens
installed on strategic rooftops
throughout the city and some 20
others at fire stations, the Navy
Yard, the Naval Air Station. SOL
diers' Home and st. Elizabeth's Hos
pital.
Only vehicles of the emergency
type displaying identifying insignia
issued by the Police Department and
official cars of the United States
and District Governments will be al
lowed to operate during the black
out. All other cars must be stopped
and darkened.
The sirens will give the warning
for a period of two minutes dura-
ton. using 1uctuating signal Of
varying pitch, each blast to extend
over 6-second period. The all
clear will be announced by sounding
the sirens continuously for approxi-
mately minute and 40 seconds.