Evening star., 1942-09-15
Entire Warden Setup
Expected 10 Be Given
Test Friday Night
Month-Long Drills
Expected to Be Reviewed
By Leaders Tonight

With warden service review eX-
pected tonight on the results of the
first phase of the month-long con-
troll center training exercises, plans
were to be made today for an overall
drill Friday which may mobilize
all the city's volunteer protective
forces.
Controller Herbert Friede said he
understood the Friday test would
call for the mobilization of all units
with the wardens patrolling their
beats as under actual air-raid con-
ditions. Written incidents, basis of
the reports to the city's seven con-
troll centers, would then be distrib-
uted at random to the patrolling
wardens.
Chief Air-Raid, Warden William
j.. Mileham said however, that the
extent of participation, of wardens
in the Friday test would not. be de-
termined until he had consulted
late today with Col. Lemuel Bolles.
executive director of District civilian
defense.
AS In the three previous tests.
each of which affected a different
third OF the warden service. no
equipment will be dispatched to tho
scenes Of the simulated incidents
and the public will not be involved.
Although Mr.. Friede reported
that the third test held last night.
was a definite improvement over
the earlier two. Mr.. Mileham said
he expected a thorough thrashing
out of the exercises at a meeting
Of deputy wardens tonight.
One of the main sources of criti-
clsm expected to be aired by the
66 deputies was the failure of the
| transportation unit to deliver all the
incidents scheduled for reporting.
Mr.. Mileham said IL areas of the
city, where hundreds of wardens
stayed on duty all evening, never
received the incidents.
Although minimized by Mr.. Mile
ham, number of the wardens COM
planned about the impossible Incl
dents-the location of theaters or
flre stations where there were no
such buildings.
Called Good Practice.
Mr.. Mileham said it was good
practice for the wardens to handle
reports on incidents which might
not affect their particular area since
1t was always possible they might
be away from their own sectors in
an emergency and have to call in
a theater disaster.
At Control Center No. 3, however
where a dozen of the rs incidents
reported were fictitious, it was de-
cided to put those aside and not
send them through the control sys-
tenn.
A member of the control center
staff called back the wardens who
had reported each of the fictitious
incidents and, in one case, received
/ the response: If l can pretend
, why can't you?"
! Although number of the warden:
| who called in followed the repor
form exactly and kept the telephon.
) ist on the line only minute O,
two, 1t was noted that many of then
S still wanted to enlarge on thei
z reports under the heading of re
t marks, many times repeating wha
they had already given or addin
S information of no use in decidin
what equipment was to be dis
patched.
- Remarks Unnecessary.
I One official declared that remark
should not be necessary at all. Il
pointed out one incident where tn
warden had included these remark.
| "Theater struck by bomb. Wir
| dows in neighborhood broker
People in panic. Flying splinter
j have caused injury"
" 1t was explained that the ia,
:, the incident concerned a theat,
9 should have been volunteered unde
70 70 the space for type of building
v that the space for high explosive
;. had already been checked, so tn,
. saying it was bomb which did tt
II damage was unnecessary: that tt
fact windows were broken would /
OF no use in deciding the mai
point-what equipment should |
dispatched, and that the warde
had already filled in the space r,
porting the number of dead, S,
riously and slightly wounded.
Following the overall test Frida
another phase of the training
scheduled for September "a.