Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-12
Detroit Alert
To Danger, First
BId(kout Shows
By GLENN c. RICHARDS
Associate Coordination, office OF Civilian
Defense, Detroit Metropolitan Area

DEFENSE, DetrOlt MetrOponthn hfNh
The most important lesson we
learned from Detroit's first prac-
tice blackout, was the fact that
the 100000 residents of Detroit
are alert to the dangers which
face this Detroit metropolitan area
from attack by air.
The practice blackout showed
us that 80 and 99/10O per cent of
all Detroiters co-operated with the
blackout. We base this on the
fact that only approximately ITO
Violators of the blackout ordinance
are being sent warnings for viola
tons which they made, and APP
proximately 80 are being taken to
court for prosecution.
We found that the citizens Of
Detroit are keenly interested in
the efforts of the Office of Civilian
Defense to prepare them against
air raids and that, while many
more than the 200 mentioned COM
mitted violations of the ordinance,
they Immediately rectified their
mistakes when they were notified
by the air raid wardens.
PRAISES WARDENS
Probably the second most i'm
portant lesson learned from the
blackout was the splendid per-
Torrance of our $4,000 air raid
wardens. The blackout taught us
that the air raid wardens, both
men and women, had thoroughly
learned the duties of air raid war
dens in their classes of instruction
and, equally important, they had
learned how to handle people. This
fact was evidenced by the almost
total absence of any complaints
against the conduct of our war
dens during this first test blackout.
cannot praise the conduct of
the air raid wardens too highly.
They have been welded into
force which will be of invaluable
aid to Detroit if. and when, the
bombs come, and every resident
of Detroit should be proud of the
sacrifices which these men and
women are giving in the way Of
their time and energy to protect
Detroit, its citizens and its prop
erty.
PARKING BIG PROBLEM
In the matter of actual viola
ton, one of the most dangerous
of the blackout ordinance viola
tons was the double and triple
parking by motorists on our main
thoroughfares Such parking would
interfere with the passing Of emer-
gency vehicles, such as fire en-
gines, ambulances, police cars and
repair squads during an air raid.
1t is direct violation of the ordi-
nance, and we will make every
effort to eliminate such parking
In our next trial blackout.
i feel that m any motorists
parked in this way because they
were not well informed as TO what
they should do. The blackout law
states that motorists, upon hear
ing the air raid warning. should
Immediately park their car at the
curb, extinguish the lights and
lock the ignition, but not the doors
OF the car.
All motorists will have the three
minutes, during which the air raid
is sounding, to get off the main
thoroughfare and find parking
places on side streets. In addition,
they may park at normally re-
stricted parking zones, except at
fire hydrants. alley entrances and
emergency exits.
KEEP NIGHT LIGHTS
I feel that when the people
understand this law the violations
will be largely eliminated.
Another common violation was
the failure of householders and
apartment dwellers to turn out
night lights which they left on
when they went out for the eve
ming. In the case Of an air raid,
this would be very serious mat
ter and, while such people were
warned in our first blackout, we
intend to prosecute further vio-
lators. O.
In general, we found that large
stores and operators Of large ad-
VertiSing signs co-Operated almost