Evening star., 1942-08-07
Warden Service
1oRecruit Day
ProtectiveForce
To Seek 10000;
May Also Enlist
Fire Watchers Later

BY charging the 10000 member
OF the air raid warden service wit
the responsibility of matching thei
efforts for daytime protection, Chic
Air Raid Warden William j. Mile
ham has set up a recruiting system
which may be used repeatedly il
the days to come.
In addition to 10000 volunteer
needed for daytime warden service
officials estimate that twice tina
number will be needed for othe
protective services. For instance
another large-scale recruiting io'
of the near future will be for 1900
fire watchers.
Organized originally around citi
zens' association membership thu
warden service had the impetus o
Pearl Harbor in amassing its 30,00'
members. For months. however
increases in this as we'll as Other
protective services have been BY
sporadic appeals for volunteers.
To Actively Recruit.
Mr.. Milehams order sends the
Wardens directly to their neighbors
Instead of waiting for 10000 peo-
pie to volunteer, the wardens
charged with the protection of Their
neighbors, are to speed up the vol.
unteer process by taking the neeo
into ever home where there Is a
possibility that a householder Is
available for daytime duty.
In addition to homes. the recruit
ing Job will cover neighborhood
shopkeepers, since the need is most
pressing for daytime coverage in
the residential area.
The Civilian Defense Volunteer
Once also plans to take the ap-
peal direct to the potential volun-
teers. In the CDVO files are thou
sands of names of people who have
registered for volunteer service, but
either have never been called tc
serve or have not answered pre-
vious requests. These people will
be sent postcards asking them to
call CDvO.
With the daytime warden serv-
ice given q priority on volunteers,
those who respond to the CDVO
request. as well as those who reg
lister at any OF the three CDVO
branches will be directed to the
deputy warden of their home area.
Third Method Provided.
The third method Of providing
24-hour; protection for all parts of
the city is by an appeal for volun-
teers before they are approached
either by their neighborhood war
dens of the CDVO if they have pre-
viously registered.
Volunteers can report either to
the nearest warden post in their
neighborhood or to the deputy war
den OF their area. All deputy
warden posts, under a recent Mile
ham order, are now manned "A
hours q day.
The advantages of recruiting for
the service by members of the serv-
ice, ofiicials believe, are manifold.
In the first place, dividing 10000
recruiting seargents" over the
city speeds up the process immeas-
urably.
Secondly. the wardens themselves
are best able to explain the job a
warden has to do and, thirdly, the
sector warden and his neighbors can
get together to work out a system
whereby every home in every block
will be protected at any hour of the
day or night.
Many Blocks Unprotected.
The recruiting will cover virtual
ly every area in the city since few
Of them, according to Mr. Mileham,
have developed two working organi-
cations which can coordinate their
efforts or can work independently ii
called upon in an emergency
During daylight AFRAID tests,
block after block in the residential
areas have been totally unprotetct-
ed.
THE Air Raid Warden Service, +"
said Mr.. Mileham, is of such great
importance that every single unit
coming under its jurisdiction should
be prepared to render service and
provide protection to people de-
pendent upon it for the full "a
hours out of every day"
Between 5000 and 1000 women
vardens are now registered, he said
adding that there is no reason
whatsoever why daytime operat.
ing service based in large part upon
the assistance OF the women, can
not be built into very ef1lciently
operating organization"
To Report On Women Wardens.
1T was thus with the idea oI
adding to our personnel and i'm.
proving the efficiency and coverage
Of our service that this request i,
made for volunteers"
As the first step toward creating
the daytime organization, Mr.. Mile.
ham. requested all deputy wardens
to report to warden headquarter.
Immediately the number of womer
wardens now on their rolls From
this, it can be determined where
volunteers are needed to flll thu
gaps in daytime coverage.
Except in the time of their avail.
ability, Mr.. Mileham made it clear
there will be no difference between
the wardens on the day and nigh
shifts. All will be subject to tn,
same instructions and regulations
The daytime wardens, like theil
colleagues on the night shift, will
have to be sworn in and finger
printed, which can be done in thei
own area. They will have to taxi
a 10-hour course in first aid, |
streamlined course in bombs ant
gases which averages two evening
of instruction and half hours in
struction in reporting incidents.
Pre-heorinq Conference