Evening star., 1948-11-14

ana concluded that in time OF
emergency there should be strong
central civil defense operational
control ="
Emergency conditions will not
permit delays in crossing municipal,
county or State lines because of
differences of governmental entity
in an area where municipalities are
contiguous. boundary lines artificial
and the populace united in concert
or purposes and needs" the report
said.
"It Is believed that, in a metro
politan area, combined resources and
facilities of all municipalities in
volved should be pooled and civil
defense operations for the entire
area should be carried out as in one
municipality. This does not, how
ever, preclude each component city
from having its own civil defense
organization"
The report recommended creation
Of civil defense co-ordinating and
policy making Central Council with
equal representation for all munich
palities, irrespective OF size.
Would Give Equal Representation.
THE establishment of a Central
Council plan would Offset any i'm
plication that the largest city would
dominate the organization at the
expense of the smaller cities and
yet at the same time the natural
role of influence and leadership
normally exercised by the principal
city in an area by reason of its
greater facilities and size, and the
dependency of the smaller cities,
would serve to insure that the
principal city would play the chief
role in civil defense, subject to the
overall direction of the council" :"
the report said.
In metropolitan areas which in
clude communities of more than one
State it would be practical for the
communities of each individual
State to form their own metropoli-
tan area organization under a Gen.
trail Council. When this has been
accomplished, an effective adminis-
trative and operation arrangement
for the combined areas could be de-
veloped by mutual-aid agreements
between the respective councils"
1t recognized that many legal
problems would face Central
Council arrangement but concluded
that however rigid may be politi-
cal boundary lines in normal times,
they become simply artificial and
invisible in time of emergency. Civil
defense can operate throughout a
metropolitan area with the same
facility as in one individual munici-
pality if organized as suggested"
$4,000 Specialists Proposed.
A new emergency civil defense
reserve force of $4,000 specialists
was proposed in the report. It
would be composed of 100 or more
Glass "A' mobile reserve battalions
OF 500 men each, set up under State
control and equipped in part by
the Federal Government. Each
would have six planes and IL pilots
from the Civil Air Patrol.
The report suggested assignment
Of two such battalions to MARYLAND,
one to the District and one to the
Richmond-Norfolk area of Virginia.
In addition, Glass B" units would
be formed under local sponsorship
to furnish support.
Standard fire and police equip
ment available locally would be
used, plus the Federally issued
items. Specialized items would in
+clude portable flood lighting and
public address systems. Each unit
would include members of local DO
lice, fire and medical units, engi-
neers to handle power, water and
sanitary problems, trained experts
to take care of mass feeding, rescue
and clearance squads, decontamina-
ton workers and a minimum of
three Pathological defense teams.
All units would be capable of
moving quickly to another city or
State to assist local civil defense