Evening star., 1950-11-11
|parleY Proposed
On Civil Defense
Legal Problems
New Area Committee
To Seek Maryland,
Virginia Views

The newly formed Washington
Metropolitan Area Civil Defense
Committee will ask the Commits
sioners early next week to take
steps to iron out legal problems in
volved in co-ordinated defense
planning.
Inspector John E. Fondahl, who
yesterday was named chairman of
the committee, said the Commits
sioners will be asked to contact
the Governors Of Maryland and
Virginia to arrange a conference
between the States attorneys gen.
eral and the District Corporation
Counsel.
A typical legal problem would be
determining which community
would pay the bill for a fireman
who crossed county or State lines
and was injured in the line Of
duty during a disaster.
The committee met for the first
time yesterday in the National
Guard Armory in the Office Of In
spector Fondahl. who is acting
District civil defense director.
Gen. Devers in Group.
Other committee members are
Gen. Jacob L. Devers, U. S. "A, re-
tired, civil defense co-ordinator
for Northern Virginia; Col. D. G.
Mcintosh, Maryland civil defense
director; a representative of the
Military District of Washington,
and an assistant each for Gen.
Devers and Col. Mcintosh.
Inspector Fondahl told reporters,
after the three-hour closed meet
ing, that the committee discussed,
in addition to legal aspects, the
following civil defense problems:
/. Coordination at the operat-
ing level. subcommittee will be
|appointed to work out co-ordina-
ton of medical. fire, police and
other activities.
2. A uniform air raid warning
system. The committee will study
the problem and make recon-
mendations. This aspect is being
delayed pending national recon-
mendations on warning systems
by the National Security Resources
Board, Inspector Fondahl said.
To Monitor Police Radio.
Meanwhile. Maryland and vir-
ginia State Police will monitor the
Metropolitan Police radio for air
raid warning broadcasts. The
problem then will be to get the
warning to the public. Various
means, such as sirens or horns,
are under study by the committee.
The committee will meet in the
armory on the second Friday of
each month. Included in the COM
mittee's planning are Prince
Georges and Montgomery Coun-
ties in Maryland and Arlington
and Fairfax Counties and the city
OF Alexandria in Virginia.
Nine Deputy Directors.
Meanwhile, the Commissioners
have approved tentative organi-
zation for civil defense in the Dis
trict. The civil defense director
will act under the Commissioners
and will have nine deputy direc-
tors. Three Of the deputies will
handle personnel and training
plans and operations, and admin
istration and supply. These
deputies have not yet been named.
Under the heading of field op-
Grating agencies" come six addi-
tional deputies. who have already
been named.
They are DR.. Daniel L. Seek
niger, District Health Director,
who will direct medical and health
services; 1t. Col. Thomas j. Hayes,
III, Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner. engineering services; Max
c. Schwartz, warden services; Fire
Chief j. A. Mayhem, fire services;
Police Supt. Barrett, police serv-
ices, and Gerard M. Shea, director
OF the Public Welfare Department,
emergency welfare services.