Evening star., 1951-04-10
Bomb Shelter
Plan for Existing
Asked
8-Point Program
Coils for Completion
By End Of Yeor
By. Harriet Griffiths

y.5t-t y ss&sss~e &bubtAuS
Development of a city-wide
bomb shelter plan to make full use
of existing buildings by the end
OF this year was ordered by the
Commissioners today.
+ An eight-point program was
submitted by Assistant Engineer
Commissioner Thomas j. Hayes,
III. who pointed out that Federal
agencies eventually will get out
criteria for shelters.
But in the interim we cannot
stand idly by, trusting in God. and
In our faith that the criteria and
the shelters will be completed be-
fore an atomic bomb explodes over
washington" he said.
To Select Safest Areas.
I'VE can and should start on a
program now which will insure
effective use of the protection
provided by existing structures
for the bomb may not wait"
His program calls for selection
OF the safest areas in all buildings
by July l and completion of the
city-wide plan for their use by
December 81.
It is aimed at having shelters
that can be reached by residents
within five minutes after the
warning horns sound. This is on
the assumption that the warning
horns will be sounded eight min
utes or more before an attack.
Col. Hayes said his draft was dis
cussed informally with officials of
the Federal Civil Defense Admin-
lstration and is expected to be in
line with any guides or manuals
it may publish.
No Large Appropriation Seen.
He said his program covers the
f1rst phase of the Districts shell
ter program and will require no
large appropriation. The second
phase will be a long-term UNDER
taking to develop additional pro-
lection.
Here Is Col. Hayes schedule Of
procedure as approved by the
Commissioners:
l. The civil defense organization
should start Immediately selling
the program to the public. The
warden service should take an ac-
tive part. Cooperation of special
groups should be enlisted, includ-
ing the citizens and civic associa-
tions and Parent Teachers Asso-
Citations.
i 2. Begin Immediately the selec-
ton of the safest areas in each
building. J This should be the
responsibility of the individual
owner. manager. or occupant.
3. A shelter report should be
made by the building owner,
occupant or manager, to the Office
of Civil Defense, covering the
building design. areas selected and
other measures planned.
Shelter Should Be Improved.
4. Each area selected should be
prepared to permit its proper use
as a shelter. This also is the
responsibility of the building
owner, manager or occupant, with
the warden service and the shelter
survey service available to help.
5. Each shelter should be i'm
proved, where feasible without
great expense, by covering or re-
moving glazed areas. removing
inflammable materials, replacing
hanging fixtures and providing
essential supplies. First essential
supply should be tunneling tools
for forcing the way out If egress
is blocked.
6. The shelter Improvement
service should evaluate each shell
ter and classify it according to
the degree of protection provided.
Z. The shelter improvement
service, working with the warden
service and the shelter survey
service. should develop a shelter
plan on a block or area basis.
1t consists of dividing the city
into common refuge zones" based
on logical boundaries and the dis
tances people can be expected to
move in five minutes.
8. The Office of Civil Defense
should develop public orienta-
tion program, including periodic
exercise. to insure that the public
lis trained to move to shelter
promptly on the alert.