Evening star., 1951-04-06

efense warden service. A group
the flag because there was no
r warden headquarters at Thir-
W. Barbara Rabinak, a staff
!, raising. Star Staff Photo.
single bomb explosion, he would
need at least IS mobile trailer
units. which could be rushed into
a stricken area. These units cost
close to $4,000 each. So far, the
District has just one unit, donated
by the members of the medical
and health services themselves.
On the question of official in
ertia toward the demands and
problems of civil defense, random
examples are harder to find. A
governmental process that seems
exasperatingly slow to one inter-
ested official may appear hurried
and rash to another.
However. high District Govern
ment people deny emphatically
that civil defense is being treated
as a step-child and that its re-
quirements are receiving scant
attention. The continuing interest
of the Commissioners in civil de-
fense is illustrated, they say, in
the fact that Inspector Fondah
is hidden weekly to the District
Building to appear before the
city's governing board. This
privilege is granted to no other
department head. Slow as prog
ress sometimes seems. it is argued
that all requests Of the civil de-
fense department are given high
est priority.
Timing a Question.
The whole question of progress
or the lack of it, depends on how
soon we will need an effective
civil defense force. Administrator
Caldwell wants it by the end OF
the year. Others are inclined to
ask how the residents of District
would stand if an atom bomb fell
tomorrow.
To these people, the answer is
obvious. If the bomb fell tomor-
row, it would catch the city woe
fully unprepared insofar as citi-
zen organization is concerned. The
best that could be hoped fol
would be that some warning oi
an attack could be given: thai
the people would take cover in.
stead of trying to run, and thai
the Police and Fire Department.
could do a reasonably adequate
job of keeping order and con.
tanning damage.
The gap between this situation
and fully integrated ane
equipped civil defense organiza.
ton for the entire Washington
Metropolitan Area is a big one
There is small ground for hops
that it can be filled withou
money and effort. These are no
too much in evidence today.
Alexandria-William M. Bar
bour was relieved of duties as as
sistant fire chief to become full
time civil defense co-ordinato
under Mayor Backus. He ha
found that "too many people ar,
just not interested"
Progress has been made in dis
tributing of literature on self
preservation under atomic attack
Volunteering is slow. The cit,
will need at least $500 warden
to handle the work in its five BIZ
areas. Some key appointment
have been delayed.
Falls Church Situation.
Falls Church-The coordinate
is a part-time worker. He is d.
j. w. Seay, a real estate operator
Though he does not spend full
time, DR.. Seay thinks his organi
zation is in excellent shape. How
ever, only 275 of the 900 or 100
helpers needed have signed ur
Fngerprinting of auxiliary police
men was due to be completed thi
week. Surveys to determine tn
availability of emergency equip
ment have not been finished. TIL
city leaders have yet to decid
what additional equipment, if any
must be bought.
Arlington-Police 1t. Frank c
Palmer. jr.. was named co-ordina
tor for this populous county. TIL
work is in addition to the lieu
tenants special duties in the polio
traffic bureau and in safety promo
ton. 1t. Palmer is also bein,
pushed for appointment as chic
of police.
Arlington has signed 100 of tn
200 auxiliary policemen requires
for civil defense. It has only 1,50
of the 5000 volunteers desired
Special drills have been schedules
| in the near future for CD depart
ment heads. 1t. Palmer hopes thi
will help stimulate interest in re
cruiting as well as test the ma
chinery already set up.
Fairfax-The county is divide'
into eight sections. It's IA fire sta
tions, with from two to five piece
of apparatus each, is believed t
be adequate to support the Met
ropolitan taraget area. But tn
corps of auxiliary firemen is sti
100 short of the 800 goal.
The civil defense co-ordinator
Inspector H. T. Magarity. He wa
transferred from the police de
partment on February % to de
vote full time to the emergenc
program. He has had no off1c
help. He has had no time to ge
into the field and push the recruit
ment Of volunteers. Surveys ar