Evening star., 1952-01-03
Afraid Alert System
Will GET Tryout, but
Many Won't Hear II

The Districts partially installed
air raid alert system will get a
15-minute tryout at noon Satur-
day.
Many residents won't hear the
test. since only "a of a proposed
I65 warning installations are in
lplace.
With Federal and District en-
IployeS working to make up for
their extended New Years holi-
day, Saturday will be a nearly
normal work day in the down.
town area.
B Not Enough Warning Units.
Herbert A. F'riede, assistant
director for civil defense COM
|munications, said that while the
existing warning units are doing
all that is expected Of them in
dividually, they are not enough
to cover the city adequately.
The Districts radio-controlled
system is believed to be the only
one Of it's kind in the country.
Mr.. Friede said that so far as he
knows all others in the Nation
are activated by wire from the
command post to the siren.
Washington's system requires
no wires. Besides sounding the
air raid signal the system can be
used for voice broadcast, it was
said.
In the event of gas attack, for
example, the news could be broad
cast to warn citizens to get on
higher ground, away from low
spots where gas would settle.
Switched BY Key.
After the alert is sounded, the
system can be switched by a key
to permit the broadcast of warn
ings as needed. pending the
sounding of the all clear.
The test of the system will fol-
low this timetable:
Noon-A steady 10-second horn
tone followed by a two-minute
announcement by Civil Defense
Director John E. Fondahl inform
ing the public of the major pur-
pose Of the test.
1902 pm.-The red alert sig
nal, a series of short blasts over
a three-minute period.
1905 p.m.-Another voice an
nouncement, followed by the all
clear signal, three one-minute
blasts at two-minute intervals.
Inspector Fondahl will announce
conclusion of the test at 1890
pm.
Radio Stations to Pick 1t Up.
A number of local radio sta
tions will pick up part of the warn
ing tryout, the director said.
Citizens reporting ON the results
of the test in their area are re-
quested to address post cards to
civil defense headquarters in the
National Guard Armory, noting
locations and volume of the sound.
The entire downtown area is
covered with horn stations to
meet the normally high noise
level there. In the outlying sec
tions, however, the horns are
spaced farther apart. Depending
on wind conditions, some sections
will be out of range of the horn
signals.
/ An air raid warning service was
set up here in 1941 and discon-
I tinued in 1946.
4 During World War II. Wash
lington had SO AFRAID horns
] Twenty-Five were operated elec-
!. Itrically. 38 by air pressure and %
by steam, Mr.. Friede said.
Spacing of a Mile.
The District covers 10 square
miles, and the goal for signals is
for spacing them a mile apart
Mr.. Friede said, however, that
taking the park areas into con-
!. sideration, about IS horn sta
tions would serve.
r He reported that New York has
!, SIC signals, costing $664.8 1858 plus
= engineering expenses. That city
needs twice as many signals as il
/ has, however. he said.
4 The "a horns installed here cost
; Iabout $4,000. Mr.. Friede said
althat money had been saved by the
tlmanner IN which the system was
s sIactivated.
D The old system required miles
: of leased wire, costing the city
about $4,000 a year, he explained