Geauga record. [volume] (Chardon, Geauga County, Ohio) 1952-1962, 1953-12-10
Air Raid Test Stops Traffic on
Geausa Highways l3 Minutes

Geauga scene as 1870 Geauga
Civil Defense auxiliary police
men cleared Highways 6, 322,
and 422 for the thirteen minute
test air raid alert Operation
Aurora. All traffic was halted
by these men at 800 pm, pull
ed off to the side of the road,
and held for the duration of
the alert before being allowed
to proceed. The driver of each
halted car was handed a slip
stating that a test air raid alert
was in progress, and listing
safety rules to follow in h e
event of a real attack. T h e
cleared highways were ope n
only to official civil defense
traffic and emergency vehicles
on these three officially desig-
mated and marked CD highways
The auxiliary policemen =
drawn fom Chardon, Claridon,
Huntsburg, Middefield, P k
man, Troy, Munson, A burn,
South Russell, Burton and
Thompson worked under the
supervision of their own Off
GERS and the Geauga county
Sheriff'S department whic h
placed IL uniformed deputies
and five radio cars into action
Each uniformed officer had a
sector for control and announc-
ed the alert by siren after re-
ceiving it on the patron car
radio. Geauga county has no
air raid sirens as such and the
various fire department sirens
are too widely separated for
county wide coverage. Regu,
lar village police from Chardon
Burton, and Middlefield ais {
participated in the test with
their radio cars.
County Civil Defense Diect
or Robert Eppley, Jr., Mid
dlefield, pronounced G aug
county's participation very
satisfactory" and cited the in
dividual village and township
coordinators (directos) and the
units for a fine turn out OF
very short notice. He stated
particularly his appreciation o
the work of county staff direct
orS E. John Phelps Gaw En-
forcement) and Judge HarolC
Richmond Operations anC
Trainingl who developed tn
plan. Through the cooperation
of Dick Clause ION the Geaug;
CD staff as Director of Civi
AviationJ. r. V. Davis, Middle
field and Scott Bostwick, Char
don, the entire operation wa
viewed from the air by Eppley
Phelps and Richmond. Air t
ground radio communicable
was also placed into operation
from Mr.. Davis plane througl
the Chardon Fire Department
walkie talkie operated b.
Sheriff Phelps.
Eppley stressed that the a
lert only involved a test of trai
! fic control and communication
and therefore he did not ca
out or alert other staff mem
berS or other units which wi
ultimately carry out the othe
functions of civil defense sue
as fire and rescue, Air Raj
Wardens, Supply, Engineering
Health Services, Housing, EvaC
uation, Utilities, Public Works
Chemical Defense, Welfare, etC
He stated that communication
were Satifactory with the Ye
low or Canary twaning) AleI
reaching the control center
(Sheriff'S Office in Chardon) q
$50 pm, the Red or Tomat
(Attack Imminent Alert at 80
and the White or All Clear g
3:13 promptly by radio. Th
telephoned alertS were slight
delayed. Actual conditions wer
not entirely duplicated sine
the various township and vi
lage units had preliminary NJ
tice of the test through prio
contact and newspaper public
ty in the Cleveland papers.
The test was the first of
state wide series which wi
culminate in an overall te!
tentatively scheduled for June
1854 at which time all munic
palitieS and governmental unit
will participate at all levels {
CD activity. Sundays operatio
assumed an atomic attack b
enemy aircraft on the follow
ing Ohio cities: Cleveland, CiI
cinnati, Columbus, Toledo, CaI
ton, Akron, Youngstown, Steut
enville and Dayton, more or les
simultaneously. Geauga'S pal
ticipation was in support {
Cleveland, a target city. Geal
ga and five other counties SUI
rounding Cleveland comprise th
5th Area which has its heaC
quarters in Chagrin Falls. TIL
4th Platoon of the 51st CD Mo
bile Support group was also &
lerted from its headquarter an
responded well. Some 80 Geaug
county men from HuntSburl
Middlefield, and Montville ar
members of this unit.
Director Eppley issued tn
following statement: While ou
participation Sunday was yer
satisfactory in general, it point
up the need for our rapid moi
iliZation on all phases of OH