Milford chronicle., 1956-01-27
State CD Opens
Headquarters

the full-time headquarters of the
State Department Of Civil Defense.
TRANSFORMED inside INTO a mod
ern office suite with about 10000
square feet of hoor space. the blast
and radiation proof installation now
is one OF the nations most modern
Civil Defense control centers, ac-
lcording 10 D. Preston Lee. state
Civil Defense director.
Once a Coast Artillery 12-inch
mortar esnplacement but abandoned
before World War IT. the control
center, with its nine-foot concrete
walls and roof faced with up to 25
feet Of compacted dirt, could with
stand. anything except direct
bomb hit, officials say.
1t viii serve both as a day-to-
day administrative headquarters
and an emergency operations cen
ter in time Of Wag or natural dissls-
ter.
The state Civil Defense full-tfme
staff of seven persons moved into
the new quarters today. Until how
they have maintained offices at the
Newark National Guard ATmory.
Delaware now has an ultra-
modern control center at a bargain
price, Mr.. Lee said. In other states.
he pointed out. Civil Defense con-
trOl. centers are being designed and
built from scratch at high cost.
tBut because we were able to ac-
quire this old military installation
without charge and We're also given
expert engineering heJg ;n design
ing the renoVations, we have a con-
troll center that rivals sny in the
country for a fraction Of the cost.
The old bunker Mas. first taken
over by the state Civil Defense in
1851 but until the renovations were
completed it was used simply as a
temporary field headquarters dur
ing the state training exercises and
natural disaster alerts.
The elaborate renOvatiOns. de-
signed by some Of Delaware's top
flight engineers working as Civil
Defense volunteers, have converted
the huge, cellar-lilxe bunker into a
humidity-cOntrOlled operations cen
ter where the Civil Defense staff
could work and live indefinitely.
In an emergency or training
exercise, the cOnTol center now
will be able to go into instant op-
Grafton, Mr.. Lee said. Radio. tele-
phone and teletype' circuits will fan
out to county and local disaster re-
lief forces and to regional Civil De-
tense, c0ordinating disaster relief
work on a statewide basis.
The center has been housed in
the magazine" area and eshell gal-.
.leries" Of the old bunker. Major
features of the renovati1ns were
the revamping Of the entire cleo
trical system, installation Of a de-
humidification system, sanitary IA
.cilities and water piping.
One broad. 9S-fOOt corridor, for
merly dark and diInly lighted, has
been partitioned into a row of IA
bright, modern offices for volunteer
division chiefs, who direct planning
and operations of such units as p0-
lice, fire, health, welfare or special
weapons. The offices are separated
by metal partitions with plexiglass
tops and are equipped with func-
tional metal furniture.
Former powder rooms" and al
coves have been converted into
efices for the Civil Defense direc-
E1Or, his deputy, operations officer
and other staff members.
The communication room, rs K
13 feet, containing radio, telephone,
teletype and message handling sec
tions, has been completely sound
proofed. The communications equip
ment, purchased with federal
M tehing funds, was installed some
years ago by volunteer specialists
with Civil Defense. It has been
used for some time during test
alerts and natural disaster relief
operations.
Another large room has been
equipped for volunteer class work,
lectures and flSu-shoWing. In an
emergency it also can be. used as
sleeping quarters.
The entire working area has been
painted in pink and green pastels
for maximum lighting. Accoustical
ceilings have been in ia lie d
throughout.
Another 102-foot stretch of broad
corridor, not yet renovated, has
been set aside as a wartime head
quarters for Delaware's governor
and his staff, along with important
state records.
Future plans call for installing
a decontamination chamber at the
entrance of the control center. This
will contain equipment for remov-
ing Pathological contamination on
personnel coming into the center.
The renovations were designed
by engineers who volunteered their
time to Civil Defense. They are:
Thomas J. Conroy, Claymont
Garden Apt, Claymont; E2 c. La
Sale, 201 Smyrna Avenue, viii
mington; John G. Lynch, 413 West
seth Street, Wilmington; Walter
G. Yedlin, Harvard Rd., Cedars,
Wilmington; Fred Graft, Dupont,
Louviers Bldg, Room W29, New
ark; Joseph A. Dougherty, 813 Har-
wood Rd., Gordy Ests., Wilmington:
Paul L. Donoran, 1913 Honan St.,
Chester, Pa; IObert G. Grubbs,
Concord PIX, Wilmington; Robert
E. Payne, Marfair Apt, Whining
ton; Roger Pulling, 1886 18th ST.,
Washington, d. G.
Use of the bunker by Civil De-
tense was granted by DR.. NJ. A.
Tarumianz, head Of the Governor
Bacon Health Center, which now
occupies Fort Dupont.