Duck-and-Cover 101
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Historian's Note
If you are feeling anxious right now about the potential of being attacked, it is not the first time the County was faced with such fears.
Theoretical Bomb "Destroyed" City was the headline in the Daily News on May 6, 1958. The article detailed what would happened if a H-Bomb with the equivalent of 60,000 tons of TNT exploded at the intersection of Routes 5 and 63 in Batavia. The mock attack would have included Bethany, East Pembroke, Oakfield and Stafford. In addition to the center of the City being destroyed, the Batavia hospitals, radio station, newspaper and Civil Defense headquarters all "went up in a flash of fire". Streets were impassable, all utilities were knocked out and everyone caught in the area would be killed. From the center of ground zero to within 3.7 miles received severe damage and casualties were heavy. Within 5.5 miles the damage was moderate, some buildings remained standing, water service was in order but many people were injured. The final zone of damage ranged from 5.5 to 7.4 mile from the point of impact. Here buildings were useable, some highways were blocked but water and utilities were in generally working order. The article did not identify who would be attacking us but as this was during the "Cold War" it most likely was Russia.
The next day the featured photograph showing two young boys sitting beneath a hallway table peeking over their folded arms. The proper procedure for taking shelter in bomb drills was being demonstrated at the Robert Morris Elementary School in Batavia. By May 10th a series of photographs shows additional children participating in "Duck-and- Cover" drills. Kindergartners formed a line as they were ushered to a shelter as part of the Civil Defense test and older children took precautions against the flash from an A-Bomb as they crouched in hallways. For those of you to young to remember these drills here are the basic procedures: 1.Remain calm and without hysteria proceed to the shelter in an orderly formation. 2.If you do not have time to get into the shelter sit under your desk or in the hallway with your legs pulled towards your chest and your head on your knees and cover the back of your neck. Remember coving the back of your neck will guard against the A-bomb flash.
By January 5, 1963 fallout shelter signs were being posted throughout the County. Once identified the shelters were stocked with emergency food, water, medical supplies, radiation detection and measuring devices and would enable occupants to survive for a period of two weeks in the event of a nuclear emergency short of a direct hit. This activity was part of a nationwide program to accommodate possible disaster victims. Eighty-eight buildings in the County were found potentially suitable, but only twenty buildings were all we had that met the Federal Civil Defense standards and these shelters only had the combined capacity of sufficiently shielding 3,913 against radiation. Batavia had 13 buildings; Oakfield-Elba area had three, while Pembroke and the Village of LeRoy had only two each. Under federal regulations, only buildings that met certain standards of lighting, sanitation and protection against radiation were stocked with supplies. The remaining 68 buildings failed to meet basic radiation protection standards and therefore 75 percent of the County's population could not be housed in the event of an attack. If all 88 buildings had been brought up to federal standards only 42,197 persons would have had proper shelter which still left and estimated 11,803 stranded. The Army Engineers estimated over a million dollars were necessary to improve the remaining buildings which included auxiliary power and sanitation services. However, even after conducting the shelter survey the Towns of Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion did not have adequate facilities for a total of 5,000 residents.
In 1965 the Board of Supervisors passed Resolution No. 33 titled: Requiring Participation of All Genesee County Employees in Civil Defense. The Resolution states Whereas, The Federal Civil Defense Guide for the preparation of local Civil Defense programs specifies that existing governmental department heads be assigned Civil Defense duties in order to take advantage of their expert technical knowledge. It was RESOLVED, That each County Department Head shall be Chief of Service of the Genesee County Civil Defense for that service which is comparable to the usual day to day occupation and activities of the respective department, and Be it further RESOLVED, That in those departments where day to day occupation and activities are not comparable to a Civil Defense Service, the Department Head will assume Civil Defense duties assigned by the County Civil Defense Director. Such assignments are to be made with full consideration of the occupational training and experience of the respective Department Head, and Be it further RESOLVED, That all County Employees shall assume Civil Defense duties as directed by the Department Head in which they are employed. All assigned Civil Defense duties shall be construed as regular work routine and shall not be subject to compensatory or additional monetary remuneration.
On June 6, 1966 ground was broke for a new District Civil Defense Facility as part of a "well planned, intelligent" approach to preparedness. Located in the northeast corner of the New York State School for the Blind property was the 10-county Western District Center which was the first of six state emergency operating centers in the event of a war or natural disaster to be constructed. Senator Willard said during the ceremony that "preparedness was a necessity and that should a nuclear attack occur, the nation would require all of the resilient powers of the American people to survive, recover and win."
Remember during the "Cold War" our attackers were Communist with nuclear capacity not the Middle-East. In 1969 Iran had only had electricity for eight years and instructing Iranian teachers in modern scientific concepts was considered a good-will gesture. So, in September of 1969 when a Batavia High School chemistry teacher took a nine months leave of absence along with other U.S. biology and physics teachers to work at the Jundi Shapur University in Ahwaz, Iran as a Chemical Education Materials Study Consultant for the Raytheon Company, he had no idea that his participation to assist a third-world nation might someday effect his hometown. Now its 2003 and we are being asked to stay indoors until the "all clear" is given, to stock up supplies and to remain calm. Without hysteria be prepared to follow proper procedures as soon as they are given. All of the fallout shelters have been closed as was the District Civil Defense Facility in 1988. So remember the "Duck-and-Cover" position as it is really all we do have for comfort! (Keep in mind we who survived the 60's - this will be a piece of cake!)
