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This is a radiological defense operations
room, a nerve center for survival, which we

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hope we will never have to use.

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But since war could come, this room is ready,
and so are others throughout the country.

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The USA, almost three and a half million
square miles, and at the other end of our...

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size, tiny dust-like particles.

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They too have a name, and the name is
Fallout, Radioactive Fallout.

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A large-scale nuclear attack on the United
States could produce a patchwork pattern

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of Fallout covering two-thirds of the nation,
more than two million square miles in a...

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day.

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Within this two million square miles, more
than 100 million people living well beyond

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the destructive range of blast and heat could
be subjected to dangerous or deadly amounts

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of radiation from Fallout.

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At upward 15 miles or more by the mushroom
cloud, spread laterally by shifting winds

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at all altitudes, Fallout from a single
thermonuclear blast could severely...

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strip, downwind from ground zero, 1,200
square miles within an hour of explosion,...

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miles in six hours.

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All of us, even in small towns and on farms,
live within Fallout range of a likely target.

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Furthermore, since these targets are often
only a few hundred miles apart, Fallout...

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can overlap, intensifying the danger.

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How do we know all this?

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From practical experience.

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A thermonuclear test in the Pacific in 1954
produced a highly contaminated area 20 miles

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upwind and 220 miles downwind, with a
variable width up to 40 miles, large enoug...

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from Washington, D.C. to New York City, along
the densely populated eastern seaboard.

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In this 7,000 square mile area, there would
be enough radioactivity to threaten seriously

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the lives of all who failed to take shelter
before Fallout arrived.

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Let's look at it in another way.

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Let's assume that industrial St. Louis were
hit by a weapon with the explosive equivalent

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of millions of tons of TNT.

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Depending on winds, Fallout could extend 40
miles into southwest Illinois in an hour,

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to Terre Haute, Indiana, 150 miles to the
east in seven hours, and to Wheeling, West

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Virginia, another 325 miles within 24 hours.

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A total drift more than 500 miles.

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Civil defense tests have brought the problem
into sharp focus.

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In one exercise, an imaginary force of 500
bombers severely damaged this country's key

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industries.

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Yet effects from Fallout posed a more serious
threat to the nation's survival than did the

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devastating but more localized effects of
blast and heat.

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Let's examine some of the problems.

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Although most sources of water are located
well outside of big cities, the wide drift

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of Fallout could cause serious contamination
of our surface water supplies.

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Fallout from a nuclear attack could gravely
affect the nation's agriculture.

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Water supplies in fields or in open storage
could become dangerously contaminated.

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Possibly they could be recovered for later
use.

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But what about future harvests?

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They too could be dangerous if grown in
seriously contaminated soil.

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Cattle, horses, and sheep might have to be
kept out of pastures for a long time.

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In short, Fallout from nuclear attack would
threaten us with thirst and famine, as well

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as with sickness and death from direct
radiation.

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That is why our survival as a nation can
depend on how well we prepare to defend...

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against radioactive Fallout.

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And there is a defense against Fallout.

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Before we examine our radiological defense
programs, let's take a look at the basis

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of the problem.

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As every youngster learns today, there is
nothing new or mysterious about radiation.

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A retcon, which we call an R, is a standard
unit for measuring radiation.

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In an average lifetime, a human being is
exposed to perhaps a dozen retcons.

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This exposure comes from natural radioactive
elements in the earth and cosmic rays from

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outer space.

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The human body withstands continued exposure
to small radiation doses.

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It is when the rate of delivery is high or
the total dose in a short period is large

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that recovery cannot keep pace with damage.

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Exposure of the whole body in a short time to
600 or more retcons of radiation will

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almost certainly be fatal.

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People receiving 200 retcons or more in a
short period of time will get radiation...

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People receiving 600 or more in a short
period of time will die.

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For your protection, shelter is the answer,
since highly dangerous doses can be produced

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by Fallout radiation.

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This is what happens.

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About 85 percent of a nuclear weapon's energy
results in light, heat, and blast.

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But 15 percent of the released energy is
radiation.

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This is of two types.

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The first, initial radiation, is emitted from
the fireball shortly after detonation.

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As for large weapons, it generally does not
spread beyond the blast area.

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Initial radiation is of minor concern in the
overall problem of radiological defense.

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It is the second type, residual radiation,
that creates the Fallout problem.

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Its production can be described simply.

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When countless billions of atoms in a large
megaton weapon are blasted apart, hundreds

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of pounds of highly radioactive material are
produced.

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When such a bomb bursts at or near the
ground, tens of thousands of tons of earth...

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are carried as high as 15 miles in the
mushroom cloud.

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This tremendous cloud becomes a floating
carrier, which drops tiny radioactive...

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to earth.

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Where these particles land depends on a
combination of three factors.

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One, their shape and size.

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Even the largest may be no bigger than a
single grain of sand.

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Two, the height to which the radioactive
cloud rises.

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And three, the direction and speed of winds
at various altitudes.

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Fallout deposit resulting from the combined
effects of these conditions is generally...

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into three categories, close-in,
intermediate, and delayed.

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Close-in Fallout usually settles within a few
hundred miles of the burst and reaches

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the ground within 10 to 20 hours.

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It is made up of the heavier particles in the
cloud.

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Intermediate Fallout descends within a few
weeks of the detonation.

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Since the particles are small, they remain in
the air for weeks, covering many thousands

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of square miles.

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Sometimes they are driven to earth by rain or
snow.

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Delayed Fallout is composed of very small
particles that may drift completely around

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the earth several times and may not descend
for months or years.

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Radio Defense personnel, RAIDF personnel for
short, are primarily concerned with close-in

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Fallout.

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As you can see, close-in Fallout is our real
problem in radiological defense.

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And the problem becomes even more complicated
because the speed, range, and direction of

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Fallout depend upon ever-changing wind and
weather conditions.

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Large particles fall fast and land relatively
near ground zero.

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Smaller particles fall slowly, land further
away.

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Winds, which vary at all altitudes and
seasons, affect the pattern of these...

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With winds variable at different altitudes,
the spread of Fallout will result from the

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effects of all winds acting upon it.

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For this reason, radiological defense
officers cannot use surface wind direction...

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a basis for forecasting Fallout.

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Radioactive materials decay with time.

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You might say they cool down.

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After all Fallout is down and radiation has
been measured, knowledge of decay rates...

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estimates of how hot it will be days and
weeks later.

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With this information, Civil Defense can
estimate when it will be safe to evacuate ...

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shelters.

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Remember this rule of thumb.

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There is a tenfold decrease in radiation rate
for every sevenfold increase in time after

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detonation.

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For example, a level of 1,000 R per hour at
one hour after the explosion would be reduced

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to 100 R per hour seven hours following the
explosion.

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At seven times seven hours or in two days,
the level would be down to 10 R per hour.

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At seven times 49 hours or at the end of two
weeks, the level would be reduced to only

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one R per hour.

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Please remember, until decay reduces
radiation to tolerable levels, there are o...

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against it.

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Distance, that is evacuation to safe areas,
or mass, which is shelter.

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Underground shelters covered by at least
three feet of earth or basement shelters o...

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types recommended by Civil Defense will give
substantial protection.

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This is why we believe that most people who
live beyond areas destroyed by blast and heat

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can survive fallout if they will follow Civil
Defense instructions.

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As serious as fallout is, we can cope with it
through action as individuals and through

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an effective radiological defense program.

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An active program carried on by federal,
state, and local governments.

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At the federal level, representatives of many
agencies meet regularly to perfect methods

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of collecting and analyzing fallout
information and to find the best means of...

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states and communities about fallout
conditions after a nuclear attack.

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An important part of the radiological defense
program is a series of monitoring networks

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stretching across the country.

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A combined system of federal, state, and
local stations, thousands in all, which wi...

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information on radiation levels as soon as
fallout begins to spread downwind.

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On the basis of this information transmitted
by top priority communications of every type

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from coast to coast, early, effective action
for our protection would begin at state and

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local levels.

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In some cases, evacuation.

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In most cases, shelter.

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The federal monitoring network at weather
bureau stations, federal aviation agency...

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Department of Defense air weather service
units, and other government organizations

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operates on a round-the-clock basis.

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At every level of government, radiological
defense units are being equipped and trained

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to act.

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Fallout forecasts issued several times daily
by weather bureau stations will be useful

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in estimating local fallout areas if we are
attacked.

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Certain stations gather weather information
that is processed to give an estimate of the

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areas in the nation where fallout could be
expected.

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Sent over a vast teletype network to civil
defense and other offices throughout the

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nation, the coded information is charted on
maps to show sections threatened by fallout.

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Lines on the map show where and when the
fallout is likely to arrive.

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At all civil defense regional offices,
radiological defense personnel help state...

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in their regions.

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Regional officers arrange for the
distribution of training kits, supervise t...

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of federal funds to state RAIDF work, set up
RAIDF training in their regions, and...

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RAIDF activities of all federal agencies in
the region.

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After an attack, the regional RAIDF staff
will collect, analyze, and evaluate all...

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information received from the states, and
will coordinate the flow of information to

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and from federal and state control points.

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The state RAIDF people will use both ground
and aerial monitoring units to make broad

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statewide surveys.

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Entire highway systems and key transportation
routes, major industrial and supply sites,

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as well as urban and rural areas, will be
checked as rapidly as personnel safety...

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The state RAIDF unit also maintains working
maps. It plots and correlates data, analyzes

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reports. By transmitting its summaries, it
links regional and local offices.

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But it is at the local government level that
radiological defense will be on an immediate,

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down-to-earth basis.

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Local RAIDF will perfect and test detailed
plans for operations, keep all equipment

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in readiness condition, train and rehearse
operating crews so they, too, will be ready.

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It will set up communications between its
units, and for liaison with state RAIDF...

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When an attack warning sounds, local survival
plans go into effect.

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Monitors will report to their stations. The
public will be advised to take shelter or

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evacuate.

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After attack, first reports of radiation
measurements will come from sheltered...

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As soon as radiation levels permit, police,
firemen, highway maintenance men,...

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officers, everyone trained to use survey
meters, will begin the vital work of getting

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detailed data to control centers.

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From this information, current situation
reports will be prepared. Using these...

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officers can answer urgent questions raised
by local authorities. Can short survival

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missions be undertaken? Is our water safe?
What roads are safe? Are feed, livestock,

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and crops contaminated? When can emergency
teams begin decontaminating and reclaiming

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property?

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When will radiation die down enough to make
it safe for people to leave shelters for

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brief periods and for utilities to be put
back into service?

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Survival of whole communities can depend on
the accuracy of answers given to these...

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Local RAIDF plans also cover places where
people work. Employers must shoulder their

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responsibilities by providing fallout
shelters for workers. At work and at home,...

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must understand the hazards of fallout and
the value of shelter. Every family must...

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for its own survival for at least two weeks.
Since radiation levels outside would often

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be deadly, fallout shelters will protect the
most people.

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Both the underground and indoor basement
shelters recommended by civil defense can ...

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effective. They must be stocked with a
two-week supply of food and water. First a...

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flashlights, and a battery radio with
Conelrad frequencies 640 and 1240 clearly...

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the dial should be included. Factories,
offices, and

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apartment houses and schools all must provide
shelters. Remember too that personal...

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is important. Fallout particles can be
brushed from clothing and washed from skin...

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all, a big program, some of it in being, some
under development. But it takes action to

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fulfill this program. Radiological defense
training is being expanded. First priority,

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train more instructors. At three national
centers, in classrooms, on calibration...

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learning theory and practice, more than 2,000
adult students each year are taking basic

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or advanced courses. Courses that will
qualify them to instruct classes back home...

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of 600,000 monitors must be trained to make
radiological defense effective in every...

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00:24:36,579 --> 00:24:43,579
To support this program, radiation survey
meters are being distributed widely. These

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instruments, which measure radiation levels
in terms of Renkins or Millirenkins per hour,

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00:24:51,579 --> 00:24:57,579
are the backbone of radiological defense. In
addition to survey meters, dosimeters,

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instruments which measure total doses of
radiation, are being distributed to the...

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agencies. Radiological defense instrument
kits for use in science classes are being

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distributed to 15,000 high schools throughout
the nation. With the aid of this equipment,

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our young people will acquire a better
understanding of radiation. The

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will be better prepared to contribute to the
nation's RAIDF effort. Improved radiation

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measuring instruments and multiple purpose
computers are being designed, built and...

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An intensive public education program to tell
the American people about radioactive fallout

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and shelter is underway. For it is an
informed public that will mean the differe...

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success and failure in meeting this threat.
Informed people in homes and factories and

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offices must know their personal
responsibilities for shelter and protectio...

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at all levels of government, from Washington,
D.C., to the smallest town council, must...

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the RAIDF program and help make it work if
the people of the nation are to survive.

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Our efforts now to build a workable
radiological defense will pay off richly b...

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deter aggression and by saving countless
lives if nuclear attacks should come.