Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpeech of Col. Homer Garrison, Jr. Speech of Colonel Hcmer Garrison, Jr. Director, Department of Public Safety State Coordinator of Civil Defense and Disaster Relief Annual State Civil Defense Directors' Conference Stephen F. Austin Hotel February 3, 1964 12 :00 Noon It is a great source of pride to me that the Department of Public Safety was chosen about a year ago by Governor Connally as the agency of our state government to house and operate the State Office of Defense and Disaster Relief. Although the time has been short since this function was transferred from the Executive Department, it has been integrated into the agency which was created to protect the lives and property of the people of Texas without disruption. We feel that the confidence placed in us has been justified, and trust that everyone concerned is satisfied with the performance of this office under the relatively new arrangement. We sincerely believe the transfer of this operation to the Department of Public Safety was an appropriate move, for several important reasons, number one is the basic idea that emergency is our business, day in and day out. Our personnel are trained to deal with emergency of all kinds at all times. Our facilities are set up and in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week for this purpose. Certainly, this is a decided ad= vantage in the event of major disaster, natural or man -made, because we can depend on experience and do not have to rely on theory in meeting the needs of people in trouble. In other words, when disaster strikes, we do not have to crank up a cold engine...we already have one...warmed up...in gear...and running. Another reason is that the Department of Public Safety already was charged with a major role in defense and disaster relief even before the transfer of the state office Therefore, it is obvious that there was a much better opportunity for coordination of the total effort at the state level with all elements under the same roof. For example, the Department routinely provides leadership and assistance in planning coordinated efforts of government...state and local...so that an effective civil defense organization is ready when needed. During a disaster situation, the responsibilities of the Department fall into these three classes: One, it participates in the Texas Operational Survival Plan...Two, it carries out specific disaster relief responsibilities and activities assigned to the agency by law and by executive order... and Three, carries out its regular duties. By virtue of its rapid communications, its trained investigators and officers, and its strategic placement of manpower and equipment, the Department is assigned specific operational duties to facilitate the work of disaster relief at any location in the state. It is charged with the duty to provide warnings to designated state departments and agencies and to the political subdivisions of the state concerning actual or threatened danger from natural causes such as hurricanes, tornadoes or other severe weather, and of possible enemy attack. - 2 - It also is charged with the maintenance of a communications system adequate for intelligence reports, reconnaissance details, requests for assistance and operational coordination and guidance. The third responsibility charged to the Department is to provide for and coordinate adequate police services, both on the highways and when necessary in local communities, to reduce casualties, minimize property damage and loss, axd to restore as rapidly as possible the basic elements of community life. Furthermore, under the Texas Survival Plan, Texas highway patrol captains are designated as coordinators of disaster operations for their respective districts. Still another reason why we feel the transfer of the state office was a wise move is because of its physical proximity now to the new underground emergency control center, which is, incidentally, in the final stages of construction on the site of the Department of Public Safety Headquarters in Austin. And, finally, a smothness of operation has been achieved as a partial result of the familiarization of the Defense Office personnel with established policies and procedures of the Department of Public Safety. I might point out that under the old arrangements, these people were relative strangers to the DPS when they were required to move in when an emergency arose. Now, they are right on the scene on a daily basis, with their feet firmly on the ground. For example, when the state office was challenged for the first time since the transfer by Hurricane Cindy in September, 1963, it performed with maximum efficiency and smoothness. We were highly pleased with the entire operation of preparedness for the storm, which had developed suddenly in the Gulf. We were, of course, most thankful that when it moved in, defenses were such that only minor property damage and no personal injuries were reported in the land area affected. Upon notification by the U. S. Weather Bureau that there was a low pressure area that might develop into a tropical storm or hurricane, the State Office of Defense and Disaster Relief smoothly shifted gears and went into full emergency operation. Personnel of the office, already located in the Headquarters, quickly manned the emergency operating center to coordinate activities and provide whatever assistance might be needed in local areas. The State Defense Council, proper officials of State Goverment, federal liaison officers, and DPS personnel in the probable threatened areas, were placed on a standby alert basis, ready to function upon notice. As the storm worsened and became a hurricane, the program for combatting this type of storm was already in motion. Local officials were kept advised of conditions, areas of activity were reviewed... and lessons learned from the devastating Hurricane Carla two years earlier began to influence decisions and activities. Local officials requested evacuation in hazardous areas. Shelters were manned and placed in operation. Traffic control points were established. The Headquarters staff -3 of the Office of Defense and Disaster Relief and other DPS personnel remained on duty throughout the night as did representatives of other state agencies concerned, and of the American Red Cross. The latter provided shelter and food for 2,830 persons at several locations, and sent in 12 national staff disaster people to assist local chapters in this work. Governor Connally authorized the use of 100 men from the Texas National Guard to help in evacuation and other duties. And Governor Connally's office was kept informed throughout the entire operation of existing and potential conditions. Certainly, this was an example of a smooth operation, due to the combined efforts of all local and state officials involved, and certainly due in part to the integration of the state office into the framework of the Department of Public Safety. The foregoing is an attempt to explain to you this matter of defense and disaster relief frcm the perspective of the state level. Certainly it goes withcut saying that everyone realizes that the heart of the total effort in this business lies at the local level. This effort stems frcm the local level, back - stopped by the state effort when help is needed that can't be provided locally and, indeed, backed up by the federal effort when sufficient help can't be provided by the state. This, after all, is basically our system of government. At this point I would like to take the opportunity to commend you as Civil Defense Directors on the significant progress you have made over the past year. Your work is, of necessity, focused on the grim problems which the state would meet if ever faced with nuclear attack or accidental major disaster. This is a subject which no one likes to think about unless they have to. Therefore, it is a very difficult task in the face of public apathy resulting from the human quality which attempts to reject that which is distasteful to contemplate. Pit those who carry leadership and management responsibility in public or private life cannot turn their backs on reasonable measures to minimize loss of life under such circumstances. Your leadership is particularly needed during quiet periods when little public enthusiasm can be expected for such activities. This takes courage, persistence, and close cooperation among all levels of government. Federal, State and local governments each have immense and inescapable responsibilities, to prepare for survival and recovery from the kinds of incidents which must be faced as real possibilities, however unlikely, over the years ahead. The new Federal Civil Defense Prcgrem has been in operation for only a little over a year. The first stage of the program has concentrated on finding and making effective use of the already existing shelter space for over 100 million people. One of the most heartening developments this year has been the widespread willingness of building owners to permit their buildings to be marked and used as public shelter and to donate valuable space to the storage of shelter supplies, without any compensa- tion except the satisfaction of knowing they are contributing to the safety of their communities and defense of their country. -4 Prngress in the new program has brought about crucial decisions for civil defense which confront state and local governments. The next stage of this nationwide effort will require additional federal financial assistance to communities and institutions planning to meet the local deficiency in shelter space which has been defined for the first time by the recently completed survey. Because it involves the direct participation of the American people in preparation for the possibility of a war which we seek to avoid, civil defense quite naturally evokes conflicting emotions and attitudes. It is our belief that the people have a right to expect to be led and not followed by their government in matters of national defense. There is every reason to believe that nuclear war will be prevented and the risk under which we live today will lessen. On the other hand, the danger may increase as time goes by. We have no way of knowing, and therefore, it makes sense to work today for a more effective civil defense program. We must face the fact that there is no such thing as human perfection...and defense is a human function. Therefore, we must accomplish more, as a team for survival than we have accomplished thus far. There is another...and very real...aspect to this matter of civil defense. The value of general civil defense training has been forcibly demonstrated in so many types of natural disaster and accidental catastrophes during the past few years that planning is now being studied by United Nations officials to establish a new kind of emergency aid service. This would aim at coordinating all the types of aid that might be rushed to disaster areas on short notice from governments, welfare agencies and private industries. An outstanding feature would be an up -to -date registry of specialized rescue and disaster equipment, such as helicopters, bulldozers, hydraulic pumps, and so forth, that would be available in times of such emergencies. The possibility of regional depots where drugs could be stored for such emergency use is also being con- sidered. Disasters caused by hurricanes, floods, fires, train wrecks and other accidents prompted the United Nations planning for a world -wide emergency service. Aside from this ambitious planning...in our own state and nation...civil defense organizations have contributed invaluable assistance in numerous large -scale emergencies in many locations. In Texas there have been numerous incidents when the value of organized civil defense has been made increasingly obvious. Let me cite one more example, in the form of an incident which came near to being the first of its kind, right in the heart of cur state. At 10 :24 A.M. November 13, 1963, a terrific blast rocked a large area about 10 miles west of San Antonio, shattering plate glass windcws in the city and touching off a chain reaction of imagination in people's minds for hundreds of miles. In the mad scramble for facts, with people putting their own two and two together and coming up with five, six or seven...these things were heard: -5 That a mushroom - shaped cloud which arose over the Medina Base facility of the Atomic Energy Commission nearby San Antonio looked exactly like pictures of Hiroshima... that somebody reported they saw the cloud in Corpus Christi, some 150 miles away... and so on. What might have happened was something that hadn't happened her before. What actually happened was that three workmen were loading tons of chemical -type explosives in a remote storage "igloo" on the Medina Facility. One of them saw a flash and they ran for cover. A terrific explosion occurred. A huge cloud rose. Nuclear materials were stored on the Medina Base. But this wasn't a nuclear explosion after all. It was later described as a chemical explosive similar to TNT, and posed no threat of radiation in spite of the fact that the blast scattered uranium about. But there was no fission, hence fallout, which was the great initial fear. It was a big explosion...later estimated at up to 60 tons. But there were no serious injuries, and even the workmen escaped with minor bruises. But at the outset, nobody knew just what had happened, and the big question mark was whether or not the area was faced with a nuclear situation unprecedented in this country. Several questions immediately were raised. Who was in place to do something about it...if it had been? Did anybody know what to do? Was there any kind of organization to take remedial steps in such a situation? You can be sure that there was. At the first report of the explosion...city, county and state civil defense directors went on full alert. The state office moved into the emergency control center. Close contact was maintained with Governor Connally, the Federal Office of Civil Defense at Denton, and other key officials. All possible communications links were put into operation. The state office correlated and coordinated information that came in from various sources and kept appropriate state officials advised of condition reports. The State Office of Defense and Disaster Relief alerted members of the State Disaster Council and within minutes radiation engineers from the State Health Department were dispatched to the area to search for possible radiation by means of air, soil and water samples for laboratory processing. Medical staff at the state level and local level were alerted, as were hospitals in the area. The San Antonio district highway patrol captain...heading the state liaison office for civil defense...dispatched control units to the scene to direct traffic as well as gather factual information..Highway patrol supervisory personnel, whose units are equipped with radiation detection devices, worked the area taking readings and reported back they could find no gamma radiation. At about this time, the operations officer for the A. E. C. reported no danger from radiation. Here, then, was a case where local, county, state and federal defense organizations were prepared frcm the beginning to take any actions the situation might indicate. All these preparations were pre - planned, and carried out calmly. People in place knew that first and foremost, there mugt be no panic. They also knew that before any drastic -6 measures should be taken, a fact situation must develop first. But they were ready. The explosion at the atomic base underscores a very good reason for fallout shelters and civil defense..the ever - present danger of accidental atomic explosions. While it would be wonderful to know that the people who produce and handle nuclear materials could forever prevent an accidental atomic blast, we know that there is no such thing as human perfection. And, if an accidental atonic explosion should occur, people in the area will have to be sheltered for a time from the fallout. Fallout shelters and civil defense are primarily considered as contingencies for atomic attack. Add the possibility of accidental explosion to the possibility of war, and the case for fallout shelters and civil defense is firmly established. Throughout our civil defense program, and as a team for survival, let each of us here today work and strive together for the best possible defense against the forces of man and nature which pose a threat to the lives and well -being of the people. All of you who are so effectively laying the base for realistic measures to reduce the vulnerability of our people to natural disaster, accidental major disaster, or nuclear attack are to be congratulated for your dedication to purpose and to the welfare of your fellowmen.