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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAddress by Bill Parker, Director Region Five Address by Mr. Bill Parker Director of Region Five Office of Civil Defense Fifth Annual State Civil Defense Directors Conference Stephen F. Austin Hotel Austin, Texas February 15, 1965 It is a pleasure for me to make my third appearance at this - your Fifth .Annual Conference of Texas Civil Defense Directors° As I customarily do - in preparation for a presentation of this type - I checked with some of my staff in Denton to get their ideas for presenting our current status and our objectives for the coming year. As I talked - one by one - with our office directors, one answer kept coming back - "We are going to continue what we have been doing - and - try harder to accomplish more," Perhaps the full significance of our programming is simply this -- we have achieved continuity of program objectives in Civil Defense. Although we have seen the Office of Civil Defense transferred since our last meeting together - from the Department of Defense to the Office of the Secretary of Army - it was purely an operational change in recognition of the importance of Civil Defense as an operating unit in the defense establishment. And, for the first time, we have clearly defined program objectives which tie together our efforts from one year to the next. There is no indecision.nor lack of clarity about what we are trying to do. What we did last year - we will still be trying to do this year - what we do not get done this year - we will be working on next year. As you know, I am talking about the development of a national fallout shelter system - complete with stocked shelter facilities, communications, warning, a radiological monitoring capability, and trained staffs with a plan of operation to put these shelters into use - when - and if - necessary. This is, no doubt, the real story of Civil Defense. We have a program - and a purpose. I want to tell you now - that in spite of any adverse publicity or any stories you may read - Civil Defense has a live, on -going shelter program; a program which has made almost dramatic progress since its inception, and one which we believe will continue to increase and expand. With this - then - in mind, I will today give you a report of accomplishments and some comparisons since our last meeting - with some comments on what remains to be done. -2 - As you know, the licensing, marking and stocking of existing shelter space has been our number one program priority. And - you are probably aware that Texas - with about fifty percent of the population of the Region Five area - has also identified almost half of the shelter spaces in our five -state region. The State and local Civil Defense organizations have done a truly magnificent job in meeting this challenge. Let me make a few comparisons: out of the 5.4 million spaces licensed in the five -state area, Texas has licensed approximately 2.6 million to date - an increase of 800,000 over last year's total at this time of 1.8 million licensed spaces. Of these, Texas has now stocked approximately 1.3 million spaces, almost doubling the total stocked this time last year. In terms of total accomplishment, I can only say that this is extraordinary progress when evaluated against the size of the State and local staff organiza- tions doing the job - even though the State does not quite come up to the Regional average on a percentage basis in licensing and stocking. While we are making comparisons, I would like to comment that the State Civil Defense staff in Texas represents about one -fifth of all State Civil Defense employees --in our Region and is carrying about one -half of the total Regional workload - considering workload on the broad, general basis of population, numbers of local organizations, etc. I brought this up simply to recognize the quality of the job the State is doing, and to express the hope that the future will see this capable staff strengthened and increased, growing in capability com- me—qrate with the importance of the program in Texas, bec�4se of its life- saving potential, fallout shelter will continue to be the dominent theme of the Civil Defense program, As President Lyndon B. Johnson said in presenting our program in his recent Defense Message to the Congress, and I quote: 11 ... without fallout shelter protection for our citizens, all defense weapons lose much of their effectiveness in saving lives. This also appears to be the least expensive way of saving millions of lives, and the one which has clear value even without other systems, We will continue our existing programs and start a program to increase the total inventory of shelters through a survey of private homes and other small structures." To meet our goal of shelters for all our population, the 1966 program includes plans for the examination of small structures not included in the original survey, the evaluation of protection in private homes, and the general improvement of capacity - and capability - in existing shelters by ventilation, use of trapped water, etc. Thus, through the continued re- examination of old buildings, and the evaluation of new structures, we will continue to add more and more spaces into the shelter inventory. -3- A nd - as the shelter inventory increases, so must our efforts to develop a workable shelter system which includes all the other facets of Civil Defense that I mentioned earlier. These shelters would be of little value without trained people in specific skills - without the necessary detection and communications equipment - and plans for utilization and operation, We must not only locate, mark and stock these shelters - we must be prepared to inform the people where they are, have a plan for their use, and have the required equipment and supplies to sustain life and emergency operations under fallout conditions, Training and education, therefore, has been appropriately given a high priority in our programming - and both OCD and the State of Texas have taken steps to provide wider and more active Civil Defense Training and Education programs. You - as a local director - responsible for meeting --the training requirements to provide the necessary skills in your community - have the opportunity - and - the obligation to take advantage of all available training resources. To this end, the Civil Defense Adult Education program has been expanded to include radiological monitoring instructions at the local level. The State Education Agency is currently planning to teach 75 such courses in calendar year 1965. Of course, the regular Adult Education program will continue and will add to the more than 150, 000 persons already trained in Texas since 1959. Another valuable training resource is the Army Radiological Monitor Training program. Teams are available to conduct classes in your community. Texas needs over 25,O00 trained monitors in all parts of the State. These two programs, the expanded Civil Defense Adult Education program, and the Army Training program - provide the training - where you need it - to assure the required monitoring capability. In Fiscal Year 1966, it is expected that Civil Defense Management and Radio- logical Officer Training will be added to the training contract with Texas A &M University. Courses already available include: Radiological Monitor Instructors and Shelter Manager Instructor courses, and Shelter Management. A minimum of about 7,000 shelter managers are needed to effectively use the shelters alreadylicensed and stocked in Texas. And as the number of shelters increases - so will the shelter manager requirement. By providing both instructor and end - product training, the University Extension program offers an excellent oppor- tunity to meet our needs. In addition, Texas A &M, in coordination with your State Office, conducts conferences throughout the State for local officials and community leaders. Texas continues -to be one of the Nation's leaders in another training area - the Medical Self -Help program, with over 40, 000 persons trained. This -4- program, conducted through the State Health Department, continues to gain momentum and we expect Texas to maintain its position of leadership. There is also a very active rural Civil Defense program in Texas carried on through the cooperative extension service which is responsible for providing vital Civil Defense information to the rural areas of our State. County and home demonstration agents are cooperating with local directors in this important program. All these valuable resources have just been "harnessed" by the formation of a State Training Coordinating Committee, under the direction of the State Training Office to assure the coordinated expansion in all Civil Defense Training programs. And, the three OCD Training Centers continue to offer technical training for you and your staffs. With such a wealth of resources available, the big job of meeting our training requirements is squarely on your shoulders - as a local director - with intimate knowledge of local needs, The workshop sessions this afternoon will provide any specific assistance you need to take advantage of these opportunities. Another basic element of our shelter system is warning. There are 570-National Warning System Points in the Nation, with 24 located in Texas. A three -year program initiated this year, and federally funded, will provide fallout protection at these warning points. It is expected that 4 of the 24 in Texas will have the protection factor 100 objective by June 30th. Through these points, warning would be relayed to local systems. To use shelter, people must know when to seek it All local directors are urged to develop a warning capability. T The State can give you technical advice for initiating or expanding your local system. The Emergency Broadcast System provides fallout protection and emergency power for selected broadcasting stations throughout the country. To date construction has been completed on 10 of the 14 stations in Texas already included in this program. Eleven more stations are expected to increase the Staters EBS capability this fiscal year. 4 vital link in the shelter system is the Emergency Operating Center program. It is through these centers that continuity of local government will be maintained in an emergency. More than 60 local government EOCis have been established in Texas, each providing as a minimum a protection factor of 100 and, in some cases, a considerably higher degree of protection. 6 more active EOC projects are in various stages of design and /or construction, representing an estimated cost of more than $675, 000. Have you investigated the feasibility of converting existing protected areas in public buildings to EOC use? Have you checked the possibilities of modifying or improving existing space to meet EOC requirements ? Technical assistance and Federal Matching Funds are available when OCD criteria is met. Specific information can be provided at the workshop sessions later today. -5- You will soon receive information regarding a new program that should sub- stantially increase shelter in new construction. Under this - the Professional Development Services program - qualified instructors in fallout shelter analysis and design will be engaged by OCD to provide assistance at the request of State and local directors to architect- engineer firms in incorporating shelter features into planned new buildings. This will be of particular interest to those of you with little or no existing shelters available. More details about this new program can be obtained from the workshop consultants. We have talked about (1) the physical job of locating and stocking shelters, (2) the training of skills staff to manage the shelters and operate necessary equipment, (3) providing warning so that people will know when to take shelter, and (4) the development of Emergency Operating Centers for local government. But - we have not discussed the all- important job of developing plans for the effective use of the shelters - and - how to inform the public which shelter to take. A few pilot studies in community shelter planning are now nearing completion. In fact, the City of Austin is completing one of these projects under the capable direction of Colonel Kengla who has been working with a group of professional planners from the City Planning Department. These studies have -been conducted to determine the best techniques of how to do this planning job - and - so that useful guidance could be developed and issued to local directors for your respective - and effective - community shelter plans. You must be prepared - in an emergency - to answer questions like: Where or who will give me the information so that I will know what to do when an emergency occurs ? How will I know when to go? Where will I go? How do I find it? What am I protected from? Who will be in charge when I get there? What will happen to my family if this occurs while I am at work? If there is no shelter, what do I do to protect myself and my family? A comprehensive community shelter plan can provide the answers to these and other questions. It is my under-. standing that the State will have some guidance material available at the workshops today for those of you who are ready to get underway on this important phase of our shelter system development. A new priority in the coming year will be the updating of operational plans. Part A, Chapters 1 and 2, of the Federal. Guide, which provides planning assump- tions and Civil Defense responsibilities, is now at the printers and should be released to all local directors in the near future. Available for distribution at this conference is the base section of the Montgomery County, Maryland Prototype Operational Plan. These documents will provide you with essential guidance for updating your own operational plan. The military support planning now underway will quite properly concentrate at the State level - and go from there to selected cities or Civil Defense districts, as agreed upon by the State Adjutant General and the State Civil Defense Director. Immediate attention is being focused by the State on their State Operational Plan, and it is obvious - that many of you will want - and need - to begin the task of writing or updating your plan in the near future. A program of such magnitude as the National Fallout Shelter System might once have raised the question: "But, where do- -we begin ?" That query has been answered in the progress reported today -- for we are already committed to developing such a system. Now, you might ask: "But - how can. I hope to do all this?" The reply might be "just one step at a time" - or "as your capa- bilities exist and increase - dependent upon your plans and efforts" - perhaps - a combination of both. P However, I believe I have a better approach, and - although some of you may frown or grimace at the suggestion, 1 wa tyou to seriously consider the program paper and p- rogress reporting procedures. Remember - these are your manage- ment tools - designed as the basic - mechanism to channel the many and varied facets of Civil Defense into a well - balanced- and unified effort. All too often, they have been considered as only the "red-tape" procedures necessary to participate in the Federal Financial Assistance programs. They do establish eligibility for participation in these programs, however, don't let this be your incentive. We will be placing more and more emphasis on the professional development of program papers and the systematic reporting of progress. We will be taking a good hard look at these tools to assure that local efforts are being directed toward a total system and not merely toward the ac- quisition of contributions items or surplus property. I ask your cooperation -- try to reflect your workload, statistics, and your accomplishments or deficiencies completely and accurately, I have asked the -State Director to review the program papers and progress reports carefully -- trying to assure that no city takes on too much - or too little, that priorities are recognized, and that progress is not only possible in planning, but in practice. Realistic data charted on your program papers and reported as accomplishments or deficiencies on your progress reports will be recorded and analyzed on a national computer system. The results can be invaluable, not only to you in planning and plotting your programs, but in helping to shape national policy and in determining areas of future program emphasis. And, there is good news! Next years program paper will be shorter and easier to prepare. I shall leave the administrative details to the workshop consultants. However, I do urge that you look on these procedures - not as a chore or "a means to an end" - but as aids to your efforts for a shelter system in your community. I have referred several times this morning to the workshop sessions scheduled later today. I know that you will want to take advantage of the technical and specific information available from State and Regional consultants in the various program areas, and I look forward to visiting with many of you personally. I know, too, that you look forward - as I do - to the presentation tomorrow by Mr, William P. Durkee, the Director of Civil Defense, Office of the Secretary -7_ of Army. I am sure that he will bring all of us up -to -date on projections for our program. many national In closing today, I don't believe it is necessary for me to re ' present international situation. mind you of the I would "a small world" that we live in - say, however, that it is - indeed - statement about our role: and I would recall to you President Johnson's (and I quote) "An effective Civil Defense program is an im element of our total defense effort. It aims at the portant achievement of a nationwide fallout shelter system." In conclusion, then, I would say only this: Let us continue!