Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968 Re: Request to propose CSP for Brazos County BRAZOS COUNTY CIVIC DEFENSE i lei 4 '.eL 4 January 15, 1968 Mr. C. O. biyne, Chief Division of Defense and Disaster Relief Department of Public Safety Box 4087, North Austin Station Austin, Texas 75751 Dear Sir; Tbe Brazos County Civil Defense organization proposes to develop a Community Shelter Plan (CSP) for Brazos County. The proposed CSP is to be a part of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) national CSP program. c..propose to use the general process outlined for a - nnfonded C :P project in Part D, Chapter 3, Appendixes i and 3. We will also utilize, as appropriate, guidance and infor- tnation provided by the local civil defernae agency; State civil defense agency; State planning agency; Region Five, Office of Civil Defense; and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in meeting the necessary planning requirements. �: Sincerely, f f County Judge 0 00 0o i 1,. 00 p0 ==; � � Commission r '. "� JOHN PEACE HOMER GARRISON, JR. . ,�.':' Chairman Director " """" GARRETT MORRIS WILSON E. SPEIR TEXAS DEPARTMENT \ p CLIFTON W. CASSIDY, JR. Assistant Director TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Commissioners 5805 N. LAMAR BLVD. BOX 4087, NORTH AUSTIN STATION AUSTIN 78751 DIVISION OF DEFENSE AND DISASTER RELIEF January 1 8 , 1968 btr. Bill Parker, Director Office of Civil Defense, Region 5 Denton Federal Center Denton, Texas 76202 Dear Mr. Parker: The attached copy of a letter from the Honorable William R. Vance, County Judge, Brazos County, Texas, identifies his interest in developing a Community Shelter Plan for that political area. It is forwarded for your approval and does not require excessive Corps of Lagineer effort since the Fort Worth District recently performed an up- dating survey of facilities in Brazos County. Sincerely, _ C. O. Layne, State Coordinator Division of Defense & Disaster Relief Leur. . ce T. Ayres State Community Shelter Planning Officer LTA:mas Enclosures cc: The Honorable Wm. R. Vance Op � OG . ., �� " a Oa _ ��i ��F` ''. 00 f / Commission JOHN PEACE HOMER GARRISON, JR. Chairman Director " "" GARRETT MORRIS WILSON E. SPEIR p _ CLIFTON W. CASSIDY, JR. Assistant Director TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY Commissioners 5805 N. LAMAR BLVD. BOX 4087, NORTH AUSTIN STATION AUSTIN 78751 DIVISION OF DEFENSE January 18, 1968 AND DISASTER RELIEF The Honorable William R. Vance County Judge, Brazos County Brazos County Courthouse Bryan, Texas 77801 Dear Judge Vance: A copy of your recent letter, received January 17, indicating interest in participating in the National Community Shelter Plan program, has been forwarded to the Regional headquarters, Office of Civil Defense, for appropriate action. As soon as necessary information is supplied by both the Bureau of Census and the Fort Worth District, Corps of Engineers, you will be contacted through your Civil Defense director regarding your proposal in developing policy and technical committees to provide local guidance in developing the local plan. The enclosed brochure may be of interest to you. Sincerely, C. 0. Layne State Coordinator .uren•e T. Ayre Stat- ommunity - - ter Planning Officer LTA:cvk Enclosure cc: Mr. Jake Canglose V 1 CSP TECHNICAL AND POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEES Acceptance and implementation of a Community Shelter Plan will be facilitated where technical and policy advisory committees are established early in the planning process. Membership of each committee may be drawn from the govern- mental and (at local option) private groups closely identified with the committee's functions. r aiiy localities, it will be appropriate to organize two committees: (1) A CSP technical advisory committee and (2) A CSP policy advisory committee% (The latter committee may better be called a CSP policy council.) e technical committee should be chaired by the planner who is the CSP project leader. Its membership, in addition to the civil defense director, should be chosen from the leadership of the following groups: Government departments with direct responsibility for CSP implementation, such as: 7 .4 Police and fire departments Public health and welfare departments City planning directors from the CSP area Public works departments Federal and State agencies Officers from nearby military installations Architects and engineers in private practice who have qualified as fallout shelter analysts Real estate boards School, hospital and other institutional administrators E �1� of the technical advisory committee is to focus all the technical of the CSP area on the planning and implementation of a realistic olicy council should be chaired by the mayor, county judge or county ner, with the civil defense director serving as executive secretary. il membership, in addition to the urban planner, should be chosen leadership of the following groups: CSP Technical and Policy Advisory Committees Page two City council or other legislative body City manager (where applicable) Business and industry (This is especially important because some 70 percent of the shelter space identified in the National Fallout Shelter Survey was found in buildings owned by business and industry, and because many industries have developed shelter plans for their employees.) Media, including press, radio, television and the advertising industry (These policy council members should also be prepared to work actively with the local planner and civil defense director to produce the materials required throughout the CSP process.) School board Red Cross Private health and welfare agency boards, including Community Welfare Councils where applicable Civic organizations Minority groups Church officials Universities or colleges in the CSP area Professional associations such as: Educational Medical, including paramedical Architectural and engineering The function of the policy council is to: (1) Assist local government in the policy decisions necessary for a realistic CSP; (2) Serve as an educational channel to all citizens; and (3) Involve all community resources in supporting services to CSP. In order to accomplish this, it is suggested that, where applicable, the council form subcommittees for specific areas of responsibility. Probable Planning Agency (1) Proposed Area (2) Counterpart Civil Defense Organization (3) Readiness to participate in a Community Shelter Program: Ready to start now T Will be ready to start in the near future l7 Prefer to postpone starting / A letter of intent (similar to Attachment A) will be satisfactory to local officials involved and will be submitted by local officials upon determination of priority in the State program. A conference can be arranged upon determination of State priority to include: County Judge / Mayor(s) /7 Appropriate local Civil Defense Director(s) / / County or city engineers or local planners / A (formal) (informal) briefing concerning this program by a State representative is desired for: (City) (County) officials / Proposed committee / / Arrangements for the briefing will be made by (4) (1) This may be either a county or city planning agency or a county or city civil defense office, agency or individual. (2) It is anticipated that this will be an area of at least county size. (3) City or county. (4) Individual or agency to be contacted to coordinate the briefing. COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN PROGRAM A substantial inventory of fallout shelter now has been identified in the United States. The Department of Defense shelter program is making orderly progress towards the goal of a shelter space for each citizen, so located as to be available where needed, whether near his home, his school or his place of work. It should be emphasized at this point that the type shelter involved is from fallout rather than from blast. If an attack should occur in the near future, the fallout shelter already identified and marked would save many lives. This is because people who were in buildings affording shelter, or who were nearby and knew that the shelter signs identified protected areas, would know where to go. However, neither the shelters now marked nor those which will be added in the future will function at maximum effectiveness until every citizen knows where he should go and what he should do in case of attack. The next step in developing operational local civil defense systems is to build upon the investment represented by the shelter program by determining what each citizen should do in time of emergency and by getting that information to the individual. The largest part of this job involves matching people to the best protected space now available and making these allocations know. Shelter deficit areas also must be defined with precision so that efforts to identify or create more shelter can be focused in these areas. In addition, existing civil defense emergency plans must be updated and . based on shelter allocation plans to create a working, shelter -based local civil defense system. This includes, for example, detailed local prepara- tions for the police force to help the people move to shelters, for manning shelters with shelter managers and radiation monitors, for communications from shelters to Emergency Operating Centers and for support by any military units which might be available. A Community Shelter Plan provides that basis for giving the people in a local community answers to the questions, "Where do I go ?" and "What do I do ?" in case of a nuclear attack. It does this by allocating people to shelters so as to make the best use of the best protected space existing at any given time; this means that allocation plans, follow =ng their initial development, must be updated as new shelter space is identified or created and as population patterns change. The Community Shelter Plan includes instructions and advise for people who cannot be allocated to public shelter, e.g., instructions on how to improve the protection existing in homes, including action which can be taken to do this in a crisis period. A Community Shelter Plan also defines precisely areas of shelter deficit. This allows concrete and specific local procedures to be established to alleviate deficits, by the application of funds and efforts where they are needed under such programs as the Small Structure Survey, the Portable Ventilation Kit program and the Architect - Engineer Professional Development Service to encourage the use of "slanting" techniques to incorporate shelter in the design of new buildings. Community Shelter Plan Program Page two bcperience in Community Shelter Plan field -test projects to date has shown that developing shelter allocation plans is a relatively time - consuming activity which a professional city or urban planner is best equipped to handle, just as architect - engineers are best able to survey buildings for fallout protection. Accordingly, planning assistance for communities can be provided by a State Community Shelter Planning Officer if it is the local decision to participate in this national effort. Although he will not be able to devote any of his time to updating civil defense emergency operating plans, the State Community Shelter Planning Officer can assist each community in shelter planning, including technical assist- ance. Further, the Office of Civil Defense will provide 100 percent funding for the costs of printing and, as necessary, distributing community shelter planning information materials to the citizens of each community. There is no appreciable cost to a community to participate in this program- - the major expenditure will be of time contributed by committee members and planning agencies or civil defense personnel. To acquire this assistance, a community need only agree to participate in this national effort; to develop certain input and other information, including shelter and movement criteria, emergency readiness information, procedures for development of shelter; to secure whatever local adoption is required (under local ordinances); and to update local civil defense plans. It is anticipated that the smallest area for which a community shelter plan will be prepared will be an entire county. However, it is further anticipated that a city planning staff within a county, which lacks such a staff, will be designated, by mutual local agreement, as the agency to develop a county plan in behalf of the entire county. With the large number or counties in Texas, it is obvious that a method be employed for establishing a project priority in developing community shelter plans. The priority will depend on a number of points, one of which will be the willingness and desire of the community to participate. Although the major determination of this willingness will be evidenced by the officials, a contributing asset will be the extent of interest and enthusiasm evidenced by the citizens who will compose a technical or a policy advisory committee. The organization recommended for proposed committees is such that the membership will: provide a broad basis for responsibility and policy decisions; serve as an educational channel to local officials and citizens, thereby increasing understanding and acceptance of the plan developed; and provide a method of cooperation between civil defense, planning entities, government officials and citizen leadership. Typical committee organizations are shown in the accompanying attachment. As these represent a composite of communities of varying populations, committees for specific areas will deviate and vary because of availability of personnel, populations, community needs, etc. Community Shelter Plan Program Page three The need for community participation in this national program cannot be overemphasized; officials are encouraged to consider this proposal with care. The project is, for a community, the cheapest insurance that has yet been developed. Attachments: Proposed Committee Organization