Show s Co i ra oo of CD bV yS Portland t The possible disbanding of oC th Portland Civil Defense oration or or- a. a t tion has become the sub sub- Je u. u f much conversation and mi f nt information as reflected b bym ts at t county and oth oth- err D' D 1 levels le the past few w. w RL B B. B M M. Anderson Davis I County Bounty Civil Defense Director 1 this week TIIE PORTLAND incident b s a one one and is settled yet Mr 11 And Af r on n said It should I not Ot be bc as limed that the set of cir cir- curn c lances ilces which led lcd to the Portland nd city council contro- contro c rover tover its civil defense JQ n exists in all cities Davis Davis' av s county citizens he hes s said lr can an take comfort in k ing that in Utah there isa is isa a c able CD program g headed headed- h ed by a dedicated man L Lc Leon rd rd r Higgins and supported support support- ed Gov Gov- George Clyde and General Maxwell Rich The women's CD program for this sl t leas been outstanding and r 1 known in national CD The Medical Med cal Self- Self help program in Utah leads lb J nation on I I I FOLLOWING the events in Portland Assistant Secretary y yr r Defense f nse Honorable Steuart Uman sent the following 4 m to the he mayor of Port- Port Porta Jand a j and nd a number of oC I N lrI stale e state stale officials I I I understand un that the city council of of Portland has taken to lo eliminate those CD activities li s in the city intended to meet wartime disasters It Itis Itis is the considered judgment of the President and Secretary of Defense that existing fallout shelter space supported by and local emergency organizations would significantly significantly significantly cantly improve the chances of k survival of people in any part of oC the United States in the ther r event of oC nuclear attack t f PORTLAND is one of sev sev- several urai eral dozen cities fortunate i enough to have shielding from t f r fallout radiation adequate to lo toI I accommodate its entire 5 lation laUon The federal government government government govern govern- ment has shipped a large larger r amount amount of shelter supplies purchased with funds it by Congress to nearby near near- nearby 1 by federal warehouses to stock this potential shelter resource v. v and make possible an diceS dice dice- S live five working shelter system in Portland Your city cily fulfilling fulfilling fulfil fulfil- ling g its part in a joint federal state and local undertaking l. l has already obtained pc permission Im I'm is- is sr srI sion on from the owners of r I I buildings to a ate t c people in shelter ar ar- i. i cas Your decision to eliminate eliminate eliminate nate the activities which could x S r bring thus this resource for saving lives into actuality is one of r profound sigI significance for the people of Portland THE TilE CD program is now an integral part of the total military defense effort Progress Progress ress in strengthening ng this I country through military and civilian civiJian measures of defense de depends on a coherent national nation nation- al effort I would hope that any decision by the cit city council council coun coun- cil to pursue an independent and inconsistent policy on defence defense defense de de- fence matters mailers would be final- final only after careful study Therefore I urge that you consider forming a committee of civic leaders to examine the complexities of oC this lem I 1 would be glad to meet with such a group in m Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington or Portland for the purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of making available any information we can on the nature nature nature na na- na- na ture of the threat and the theal validity validity val val- of oC defensive measure available to Portland Our conclusion is simply that nuclear nuclear nuclear nu nu- nu- nu clear war wal while not likely is isa isa isa a possibility over the years ahead which we cannot ig Jg- ig- ig nore fore IF IT SHOULD occur the chances of Portland being passed assed up by nuclear explosions explosions but subjected to lethal radiation would be very real And if this should happen the failure to organize the effective tive use of oC existing shelter space in Portland would mean that hat a large part of the Portland Portland Port Port- land and population would be overexposed overexposed overexposed over over- exposed to radia radiation tion with trag hag I tc ic c consequences which could have ha lave been avoided at negligible ble cost and considerable ap- ap I to a difficult management management management man man- task by those who run un the city's affairs P Pen Pending e n d din i n g clarification of Portland's capacity and intention in- in to use the results of he the shelter survey suney and federal shelter heller supplies I have instructed instructed instructed in in- my regional director to hold up all aU federal CD resources resources re IC re- re sources earmarked for the cit city of Portland Should you so request this aid would be restored but if supplies have han been rerouted to other cities the startup up up lime time would take lake many additional months SHOULD AN c y arise and the city cily be unprepared unprepared pared I would urge that you youat youat youat at least have developed a method for the people of Portland Portland Portland Port Port- land to know which buildings would offer shielding against radiation Even though such shelters would not be stocked nor staffed by trained people to manage them and to monitor monitor monitor moni moni- tor radiation and even though the warning system may have deteriorated chaotic and unplanned unplanned unplanned un un- planned use of the protected areas would be better belter than nothing |