Show t E Program Defended Misinformation was claimed by Davis County Civil Defense Defense Defense De De- De- De and by other County CD organizations throughout the state on a broadcast by byone byone byone one of the l leading ding TV broadcasting broadcasting broadcasting broad broad- casting stations in the state The broadcast at pm p.m. Saturday March 28 called Camera 4 is claimed to have given the listening public the impression that Civil Defense is a failure in Utah THE CD organizations say this is far from the truth The CD organizations feel facts can be given to rectify the program B. B M. M Anderson Ander Ander- son a time long-time resident of Davis County and active in in CD since its beginning before his retirement was Davis County County County Coun Coun- ty CD Director With the help of Davis County citizens and County officials set up a complete complete complete com com- CD organization Feeling it is of the be best in the state he took tool exception to the broadcast and speaks in defense defense defense de de- de- de of the CD program in Davis County and the State of Utah The following is the letter he sent to the broadcasting station on behalf of Davis County's Civil Defense and the State Program Social Hall Ave Salt Lake City Utah Dear Sirs It is with regret that I find it necessary to offer constructive criticism to your Camera 4 broadcast broadcast broadcast broad broad- cast of pm p.m. Saturday Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day March 28 1970 You may ask what is the writers writer's background to qualify him for this criticism I am B. B M. M Anderson a resident of Davis County for many years and I live at 43 South Main Maui in Farmington Utah I have been a parI participant participant par par- I in Civil Defense k in its many phases since its its very beginning and much of the time as a volunteer worker Previous Previous Previous Pre Pre- to my retirement in 1967 I was the Davis County Civil Defense Di Di- 6 rector I am happy to say that with the support oft of t- t loyal county residents we developed an organization and an Emergency Operation Operation Opera Opera- tion Center second to tot toj j t none with a trained staff prepared to go into action in the event of any emer gency I am familiar with civil ivil defense operations in 10 other counties of state and many of them are also fully organized and have equipment to go into operations on a moments moments moments mo mo- ments notice All of the county organizations are invited to meet once a month at the state headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters where Civil Defense Defense Defense De De- De- De problems are dis dis- dis- dis cussed In the contacts that I have made with these other organizations they feel as I do t that hat h a t your broadcast left your thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of listeners with the feeling that civil defense in Utah is a failure and andI I might even say went so far as to intimate ultimate the same is true of the national national national na na- na- na civil defense pro pro- gram This is far from true In my conversation with Mr Rose the present present pres pres- ent nt Director of Civil Defense Defense Defense De De- De- De in Davis County he said he felt the program was not representative of of the civil defense picture throughout the state Further Further Further Fur Fur- ther that to his knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge you had not been in the Davis County Emergency Emergency Emergency Emer Emer- gency Operation Center with your camera and none of your staff had contacted him He does invite you and your camera camera camera cam cam- era to meet with him and review the civil defense defense defense de de- de- de program in Davis County Some of what you had hadon hadon hadon on your broadcast I sadly sadly sadly sad sad- ly admit is true but I also conclude you made little effort to explain why I think you will agree with me that where there is a human equation equation equation equa equa- tion to be considered as there is in civil defense some will be active and some will not You happened happened happened hap hap- to pick out the wormy apple in the barrel but there are many good apples if you just look for them I would conclude from the tone of your broadcast that you could also bebe bebe be bebe be one of the wormy apples who does not believe believe believe be be- lieve in civil defense It may be useless to say sayto sayto sayto to you that Davis County has the equipment and the activities and more too that you criticize in your wormy apple broadcast With those I have been in touch with they feel that Utah State Civil Defense Defense Defense De De- De- De is not the wormy apple and failure that you make it out to be They should be given equal time on TV to present the goodapple good goodapple goodapple apple side in a broadcast I have always had a high respect for your TV station and I am sorry that I feel it necessary to write this letter in the tone in which I have written it but my feelings are far from being alone in Davis County Respectfully yours B B. B M M. Anderson |