“* MAJOR ACTIVITIES
future AEC developmental tests.
55
Staff members also reviewed design
criteria for protection construction standards to be released by FCDA
to guide Federal agencies and the public in erecting structures in or
near designated target areas. Assistance wasalso given to the Bureau
of Ships, Department of the Navy, on design criteria and materials
necessary for construction of adequate shelters. A classified briefing
was held for the Civil Defense Committee of the Life Insurance
Association of America to acquaint them with the responsibilities of
civil defense.
Emergency Radiation Monitoring Teams
Pending establishment of civil defense organizations with definite
assigned functions for radiological defense, the Commission acted in
1949 to establish emergency radiation monitoring teams in about 20
locations throughout the United States, to operate under the jurisdiction of 5 AEC operations offices. These teams were composed of
AEC and contractor personnel experienced in radiation detection
work at atomic energy installations, and stood ready to monitor any
radioactivity resulting from enemy attack or disaster, using radiation
detection instruments stockpiled by the Commission.
In the period since establishing this emergency monitoring network,
civil defense organization and training have made appreciable strides
forward, with the result that on January 4, 1954, after consultation
with the Federal Civil Defense Administration, the AEC teams were
relieved of responsibility for civil defense radiological monitoring
operations. AEC continues to serve as scientific and technical adviser
to FCDAand to State and local civil defense bodies in this area and
wherever AEC experience and competence apply.
Also, AEC continues to make available, on a loan basis, radiation
detection instruments and certain radioisotopes for civil defense radio-
logical training use by States and cities, upon endorsement of their
applications by the FCDA.
Loans to the following were made in the
current 6 months period: Texas and Arkansas-—instruments; Florida
and Texas—radioisotopes.
bt
Dissemination of Information from Civil Effects Tests
Information compiled from weapons test. reports of the spring 1953
series at the Nevada Proving Ground was issued as public information
by FCDA. It includes data on air-zero locators, identification tags,
typical frame residences, and homeshelters.
The genetics experiments in the spring 1953 test series were of
particular scientific interest. Unclassified extracts from the weapons
test reports were given at several scientific meetings, and 14 articles on
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