The OCD authorized a page textbook and curriculum prepared by The American Legion for air-raid warden training programs nationwide. The NEC authorized the display of official civil defense insignia on American Legion uniforms while performing their duties. Hundreds of local posts continue to lead civil defense programs and work with local, state and federal authorities — and with VA medical facilities — to coordinate efforts should the need ever arise.
Civil Defences Measures. Evacuation of Government Departments. Defence Measures. Evacuation of School Children. Evacuation of Children from Great Britain Overseas.
Overseas Evacuation. Strategical Situation. Gas Masks. Carrying of Gas Masks by the Public. Tube Shelter Enquiry. Return of civil defence Cabinet Memorandum. Standing Down of the Civil Defence Service.
But all their efforts could not prevent the devastation of December , and in August the watchers were reorganized into the Fire Guard. These would spot incendiary fires, battle them to the best of their ability and send for reinforcements from the NFS if required.
The fear of the use of poison gas by German aircraft was one of the paramount concerns of the Second World War. Although Britain, France and Germany had all renewed the Geneva Gas Protocol , in September there were still concerns that the enemy might have employed gas against military or civilian personnel, and ARP personnel were trained to handle gas attacks and on anti-gas measures and protection.
Several arms of the ARP services were directly concerned with gas. The Decontamination Service was the first, to decontaminate roads, buildings and materials contaminated by liquid or jelly gases, which would evaporate over time and these would have been dealt with by using a neutralizing agent against the liquid or jelly.
Decontamination of people was carried out as part of first aid, while later decontamination personnel were trained in rescue work as well. Depots were set up as six depots per , people, with two decontamination squadrons per depot, each squadron consisting of six men with their equipment. The Cleansing Service was to clean people who had been exposed, through showers by mobile units with special vans and lorries.
Clothing had to be boiled, if exposed, for varying lengths of time dependant on the material. Civilian clothing was the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. Each gas presented its own problems and required special counters, and the Gas Identification Service, with 3 personnel per , population provided where possible, was to identify the gas used in an attack.
The expected nature of air raids in the Second World War, led to the First World War trench-warfare style of triage being adopted for home use. First Aid parties would attend the scene of the destruction, where they would deal with minor injuries on the spot, prioritizing more serious injuries and sending them back to First Aid Posts, each with a doctor and trained nurses to treat the more serious injuries.
The most serious cases would be sent to a casualty clearing hospital. After , the casualty services came under the control of the Ministry of Health.
Each Warden's sector had an assigned doctor, who could be summoned to an incident if there were casualties. The Medical Services also controlled the Emergency Mortuaries to deal with the vast number of bodies expected as a result of air raids, a series of these being set up in each area in commandeered premises.
The stretcher-bearers worked exclusively from hospitals and were made up of volunteers. In , the duties of the police were envisaged as increasing so enormously when war broke out, that the numbers of police had to be trebled. The First Police Reserve of Police Pensioners, the Second Reserve of Special Constables, part-time and unpaid and the Third Reserve, which was a war reserve that was full time and signed up for war service only, were all needed to fill the Police Services manpower requirements.
At first all police were regarded as a reserved occupation, but later increasing demands on personnel saw police were released up to the age of 30 and war reservists up to 33, leaving more work for the Special Constables. Their numbers were small, not reaching 10, at their height, some forces employing no women at all. The build-up to war had seen police stations bomb-proofed, while reserve stations were set up and suitable buildings were converted and equipped to be used if the main station was bombed.
Outside London the police were usually in charge of incidents. The police had the power to deal with blackout violations, but not the wardens, who referred them. The police also had to deal with incendiaries, gas, unexploded bombs, crashed aircraft, national registration, loose barrage balloons, enemy aliens and drunken servicemen.
Their special departments had to monitor spies, fifth columnists, looting, sabotage and black marketeering. The police also had their own messengers, the Police Auxiliary Messenger Service.
The Rescue Services was, in its first incarnation, to rescue survivors and repair or demolish damaged structures. Much of the training was based on earthquake rescue work.
All members of rescue parties were taught to cut off supplies of gas, water and electricity to damaged buildings. Many members of the rescue service were trained in resuscitation, as gas masks were useless against domestic coal gas. To enable rescue workers to avoid domestic gas, the remote breathing apparatus was developed. This was basically a service gas mask with a long hose connected to it, through which fresh air could be breathed.
They were also trained in putting out small fires and tackling incendiaries. At first the standard rescue party was ten men in two classes; major incidents and smaller incidents as Class A and Class B respectively with each having different equipment. The light teams numbered four or five to every heavy team per , populations but in cities, heavy parties were in every area.
The Borough Engineer or Surveyor acted as Head of the Rescue Service in most cases, overseeing the organization and administration of the service.
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