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Home My WebLink About11/09/1942 , .ilWC :A-130 SUFFOLK COUNTY WAR COUNO IL Office of the Director of Civilian Protection Griffing Avenue Riverhead, New York November 9, 1942 TO: Deputy Oounty Directors of Civilian Yrotection FROM: D'~c~or of Civilian Protection SUB.r.&X:T: un OF AIR RA.ID IWlNING MlSSA.GI CABDS FOR YOUR I!llFOBMATION AND COMPL1A!IICJlI 1. ACTUAL air raid warninga are given by the Army over the special 4 butto~ telenhone located at a District WarniJ!g Oenter. District Warning Centers in turn c1issem'1nate warning messages to Report Centers. 2. . PRACTICI "BlackOuts" or "~light Air Baid Drills" are ordered by the Office of the Slate Director of Civilian Protection over a prearranged telepbone line located at a District Warning Center. PllACTICI messages are diss_inated to Control Centers in the same manner (except for the wording of the message) as ACTUAL warning me88ages. PRA.CTICI air raid messages are "COLOR" orders only. The "COLOR" is alW&;TS preceded by the word PRA.CTICI. - 3. In order to secure maxillum speed in the distribution of warnings and to safetuard the accuracy of the measages, the wording and method used in trans- mitting and aCknowledging an air raid warning must be uzaiform each tille for the particUlar type of warning message. This langU&gi both identifies the message as authentic and conveys the complete message in it, briefest form. To secure this essential uniformity of language and method throughout the State two ttpes of in- struotion cards have been prepared for use at the three CiVilian Protection Locations concerned with the dissemination of air raid warning messages. Bach such Oenter shall have a set of the instruction cards comprising anIl.ACTUAL" card and a "PRAOTIOJillt card. These cards provide the appropriate instruc- tions as to the manner in which the air raid warning messages are passed at the specific Center. Both the "ACTUAL" and the "PBACTICI" card shall be maintained in a position so that the instructions thereon can be easily read by the individual who receives the warning messages at the Center and by the individual who disseminates the warning messages at the Oenter. Care shall be exercised so that the cards will be firmly fixed in the proper position and vill not be sUbJeot to undue wear and tear or discoloration. Becuase of the oonfidential nature of the instructions provided by these cards, and the fact that they must be displ&;Tedconvenient to the telephone for immediate use, the State Director of Civilian Protection desires to reemphasize the importance of preventing access by unauthorized persons to .the quarters vhere these instruction cards are and further, that the instructioDs on these cards are not repeated outside the Centers. 4. All local Directors of Civilian Protection will, on receipt of these cards, instruct all. personD8l under their Jurisdiction so that all concerned will comply with the procedure, including language and action specified on the card or cards in their respective Centers. Sl<fC :A-l30 - 2 - November 9, 1942 warnings, 5. Extreme care must be exercised in transmitting and receiving air raid (a) In l'ractice blackouts and air raid drills, be certain to 'ransmi t "PJL\.CrICE" in sending and repeat "PRACTICE" in acknowledging. (b) Be careful to transmit correct "COLOR" bY' phone and bY' lights . Alw~s repeat correct "COLOR" in anBwering warning call, (c) When in doubt of validitY' of air raid warning mesBage, verifY' with the authorized sender. (d) Telet:vpe and radio are not part of the air raid warning sY'stem. - Yellow, blue, red and white warnings are onlY' given on telephone warnings over designated telephones emploY'ing prescribed language. For Y'OW' information, on the large whlte card h_ed "ACTUAL", the he:l.dhg tiB1Mkout and Color Order" would pertain to instructions sent from this office snme tiue ~go relative to a white, Y'ollow or blue blackout. In other words, " JaIl could ceme ~hrougb. to Y'our office carring foraolackout on the white signal, or th~ Y':.llow aign9.l, or the blue signal which is purelY' a. precautionar:v blackout. However, a si~ua.tion of this kind has been covered with prior instructions and I aS3.~a io taken care of bY' instruotions to Y'our personnel. Ihf FLOYD D. HOUSTON Director of Civilian Protection SWC:A-129 A SUFFOlK COUN'1'Y WAR COUNCIL Offi~e of tho Diractor of Civilian Protection Griffing Avonue :aivorhoad, New York Supplement to sore :&.12r TO: De,uty Ccunty Directors November 9, 1942 SUBJE~T: CLARIFICATION OF COMMERCIAL LIGHTING 5. Certificates to be issued after tests made be lighting compan:y' engineers .he,}l be signed bY' both the air raid warden accompanY'i!lg the lighting compallY' :-epresentative and the person authorized to sign bY' the lighting compan:y'. Ihf FLOYD D. IIOUSTON Director Civilian Protection