CIVIL DEFENSE AFTER THE ATOMIC BOMB -- IMPROVISED EMERGENCY HOSPITAL 28694

This 1957 black and white film explains setting up improvised emergency hospitals during a crisis. “Lease of Life - The Civil Defense Improvised Emergency Hospital” is by Major Films for the New York State Civil Defense Commission, Office of Medical Defense, Office of Public Health Education, Herman E. Hilleboe, M.D. Commissioner. The film begins with a rotating radar antenna scanning the sky for enemy aircraft with nuclear weapons. A man watches the scan on a screen. Men and women wearing Civil Defense armbands wear headsets (:20-1:00). Stretchers are unloaded at a hospital (1:38-1:52); but in the event of an attack, additional temporary hospitals are needed. The four essentials are diagrammed: a building, supplies and equipment, people, and a plan, shown as the “Manual on Establishing the Improvised Emergency Hospital” (2:53-3:33). Children dressed in 1950s clothing walk out of school past school buses (3:34-3:45). A room full of supplies and equipment is one of 200 stockpiled by New York (3:46-4:08). People are needed: Shown is a doctor performing surgery in a warehouse, a man wearing a Civil Defense Medical armband takes a man’s temperature, and two women work on a medical machine (4:09-4:42). The divisions and section of an improvised emergency hospital are diagrammed. (4:43-5:10). The Surgical Division should be set up first. The triage section, located in a hallway, shows people on litter cots. The doctor assesses who should be treated first (5:11-6:00). Critical patients are taken to the shock room to be prepped for surgery and post-op. Shown are oxygen therapy equipment, a gastric suction pump, a tracheotomy set up, and a hand-operated suction apparatus. Drugs are also available (6:01-7:10). The operating room is immediately set up with tables and lights, and the implements sterilized. Various sets of medical instruments and medical equipment are shown (7:11-8:40). Electrical equipment includes operating lights, suction and pressure apparatus, and the electro-surgical units. A portable electric distribution system provides power from the generator (8:41-9:09). A diagram is shown of the operating room layout and the stockroom (9:10-10:02). Portable gasoline stoves provide heated water (10:03-10:18). The Ward-Treatment Division is diagrammed. Litter cots can be stacked three high if needed (10:19-11:20). The complete diagram is shown (11:21-11:40). Minor treatment surgical instruments are shown (11:41-12:12). The Technical Services Division is diagrammed (12:54-13:08). Instruments are sterilized by hand, using portable autoclaves operated by gasoline stoves, and boiling water sterilizers (13:09-14:15). Two types of x-ray services will be available: a portable fluoroscope and a z-ray, a mobile zero radiography unit, shown pulled by a Buick Roadmaster Sedan and in use (14:16-15:39). Laboratory jars and blood collection tubes are shown (15:40-15:55). The Administrative Services Division is diagrammed (15:56-17:09). A pharmacy maintains the drugs inventory (17:10-17:35). Buildings designated to become temporary hospitals are assessed in advance. Sample floor plans are created, diagrammed, and posted. The example is a school being used (18:08-20:52). All boxes are labeled for ease of unloading and placing in the designated rooms. Instructions are packed with the equipment (20:52-23:15). Civilians receive civil defense emergency hospital training (24:13-24:50).
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[@annalorree]

Years ago, I was in the fire service. My county in California had a Civil Defense hospital cache in storage. Eventually, the county OES representative advised us they were going to send it all to the dump. I went in and rescued a BUNCH of equipment. Glass syringes, stainless steel trays and bowls, and one of the suction pumps shown in this video, all new old stock in original boxes from 1955. Even down pillows and wool blankets sealed in plastic bags. It was basically a M*A*S*H unit from the Korean War.

[@Code3forever]

As an older Baby Boomer, I remember all to well all of the drills we had to go through during the 1950s. When the Cuban Missile Crises took place, shelters were being built and sold in Los Angeles like hot cakes. I believe this was a good idea then and I still do. We don't have Civil Defense anymore because of MAD or Mutually Assured Destruction. What if a war does not go to the full nuclear exchange and what if our adversary is not Russia? In case of other disasters which is catastrophic in many places of the US, such as massive earthquakes or volcanic explosions? We may not be able to totally depend on our National Guard or military for all of the help we need. To have the supplies and volunteers to help is a good idea. Having a sound plan which works for our generation and technologies could save many lives. I am of the opinion it is better to have all of these things in place and not need them, than need them and not have them. Not too many people will survive a full nuclear exchange between the big nuclear armed nations. Those leaders know it as well. For something less than a full blown nuclear war, like a major disaster, this is still a sound idea to save as many people as possible. I never saw this film before but I do like how they explained how to set up an emergency hospital. Good video.

[@derpymcderpello5381]

Yeah, I wish Civil Defense was still around. I guess now it's up to the people to educate themselves how to survive natural disasters and nuclear war (which almost nobody does).

[@fgatelier3211]

looks amazing 😉

[@lukestrawwalker]

When I was in the police academy back in the mid-90's, we had a class one day taught by a FEMA guy who came out from Houston. He told us of all their plans and at the break after four hours we were all goofing around outside, and this little short ex-military FEMA guy was standing outside smoking like a chimney. I was curious about some things so I came up and started talking with him. First of all he was talking about how they planned to evacuate the major cities like Houston to the surrounding rural areas. Taking over people's farms to set up huge "tent cities" of military tents to house the displaced populations. Then basically taking over the outlying rural communities to set up emergency service centers like these sort of hospitals and such. I asked him, "and WHO is going to tell all these farmers that their land is being taken over by the gubmint for tent cities for hundreds of thousands of people?? What happens when they resist their land being taken over? Say they cooperate and you DO manage to evacuate massive numbers of people to the surrounding countryside... who is going to feed and provide water for them all? Where are they going to pee and crap and dispose of their waste? Who is going to provide security when they start beating each other to death for a can of beans or bottle of water or just for the hell of it?? Who is going to handle the problems when the farmers start shooting them when they try to rob the farmer's house of food and water and anything else they can get their hands on? What about all the elderly or people with chronic health problems who need things like oxygen, insulin, blood pressure pills, or other daily medications? What happens when all that stuff runs out or runs low or can't be delivered? In the meantime, you've evacuated Houston, and moved several million people out to the surrounding rural areas. What happens to the city? There will thousands that will refuse to leave their property, and thousands more who will loot/steal/rob/pillage/rape or whatever other crimimal activity they can dream up... WHO is going to stay behind to guard a city that might be nuked off the map at any moment... You order the cops to stay there, how many are gonna obey that order? National guard?? How many will obey the order versus how many run off? Even if the city doesn't get nuked, the looters will steal everything of value and destroy the rest and burn it to the ground, so basically what's the point? Besides, our enemies have spy satellites and intelligence services-- if they see the cities being evacuated, they'll probably attack right then and there, figuring evacuations are a preparation for a surprise first strike on our part, being done to minimize casualties in the primary targets. Even if they don't decide to attack first to "beat us to the punch", it's a simple matter to reprogram the missiles' targeting/guidance systems so that if the balloon goes up, the warheads now land in the surrounding ring of evacuation tent cities instead of in the industrial/civilian heart of the city itself or other infrastructure targets... Tents aren't going to provide much shelter against nuclear blast. They don't provide any protection against fallout, either, unlike many urban/suburban concrete structures.... " The guy just looks at me, smiles, and said, "Everything you said is true... But it sure SOUNDS GOOD, DON'T IT??" SO, basically, all these plans exist(ed) to give some sense that something was being done, that there was a plan in place. If it worked for ten minutes or ten days before it pooped out, well, deal with that when it happens. If everybody got killed and the supplies blown up and nobody to man it, or it was all lethally irradiated or transport devolved to oxcarts and wagons after a week, well, deal with that when it happens. Pretty much it's gonna be "you're on your own"... Later! OL J R :)

[@Rutherford_Inchworm_III]

"emergency medical services will have to move quickly" Dude, this was 1957: EMTs didn't exist. Only cities and large towns had ambulance services, and they consisted of one driver (often a black chauffeur or orderly) who was not expected or trained in any kind of medical knowledge and who's job was to physically carry you into the ambulance and then drive you to the hospital. People could (and did) regularly bleed out or suffocate in the back. Well up into the '60s, most people kept the number and address of the nearest doctor's office next to the phone so they could drive emergency cases there.

[@rapman5363]

Maybe some blacks orderlies but that was not the norm. Mostly white men were used for ambulances at the time. Most of the Emergency Services were run by the local funeral director who used a hearse that doubled as an ambulance. In the bigger cities there were a few black men used as drivers etc....however it was not really as many as you think.

[@tjlovesrachel]

They weren’t talking about “emts”…. Just emergency medical services

[@mariekatherine5238]

I'm from NY. I wonder where all these supplies went or if they're still in the dust-covered basement of an old school?

[@christopherconard2831]

1) Destroyed. They were often kept in basements. If affected by fire and floods they would likely end up in a landfill, incinerator, or junkyard. 2) Given away. Foreign countries were sometimes given these, in whole or part, to deal with natural disasters. 3) Sold. Some were probably declared surplus after a certain time and auctioned off. The 70's and 80's were a boom time for Army/Navy/Government surplus stores.

[@bohemoth1]

See my comment Former Auxiliary Fire Captain FDNY Engine Company 229 And The Community Relations Bureau Until I got drafted.

[@rapman5363]

There have been hundreds if not thousands of these caches found all around the country over the last 30 years. There was a recent story of a huge cache of civil defense supplies found in huge vaults under the Brooklyn bridge during renovations. Some were used elsewhere but most were left to rot in basements,airports and armories all over the country. These stockpiles are still out there waiting to be found. Some make it to eBay,but most are sought after by collectors.

[@stargo2931]

When America cared for it's citizens.

[@bohemoth1]

To answer your question. As a child I grew up during the Cold WAR ERA. As a teenager I had to undergo intensive CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING. We had various FOOD, WATER MEDICINES, COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT that was strategically placed in various locations around the city and State of New York. There were even MREs and candles and cigarettes. When President Ford deemed that a GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR was survivable he DISBANDED THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM. I still have the Ginger Counter and Dosemeters and those very bulky CIVIL DEFENSE HELMETS AND GAS MASKS with my CD ARM PATCHES. All of those CIVIL DEFENSE SUPPLIES were auctioned off because they had a very long shelf life. Some of them were distributed to Food Kitchens for the Homeless and very low income families. The Police department and the fire department got the rest of the equipment as a surplus for their equipment. During the Civil Defense era we had our own Fire trucks and police cars. In New York City, the Auxiliary Police officers replaced the AIR RAID WARDENS. The Auxiliary Fire Corps was designed to augment the fire Department and emergency medical services. However the Auxiliary fire Corps was DISBANDED in 1979 due to an illegal strike by the regular Firefighters. What the Fire Department forgot was that the vast majority of the Auxiliary Firefighters actually LIVED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. But the Regular PAID NYC FIREFIGHTERS LIVED ON LONG ISLAND AND UPSTATE NEW YORK. During the strike the Auxiliaries were determined not to allow their families and neighbors to be victims of a raging fire. So they crossed the picket lines and manned the fire trucks to respond to any fire in the city. Now the regular firefighters started calling the Auxiliaries SCABS and they made it very clear that they didn't want any Auxiliary Firefighters in their firehouses. All of the Auxiliary Firefighters were transferred to Welfare ISLAND which was the Fire Department's Training Academy until it was moved to Randalls Island in New York City. Facing this animosity from the regular Firefighters the city of New York decided to DISBAND THE ENTIRE AUXILIARY FIRE CORPS. However they are still getting funding for the Auxiliary Fire Corps from THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND FEMA and the DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. Now please don't ask me where the money is going. It is EARMARKED FOR THE NEW YORK CITY AUXILIARY FIRE CORPS TO THIS DAY.

[@logiciskindness]

Imagine NY state back before they used their state funding on genital mutilation

[@MrJones-uq5cg]

Thanks, Periscope!

[@montysmith6355]

the trouble i have with this is you want to set this up in say new York city what if most of the bridges are destroyed how would you get it there at that time would you cross the Hudson river and what about looters and bandits what kind of security would you have there what kind of crowd control would you have and how long do you think the IEH could run unless you get re-supplied as quickly as possible

[@tjlovesrachel]

Boats…military security/armed personnel onboard…depends on the patient load