SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY
FALLOUT SHELTER PLAN
1962-1971
THE ORIGINAL PLAN FOR SUFFOLK COUNTY NY IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT SINCE 1961,SURVEYED ALL STRUCTURES EXCLUDING PRIVATE HOMES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE AVAILABLE FALLOUT PROTECTION. IN ADDITION TO THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH BUILDING THAT HAS FALLOUT PROTECTION,THE SHELTER CAPACITY OF EACH PUBLIC FACILITY IS RECORDED.THE SHELTER CAPACITIES ARE RATED ON THE BASIS OF 10 SQUARE FEET PER PERSON TO BE SHELTERED IN VENTILATED STRUCTURES OR 500 CUBIC FEET PER PERSON IN UNVENTILATED STRUCTURES, THROUGH THE NATIONAL FALLOUT SHELTER SURVEY PROGRAM, SUFFOLK HAS HAD AN UPDATED SHELTER CAPACITY FOR NEARLY ALL OF THE LARGER STRUCTURES.
THE INVENTORY PROGRAM IS FURTHER SUPPLEMENTED BY AN ONGOING LICENSING,MARKING AND STOCKING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL DEFENSE, EACH BUILDING OWNER IS APPROACHED WITH VARIOUS FORMAL AGREEMENTS THAT WILL PERMIT THE FOLLOWING,
1-LICENSING HIS FACILITY AS A PUBLIC SHELTER
2-THE STORAGE OF SURVIVAL SUPPLIES INCLUDING FOOD,WATER,SANITARY,MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND RADIOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS
3- THE MARKING OF HIS FACILITY WITH FALLOUT SHELTER SIGNS
THE CURRENT INVENTORY SUMMARY OF PUBLIC SHELTER IN SUFFOLK COUNTY INDICATES THAT THERE ARE 546 SEPARATE SHELTER FACILITIES
THE COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN PROGRAM
ON FEBRUARY 14 1966 THE SUFFOLK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVED RESOLUTION 80 AUTHORIZING THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DEPT. OF PLANNING TO DEVELOP A SHELTER PLAN FOR SUFFOLK COUNTY WITH 100% FUNDING ALLOCATED
BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT THE CONTRACT WAS HANDLED THROUGH THE EASTERN DIVISION OF NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND AND THE SUFFOLK COUNTY PLANNING BOARD ON JUNE 21 1966
SUFFOLK COUNTY'S PLANNING DIRECTOR AND CIVIL DEFENSE DIRECTOR ATTENDED A COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN TRAINING COURSE AT THE FEDERAL STAFF COLLEGE IN BATTLE CREEK,MICHIGAN THIS TRAINING ALLOWED EACH OF THE TWO DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO USE THE TRAINING TO FACILITATE THEIR DEPARTMENTS TO COMMIT TO ACCOMPLISHING A WORKING SHELTER PLAN SO THE RESIDENTS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND AND UTILIZE A DESIGNATED SHELTER DURING A NUCLEAR ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES AND TO ENSURE THAT THE SUFFOLK COUNTY SHELTER PLAN WILL ACCOMMODATE FUTURE RESIDENTS BY SURVEYING NEW SHELTER SPACE AND LICENSING THEM FOR USE
I NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY THINGS ARE INVOLVED WHEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PUT TOGETHER THEIR CSP,.. DAYTIME SPACE NIGHT SPACE, PEOPLE WALKING OR DRIVING ,VENTILATED SPACE,NON VENTILATED SPACE,ESTIMATING FUTURE CONSTRUCTION PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL, AREAS PRONE TO TRAFFIC FOR THE MOST PART UNLESS YOUR A CITY PLANNING MAJOR ITS DRY READING BUT VERY IMPORTANT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
SHELTER LOCATION #1648001
US Army Nike Site West Neck RD Lloyd Harbor Facility 00127 CAPACITY 365
US Army Nike Site West Neck Rd Lloyd Harbor Facility 00128 CAPACITY 365
US Army Nike Site West Neck Rd Lloyd Harbor Facility 00129
CAPACITY 395
The US Army ARAADCOM de-commissioned the Lloyd Harbor Nike Ajax Anti Aircraft Missile Defense way back in 1963 .The Suffolk County Planning Board had to know that the site was sold at auction and bulldozed and scrapped, Yet they list it on their shelter master list as a facility with space, Its not uncommon to get a list of county Fallout Shelters if you asked Civil Defense back then ,You could find a copy in the Library Updated, So why List Shelters that don't exist or over exaggerate the amount of space in a shelter yet this was wide spread behavior, I do npot know if there was a time limit for communities to get a shelter program in place, Although i heard about something like this where a county or Municipality could be fined for not providing shelter for residents. Compared to the rest of the United States i would have to say 1971 is a little behind in ensuring the safety of your residents ,Suffolk County is almost 2o years behind in their Preparedness and Suffolk County had the leading companies involved in everything Avionics, Aerospace ,Computers, Brookhaven National Laboratory has done some ground breaking studies, Its located in one of the most populated regions in the nation yet they seem to have dragged their feet on this, No matter if the county decided it was futile to survive an Atomic Attack the counties residents should be allowed to decide if they want to shelter and it should be available, The updated 198_ ? Was a very poor attempt at updating and finding new shelters and no attempt was made at getting it out to residents to even shelter during Hurricanes,Coastal Flooding, Now that computers are available the county has a map of 30+ shelters county wide for other than Fallout sheltering on their web site and its not under Civil Defense
Located on Long Island's picturesque north shore, Nike site NY-20 was a typical three-magazine Nike installation. The base was first activated during January 1957 and was manned by the Regular Army until 1960, when the New York Army National Guard took over. Site NY-20 was never upgraded to fire Nike Hercules missiles and air defense operations had ceased by 1963. Subsequent to its closure, both the control and launcher areas came into private ownership and were completely demolished
THIS DOCUMENT IS(SHELTER LOCATION) SL-16480001 THE AREA SHOWN ABOVE IN THE MAP OF SHELTER LOCATIONS BREAKDOWN OF SURVEY FINDINGS SUCH AS TRAVEL TIME HOW MANY SPACES ACCOUNTED FOR ETC.
|
SHELTER LOCATION PILGRIM STATE SL-16480055
PILGRIM STATE PSYCH HOSPITAL BRENTWOOD NY
FALLOUT SHELTER 00053 BLDG #4 PF 2-8 412,PF-1 1946
FALLOUT SHELTER 00501 TUNNEL SECT. PF2-8 1260
FALLOUT SHELTER 00059 BLDG #25 PF-13940 PF-1 8680
THIS CONTINUES FOR 3 PAGES AND OVER 80 BUILDINGS INCLUDING EDGEWOOD WITH OVER 15,000 SPACES ALLOCATED
ONE OF SUFFOLK COUNTIES DUBIOUS DISTINCTIONS WAS IT HOUSED THE "WORLDS LARGEST PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE WORLD" AND IT WAS LARGE! SOME OF SUFFOLK COUNTYS BIGGEST BUILDINGS WERE IN THE COMPLEX CITY OF BUILDINGS AT PILGRIM STATE, CENTRAL ISLIP, KINGS PARK, EDGEWOOD-DEER PARK, CENTRAL SUFFOLK-MELVILLE THESE FACILITYS HAD MORE PATIENTS THAN THE TOWNS HAD RESIDENTS. THE AREAS WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED, EACH HAD NUMEROUS HOSPITAL FACILITIES, LARGE SURGICAL ROOMS WHERE THOUSANDS OF LOBOTOMIES WERE PERFORMED AND CREATED A VERY BAD STIGMA THAT JUST SURROUNDED THESE FACILITIES,THE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT IN THE EARLY PART OF 1930'S THROUGH THE WPA AND WERE MADE OF BRICK, CONCRETE AND BRICK. AS AN URBAN EXPLORER I SPENT A LOT OF TIME EXPLORING THE ABANDONDED PARTS AND BUILDINGS BUT THE BIGGEST AND BEST WERE THE TUNNELS THAT SERVED THESE HUGE FACILITIES SUFFOLK COUNTYS ORIGINAL SURVEY PUT EACH OF THESE FACILITIES POSSIBLE OF HOLDING 10,000 SPACES THE TUNNELS AND BASEMENTS WERE WELL BELOW GROUND UNDER BRICK 5 STORY OR THE TALLEST WAS EDGEWOOD AT 17 FLOORS AND HAD TO BE DESTROYED AND BROUGHT DOWN WITH EXPLOSIVES IN THE EARLY 1990s THE BASEMENTS HAD BEEN STOCKED THE ONE WEIRD THING I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WAS THE BASEMENT ROOMS THAT HAD DIRT FLOORS EVERY BUILDING HAD ONE OR MORE I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MATERIALS BUT THEY WERE BIG DIRT ROOMS,SUFFOLK COUNTY HAD A FALLOUT SHELTER SOLUTION WITH THESE COMPLEXES THAT WAS UNTIL NEW YORK STATE DECIDED TO CLOSE DOWN THESE FACILITIES AND WITH THAT THOUSANDS OF SPACES, I REMEMBER THE TUNNELS WHERE LONG DARK AND HAD FALLOUT SHELTER SIGNS ALL OVER WHEN THEY CLOSED DOWN THE LARGE EDGEWOOD FACILITY THEY BASICALLY SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS AND LOCKED THE DOORS AND THE VANDALS AND THIEVES TOOK AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING, EVEN THE SHELTER SUPPLIES WOUND UP IN SOMEONES BASEMENT.
Another room In The Tunnels That ran for over a mile and Another Civil Defense Water Container one of thousands stocked in the Pilgrim State And Edgewood Hospital Shelter System |
EDGEWOOD BUILDING No. 1 AFTER CLOSING THE ROOF WAS MADE OF COPPER AND IT WAS STRIPPED CLEAN EARLY ON AND SOMEBODY CUTTING COPPER WITH A TORCH SET THE ROOF ON FIRE,EVEN LIKE THIS THE VERY TOP OF THIS ROOF COULD BE ACCESSED AND MANHATTAN WAS VERY VISIBLE FROM UP TOP AND I MEAN THE TOP. EDGEWOOD WAS ALSO CALLED MASON GENERAL HOSPITAL AND IT TREATED WORLD WAR TWO SOLDIERS WITH PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS AND FAMOUS MOVIE DIRECTOR MADE A MOVIE ON THE GROUNDS ABOUT THESE SOLDIERS CALLED "LET THERE BE LIGHT" THIS BUILDING WAS ONLY ONE OF HUNDREDS IN SUFFOLK COUNTY AND PART OF THE COMMUNITY FALLOUT SHELTER PLAN,
|
THIS MAP SHOWS THE VILLAGE OF PATCHOGUE (SL-16480089 )AND INSIDE THE VILLAGE ARE A CLUSTER OF SHELTER LOCATIONS , UPON RESEARCHING SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS 75% DID NOT EXSIST ANY LONGER EXCEPT THE SCHOOLS MARKED , ONE LOCATION WAS THE INSIDE OF A BANK VAULT ALSO BEFORE MALLS AND SUPER SHOPPING CENTERS THE VILLAGE OF PATCHOGUE WAS THE PLACE YOU DID ALL YOUR SHOPPING,THE VILLAGE IS A VERY URBAN PLACE AND WAS EVEN MORE SO IN THE 1960s AND 70s, THE DAYTIME POPULATION FAR EXCEEDS THE JUST UNDER 1000 PERSON CAPACITY OF SHELTER SPACES LISTED WITHIN THE VILLAGE AND AREA.
OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE DISPLAY PANEL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO READ AND PREPARE A PLACE WITHIN YOUR HOME IF MAKING IT TO A PUBLIC SHELTER IS NOT POSSIBLE |
The Suffolk County Civil Defense Command Center During the 1950-70s was and may still be located here, The county Fire ,Rescue,Emergency Services and Fire Academy is Located here, Suffolk County Office Of Civil Defense Was located in a one story ranch style building the upper floor was offices and lower the county Emergency Operation Center where Communication And Control was conducted during mock Civil Defense Exercises. Suffolk County Only had A unified Sheriffs Department During the years prior to 1960 and New York State Troopers, Most villages had their own Police Force Like Huntington,Riverhead,Patchogue,Amityville,Islip and enforced laws and used the County Courts for crimes, They also had their own Civil Defense Departments these are hard to track down and find Ex-Headquarter locations ,Suffolk County Fire Departments are Volunteer and every town with a Zip Code has one and are responsible for Rescue Operations and during the Cold War also were responsible for Civil Defense ,They are unified under Suffolk County FRES which also includes "Emergency Management" Suffolk County also Unified its Police forces into one in 1960 and has a Civil Defense Unit and also control Auxiliary Police which are Civil Defense orientated and do not have Peace Officer status,
My visits to the Yaphank Civil Defense Operation Center were always welcomed and the one or two guys in the command center seemed amazed someone was interested in what goes on there and were decent enough to give me a tour and allow me to take some items for my collection, The "Bunker" as its reffered to was dated and seemed a little disorganized they had a very large Emergency Generator and Communication Tower, The office area even had a Red Emergency Phone with no dial plate that kind of tells you how dated some of it is. They had a Large Storage area with the usual Fallout Shelter items,signs,Radiological instruments,plenty of pamphlets ,Now well into the 21st century that type of Civil Defense (even the name) is being phased out with "Emergency Management" a name i really do not like but its not about names or nostalgia ,It is though an end to a time that is so interesting and filled with history it sad to see it go, But for me theres still the undiscovered film or story or picture even visiting the american airpower foundation out at the Republic Airport and visiting a Nike Hercules or a F-111 and enjoying the simpler things.
COMMUNITY FALLOUT SHELTER PLANS FROM AROUND THE UNITED STATES
HERE IS A DALLAS MAIL OUT THAT IS JUST LIKE SUFFOLK COUNTYS PRINTED ON NEWSPAPER BORROWED FROM CIVILDEFENSEMUSEUM.COM |
HERE IS A MICHIGAN COMMUNITY SHELTER MAILOUT I BELIEVE FOR LANSING ,MICHIGAN AREA BORROWED FROM MICHIGANCIVILDEFENSE.com |
HERE ARE THE MICHIGAN FALLOUT SHELTER LOCATIONS THAT WERE INSIDE THE MAILOUT FROM MICHIGANCIVILDEFENSE.COM |
BELOW ARE DOCUMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY SHELTER PLANNING BOARD
SUFFOLK COUNTY P.D.s FIRST FLEET OF P.D. VEHICLES L.SIDE OF PICTURE BELOW THESE PHOTOCOPIED IMAGES WERE PART OF A BUNCH OF HISTORIC PICTURES AND COLD WAR ITEMS |
THANKS TO CIVIL DEFENSE MUSEUM.COM AND MICHIGAN CIVIL DEFENSE.COM FOR THE USE OF THEIR COMMUNITY SHELTER PLANS FROM THEIR AREAS