§ 2-A — Further declaration of purpose and findings relating to the protection of the people in the event of nuclear attack and recovery and reha...

New York § 2-A

• Jurisdiction: New York
• Law DEA: Defense Emergency Act 1951 784/51
• Art. 1: Short Title; Definitions

Text

§ 2-a. Further declaration of purpose and findings relating to the\nprotection of the people in the event of nuclear attack and recovery and\nrehabilitation after attack. The legislature hereby finds and declares\nthat the aggressive forces of communism are employing threats of nuclear\nattack to achieve their plan and purpose of world domination and to\nconfound the aspirations of free people everywhere. It is increasingly\napparent that effective fallout protection as an integral part of a\nstrong civil defense is essential to the nation's military defense, to\nour negotiating strength, to the deterrence of nuclear aggression and to\nour resistance to nuclear blackmail. In the event of attack, fallout\nprotection and a comprehensive civil defense program are essential to\nminimize injury and loss of life and to make possible the recovery of\nthe people, the restoration and rehabilitation of the state's economy\nand the preservation of the spiritual, cultural and political heritage\nof our nation.\n The entire population of the state is now exposed and vulnerable to\ndeath or disability from any nuclear attack that might be launched\nagainst us. While the radioactive fallout which follows the explosion of\nnuclear weapons would create the most widespread danger faced by our\npopulation in the event of a nuclear attack, the means for protecting\nthe state's population from such fallout are known and are feasible.\n In furtherance of the national goal declared by the president of the\nUnited States to reach for fallout protection for every American as\nrapidly as possible and as an integral part of the state's comprehensive\ncivil defense program, a major objective of the state is to have for\neach person in the state of New York fallout protection ready and\nadequate for survival, which will make possible recovery and\nrehabilitation in the event of nuclear attack.\n This objective can be achieved only by a cooperative effort which\nmobilizes the resources of individuals, business, labor, agriculture and\nother private groups and government at every level--federal, state and\nlocal. All levels of government must recognize and accept their mutual\nobligations to plan, encourage and assist the orderly establishment of\nadequate fallout shelters, readily accessible to all the people, but the\neffectiveness of the joint effort, public and private, to protect\nagainst the dangers of nuclear attack will depend in large measure on\nthe success and vigor with which local communities and families organize\nfor their survival.\n The state must give leadership and direction in this important task of\nestablishing a strong civil defense and achieving fallout protection for\neach person in the state. To this end the legislature has established a\nbroad coordinated civil defense program.\n A primary consideration in this program for survival and recovery of\nour state following a nuclear attack is the necessity for preservation\nof our young people. Therefore, as an essential part of the coordinated\ncivil defense effort in each community, the authorities of public and\nprivate schools, colleges and universities should provide fallout\nprotection in or near their buildings and the state should encourage and\nassist financially through state civil defense aid the development of\nsuch fallout protection. The state, by fostering fallout protection at\nthe schools, colleges and universities scattered over the length and\nbreadth of the state in every community, will not only aid in providing\nprotection for our young people but will also thereby provide a\ndirection and an awareness of the need for public and private action in\nsupport of the civil defense effort.\n In addition, as a part of this program, the state should\n --encourage and assist private individuals to provide adequate shelter\nprotection for their families, either singly or in groups;\n --encourage and foster the construction of shelters in all\npublicly-assisted housing;\n --encourage and assist landlords and employers to provide shelter\nprotection for their tenants and employees;\n --encourage local offlcials and community leaders, within the\nframework of a coordinated civil defense plan, to take positive steps to\npromote and assist the development of shelter protection by the citizens\nindividually and collectively in each locality; and\n --construct and install shelters on state-owned property to provide\nprotection for state workers and other occupants.\n Furthermore, the state must cooperatively supplement the program being\nprovided and developed by the federal government and the state must\nshare with the federal government the responsibility of insuring that\nall protective measures adopted reflect the latest techniques and\ndevelopments available.\n At all times the objectives and planning of civil defense should be\ndirected to the survival not only of the people of the state but of\ntheir way of life. Intensive efforts must be made to establish the means\nand methods which will, in the event of nuclear attack, make possible\nthe recovery of the people and the rehabilitation of the economic and\nsocial life of the state following any such attack.\n