CHAPTER 5
PREPARING FOR SHELTER LIVING
You already know that to survive a nuclear attack, you must avoid the heat flash and blast
and shield yourself from radiation. Getting safely to a fallout shelter is only the first phase of
survival. Survival also involves knowing how to live in a shelter for two or more weeks, how to
meet basic needs, and how to cope with the problems that are likely to develop.
This chapter covers three important topics for shelter living and shelter survival. They are:
1. Entering the Shelter
2. Managing Shelter Operations and Activities
3. Health Management
The first section describes the activities that should take place when you first enter a fallout
shelter, both in a target area and in a fallout area. The second section discusses the routine
tasks that need to be performed for the safety and general well-being of all occupants from
the time you enter the shelter until you emerge permanently. The third discusses physical
and mental health problems that may occur and gives guidelines for treating victims.
How Long Would You Have to Stay in a Shelter?
No one can accurately predict how long you may need to stay in a fallout shelter after an
attack. We recommend that you be prepared for two weeks in a shelter, but your stay could
be shorter or longer. Certainly, the first few days are the most critical and will be the most
restrictive for you because of dangerous radiation from fallout.
The radiation hazard will decrease over time because of radioactive decay, and your free-
dom to move about safely inside and outside the shelter will increase. When outside radiation
levels are very high, you and other shelter occupants should stay in the most protected area
of the shelter. As the outside radiation level decreases, you will be able to move around your
shelter freely. As levels drop more, you will be able to take short trips outside to perform
critical tasks. Gradually, you will be able to take longer outside trips and, after a week or two,
you may be using the shelter only for sleeping.
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