r. Turn
on a radio, tune it to any local station that is broadcasting, and
listen for official information. Follow whatever instructions are
given.

If you are at home and there is no public or private shelter available,
you may be able to improvise some last-minute protection for yourself
and your family by following the suggestions in Chapter 5 (pages 33-38)
of this handbook. As a last resort, take cover anywhere you can.

2. If you should hear the Attention or Alert Signal, turn on a radio or
TV set, tune it to any local station, and follow the official
instructions being broadcast.

DON'T USE THE TELEPHONE

Whichever signal is sounding, _don't_ use the telephone to obtain
further information and advice about the emergency. Depend on the radio
or television, since the government will be broadcasting all the
information it has available. The telephone lines will be needed for
official calls. Help keep them open.

LEARN YOUR COMMUNITY'S SIGNALS NOW

As mentioned before not all communities in the U.S. have outdoor warning
systems, and not all communities with warning systems have adopted the
two "standard" warning signals.

You should therefore _find out now_ from your local Civil Defense Office
what signals are being used, in _your_ community; what they sound like;
what they mean; and what actions you should take when you hear them.
Then memorize this information, or write it down on a card to carry with
you at all times. Also, post it in your home. Check at least once each
year to see if there are any changes.

IF THERE IS A NUCLEAR FLASH

It is possible--but extremely unlikely--that your first warning of an
enemy attack might be the flash of a nuclear explosion in the sky some
distance away. Or there might be a flash after warning had been given,
possibly while you were on your way to shelter.

* TAKE COVER INSTANTLY. If there should be a nuclear flash--especially
if you are outdoors and feel warmth at the same time--take cover
_instantly_ in the best place you can find. By getting inside or under
something within a few _seconds_, you might avoid being seriously burned
by the heat or injured by the blast wave of the nuclear explosion. If
the explosion were some distance away, you might have 5 to 15 _seconds_
before being seriously injured by the heat, and perhaps 30 to 60
_seconds_ before the blast wave arrived. Getting under cover within
these time limits might save your life or avoid serious inj