m is to place enough
"shielding material" between the people in the shelter and the fallout
particles outside.

Shielding material is any substance that would absorb and deflect the
invisible rays given off by fallout particles outside the house, and
thus reduce the amount of radiation reaching the occupants of the
shelter. The thicker or denser the shielding material is, the more it
would protect the shelter occupants.

Some radiation protection is provided by the existing, standard walls
and ceiling of a basement. But if they are not thick or dense enough,
other shielding material will have to be added.

Concrete, bricks, earth and sand are some of the materials that are
dense or heavy enough to provide fallout protection. For comparative
purposes, 4 inches of concrete would provide the same shielding density
as:

--5 to 6 inches of bricks.
--6 inches of sand or gravel . .\ May be packed into bags, cartons, boxes,
--7 inches or earth. . . . . . ./ or other containers for easier
handling.
--8 inches of hollow concrete blocks (6 inches if filled with sand).
--10 inches of water.
--14 inches of books or magazines.
--18 inches of wood.

HOW TO PREPARE A HOME SHELTER

If there is no public fallout shelter near your home, or if you would
prefer to use a family-type shelter in a time of attack, you should
prepare a home fallout shelter. Here is how to do it:

* A PERMANENT BASEMENT SHELTER. If your home basement--or one corner of
it--is below ground level, your best and easiest action would be to
prepare a permanent-type family shelter there. The required shielding
material would cost perhaps $100-$200, and if you have basic carpentry
or masonry skills you probably could do the work yourself in a short
time.

Here are three methods of providing a permanent family shelter in the
"best" corner of your home basement--that is, the corner which is most
below ground level. If you decide to set up one of these shelters,
_first get the free plan for it_ by writing to Civil Defense, Army
Publications Center, 2800 Eastern Blvd. (Middle River), Baltimore, Md.
21220. In ordering a plan, use the full name shown for it.

CEILING MODIFICATION PLAN A

If nearly all your basement is below ground level, you can use this plan
to build a fallout shelter area in one corner of it, without changing
the appearance of it or interfering with its normal peacetime use.

However, if 12 inches or more of the basemen