PART III. INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT COOPERATION 

 FOR COMMUNITY SURVIVAL 



ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENT 



Since food will be one of the most critical require- 

 ments in national recovery following attack, it is appar- 

 ent that close cooperation between Government and 

 industry will be necessary to make the emergency food 

 program work. 



For this reason, the responsibility is greater upon 

 food plants to make prudent emergency plans and 

 preparations than it is for other less critical industries. 

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture and other local, 

 Slate and Federal agencies have comprehensive emer- 

 gency plans ready on a standby basis or in the process 

 of development to deal with emergency food problems. 

 But these plans cannot succeed without the active co- 

 operation of the food industry which will be in an 

 emergency — as in peacetime — the Nation's only source 

 of food. 



By following the steps outlined in this Guide, food 

 plant officials can provide an example of organizational 

 leadership to other industries in their communities. 



Training facilities can be offered to community officials 

 for use by various groups. Plant personnel who are 

 trained in special emergency skills can assist com- 

 munity emergency services as instructors or as civil 

 defense auxiliaries. The food industry's public infor- 

 mation media can be offered to civil defense officials 

 and USDA Defense Boards as channels for dissemina- 

 tion of civil defense information. 



In the final analysis, neither the Government nor in- 

 dustry will be able to solve the Nation's emergency 

 food problems alone. Each must bring special skills 

 and ability to a joint solution. This means that there 

 must be a constant two-way flow of information be- 

 tween Government and industry. In the case of the 

 food industry, it means that each food plant should be 

 in close communication with both community civil de- 

 fense officials and USDA State and County Defense 

 Boards. This liaison should not await an emergency; 

 it should begin immediately. 



THE ROLE OF TRADE ASSOCIATIONS 



One of the best mechanisms for facilitating civil de- 

 fense planning and emergency cooperation between 

 Government and industry is the trade association, since 

 one of the trade association's functions is furnishing a 

 two-way channel of communication between Govern- 

 ment and industry. This communication channel will 

 be utilized fully in emergency planning and operations. 



Because of the leadership which trade associations 

 exert in their respective industries, they can facilitate 

 and encourage emergency planning. This is true in 

 the food industry associations, as in other industries. 



The associations can furnish individual members with 

 authoritative emergency information from appropriate 

 government sources. They can furnish governments at 

 all levels with sources of expertise and special skills in 

 emergency planning and preparations which are found 



among members' firms. 



Through the organization of committees to deal ef- 

 fectively with emergency planning and preparedness 

 problems, the trade associations can encourage and as- 

 sist their members to begin making individual plans and 

 preparations. It must be remembered, however, that 

 trade associations are responsive to the members; thus 

 it is likely that the association's degree of interest in 

 civil defense planning will be dependent upon the in- 

 terest displayed by members. 



Food plant managers who are concerned about their 

 emergency preparations and who feel they need help 

 should call upon association leaders for assistance. The 

 results will be beneficial to individual members, to the 

 industry and to the national welfare. 



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