PART II. CIVIL DEFENSE PREPARATIONS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY 



PLANNING 



If a food company's disaster preparedness program 

 is to be effective, its planning and preparation must 

 be given the same degree of attention as other corpo- 

 rate activities. In a muhi-plant operation, planning 

 should be conducted on both a corporate and a plant 

 basis. Guidelines for protection of the people and 

 property should be developed at the corporate level, 

 with the details worked out by individual plants with 

 the help of civil defense officials in plant communities. 



One of the first steps in planning and organizing 

 should be the appointment of a single individual at 

 the corporate level to provide coordination and direc- 

 tion of the overall disaster preparedness program, and 

 a counterpart official in each plant to direct its phase 

 of the program. In a small plant, the manager may 

 do his own planning. The civil defense coordinator 

 must have the administrative and organizational respon- 

 sibility for making the plan work, for the plan will be 

 of no value unless the p>ersonnel of the company or the 

 plant are subsequently organized and trained to carry 

 it out. 



The second step should be the appointment of a civil 

 defense advisory committee, representing both em- 

 ployees and management, to assist the civil defense 

 coordinator and to insure that the plan and orga- 

 nization receive the active cooperation of all elements in 

 the company. 



Under guidance of the company civil defense coordi- 

 nator and his advisory committee, company officials 

 next should assess the vulnerability of the facilities and 



the company's capability for meeting a disaster. Such 

 a survey includes analysis of the probable threats to 

 plant and personnel, the significance of geographical 

 location, the industrial processes employed by the com- 

 pany, the capability of plant protective organizations 

 to minimize damage, and the amount of protection 

 available for personnel. This analysis will indicate the 

 proper size and makeup of the company's emergency 

 organization and the employee training programs 

 needed. 



A key factor in the effectiveness of the civil defense 

 plan will be the shelter provisions. The kind of shelter 

 protection needed vnll depend upon the plant's prox- 

 imity to likely target areas. How much is provided 

 may depend upon the budget, the type of present plant 

 construction, availability of shelter in nearby buildings, 

 and other variables. Certainly, each company will 

 want to provide the best shelter for its people that 

 circumstances will allow. 



The emergency plan also should include provisions 

 for close mutual assistance with neighboring plants 

 and local civil defense officials. All planning should be 

 performed in conjunction with the local civil defense 

 director. 



When the plan has been set down on paper, the civil 

 defense coordinator for the plant should see that it gets 

 an official stamp of approval. It is best to have it pub- 

 lished and distributed to all personnel as a policy di- 

 rective from the food plant manager, thus assuring 

 that it will receive the attention it deserves. 



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