New York State Civil Defense Commission Training Exercises Files

The State Civil Defense Commission was established in 1951 (Chapter 784, and amended by Chapters 785 and 786) within the Executive Dept. to prepare for the state's defense in the event of attack. Its mandate was to adopt, promulgate, and implement a comprehensive plan for civil defense. In the event of enemy attack, the commission's powers broadened, and it could assume direct operational control of all civil defense forces and resources, control vehicular traffic, appropriate personal and real property, and issue regulations necessary for the execution of its duties, which were to have the force of law.

Chapter 787 of the Laws of 1951 provided for an appropriation to be transferred from the capital construction fund to the commission for the construction and installation of facilities and materials for bomb shelter use.

The commission was transferred to the Department of Transportation in 1971, and then to the Division of Military and Naval Affairs in 1973.

The bulk of this series contains correspondence, training records, reports, maps, charts, pamphlets, and handbooks that pertain to the simulated radiological situation exercises of the New York State Civil Defense Commission. Most of the correspondence involves the Civil Defense Commission's messages and message logs about schedules, situation updates, advisements and requests to the districts, requests for reports, and exercise critiques, comments, and recommendations.

The report types range from situation, resource, and outcome to evaluation and observation. Training records include information about exercises, sites, courses, status and reports, letters, standards, guidelines, and descriptions. There are also records pertaining to county and city abbreviations and population estimates. A smaller portion of this series involves the Civil Defense Commission's simulated natural disaster situation exercises. The records for these exercises are very similar to those for the radiological situation exercises.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.