N.Y. Defense Emergency Act 1951 Law § 2-a
The legislature hereby finds and declares that the aggressive forces of communism are employing threats of nuclear attack to achieve their plan and purpose of world domination and to confound the aspirations of free people everywhere. It is increasingly apparent that effective fallout protection as an integral part of a strong civil defense is essential to the nation's military defense, to our negotiating strength, to the deterrence of nuclear aggression and to our resistance to nuclear blackmail. In the event of attack, fallout protection and a comprehensive civil defense program are essential to minimize injury and loss of life and to make possible the recovery of the people, the restoration and rehabilitation of the state's economy and the preservation of the spiritual, cultural and political heritage of our nation.
The entire population of the state is now exposed and vulnerable to death or disability from any nuclear attack that might be launched against us. While the radioactive fallout which follows the explosion of nuclear weapons would create the most widespread danger faced by our population in the event of a nuclear attack, the means for protecting the state's population from such fallout are known and are feasible.
In furtherance of the national goal declared by the president of the United States to reach for fallout protection for every American as rapidly as possible and as an integral part of the state's comprehensive civil defense program, a major objective of the state is to have for each person in the state of New York fallout protection ready and adequate for survival, which will make possible recovery and rehabilitation in the event of nuclear attack.
This objective can be achieved only by a cooperative effort which mobilizes the resources of individuals, business, labor, agriculture and other private groups and government at every level-federal, state and local. All levels of government must recognize and accept their mutual obligations to plan, encourage and assist the orderly establishment of adequate fallout shelters, readily accessible to all the people, but the effectiveness of the joint effort, public and private, to protect against the dangers of nuclear attack will depend in large measure on the success and vigor with which local communities and families organize for their survival.
The state must give leadership and direction in this important task of establishing a strong civil defense and achieving fallout protection for each person in the state. To this end the legislature has established a broad coordinated civil defense program.
A primary consideration in this program for survival and recovery of our state following a nuclear attack is the necessity for preservation of our young people. Therefore, as an essential part of the coordinated civil defense effort in each community, the authorities of public and private schools, colleges and universities should provide fallout protection in or near their buildings and the state should encourage and assist financially through state civil defense aid the development of such fallout protection. The state, by fostering fallout protection at the schools, colleges and universities scattered over the length and breadth of the state in every community, will not only aid in providing protection for our young people but will also thereby provide a direction and an awareness of the need for public and private action in support of the civil defense effort.
In addition, as a part of this program, the state should
-encourage and assist private individuals to provide adequate shelter protection for their families, either singly or in groups;
-encourage and foster the construction of shelters in all publicly-assisted housing;
-encourage and assist landlords and employers to provide shelter protection for their tenants and employees;
-encourage local offlcials and community leaders, within the framework of a coordinated civil defense plan, to take positive steps to promote and assist the development of shelter protection by the citizens individually and collectively in each locality; and
-construct and install shelters on state-owned property to provide protection for state workers and other occupants.
Furthermore, the state must cooperatively supplement the program being provided and developed by the federal government and the state must share with the federal government the responsibility of insuring that all protective measures adopted reflect the latest techniques and developments available.
At all times the objectives and planning of civil defense should be directed to the survival not only of the people of the state but of their way of life. Intensive efforts must be made to establish the means and methods which will, in the event of nuclear attack, make possible the recovery of the people and the rehabilitation of the economic and social life of the state following any such attack.
N.Y. Defense Emergency Act 1951 Law § 2-a