Protect and Survive

Action After Warnings

"Send your young children to the fallout room, then go quickly and turn off the gas and electricity at the mains. Close down stoves, damp down fires, shut windows and draw curtains."

     
Mushroom Cloud   Action After Warnings was a Public Information Film (PIF) which was part of the UK Government's Protect and Survive series. The film informs members of the public what they should when they hear the different warning sounds indicating nuclear attack, fallout and the all-clear. It would have been shown repeatedly on all TV channels and played on all radio channels in the days of tension leading up to a nuclear war.

The film was produced in 1975 by Richard Taylor Cartoons (who also produced the famous "Charley Says" PIFS amongst others). It was narrated by Patrick Allen who went on to appear on Frankie goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes" track (see Culture).

The transcript of Action After Warnings is given below and an audio recording is presented in RealAudio format. If you require a RealAudio player go to the www.real.com site.


Action After Warnings

  


Listen to Action After WarningsRealAudio
A warning may come quite unexpectedly.

We will now tell you what to do if a warning sounds when you are at home, and then we will explain what to do if you are out of doors.

First, if you are at home. If attack is imminent you will hear the attack sound like this:

The Attack Warning

So take cover at once. Send your young children to the fallout room, then go quickly and turn off the gas and electricity at the mains. Close down stoves, damp down fires, shut windows and draw curtains. Then go to your fallout room and stay there.

If the fallout warning sounds are heard they will be like these:

The Fall-out WarningThe Fall-out WarningThe Fall-out Warning

You should now move yourself and your family to the safest area in your fallout room. That is you should get inside your inner refuge and stay there. After two days the danger from fallout will get less, but don't take any risks by contact with it. The longer you stay in your refuge the better it will be for you. Listen to your radio. Stay where you are and keep listening to your radio.

Now this is what you should do if you are out of doors when the warning sounds. Take cover at once when you hear the attack sound.

The Attack Warning

If you cannot reach home in ten minutes take cover in the nearest building. If there is no building nearby try to find some solid cover. If there is no solid cover, lie flat in a ditch or a hole and cover your head, face and hands as fast as you can with some of your clothes.

If you hear the fallout warning:

The Fall-out WarningThe Fall-out WarningThe Fall-out Warning

Seek the nearest and best cover as quickly as you can, but before entering the building or cover, brush or shake off any fallout dust you may have picked up, and get rid of it. Change your outer clothing if you can. Stay under cover.

When the all clear sounds, like this:

The All Clear

It means that you are safe from attack or fallout for the time being, and that you can go out again, but keep listening for further warnings, or to your radio for further advice.

Protect and survive

Protect and Survive


Return to Introduction


Home

This transcript and recording are believed to be in the public domain and were transferred to the Internet by George Coney.
Last updated June 1999
Send mail to atomic@cybertrn.demon.co.uk