public fallout shelter locations in san diego

The federal Office of Civil Defense listed five basic designs for private shelters, three of which were underground. To some, therefore, it was apparent they would have to fend for themselves. At the most, though, these sites would only be able to accommodate some 2,000 people in a town that then had a population of a little over 60,000.

Plans had been put in place to designate certain buildings as public shelters, including the Museum of Art, the Granada Building, and the Historical Museum. Others estimated the town would have no more than 30 to 45 minutes before the radioactive fallout would begin to settle here. Some experts felt Santa Barbarans would have around two hours warning.

What exactly would be the result of an attack on the base was a matter of conjecture.

In the early 1960s, many had little doubt that should it come down to a nuclear confrontation, the Santa Barbara area would be a primary target due to its proximity to Vandenberg Air Force Base. Santa Barbara was no different in this regard than anywhere else in the country, and the response on the part of some was to build bomb shelters, also known as fallout shelters. The largest building on the launcher site is the Vehicle Maintenance Building.The 1950s and 1960s of the Cold War was a period of great international tension the threat of nuclear annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union hung in the air. The shelter has no windows and once had blast doors to protect the occupants from nuclear fallout. The Fallout Shelter, to the east of the main gate, was constructed with solid poured concrete walls and roof system. The Administrative Building, with its flat roof and concrete block construction, served as the day barracks where the launcher area crew would have their meals and relax during 24-hour shifts. This site has three modules, each with its own magazine, elevator and ventilation system. The actual launchers, three independent concrete underground bunkers with blast doors, remain intact. The first parcel of land, 14 acres, was the Launcher Area and is surrounded by two eight-foot-tall cyclone fences, original to the base. The Nike Missile Site C-47 near Wheeler, Indiana, was constructed from 1954 to 1956 and consists of two separate parcels of land located nearly a mile apart.

Public fallout shelter locations in san diego