Cities, towns and local civil defense units can for the first time receive by donation federal surplus bulldozers, radio equipment and literally hundreds of other federal supply items that can be used for civil defense purposes.

Congress in the last session amended the law (P.L. 655) to allow donation of federal surplus property for civil defense purposes. Surplus federal personal property was previously made available for health and educational purposes only. Approximately $2 billion worth of federal property becomes surplus each year.

Under the law, the Federal Civil Defense Administrator is delegated the responsibility for determining the surplus items that arc required for civil defense purposes. He has ruled that the following items should be made available: radios, floodlights, tape recorders, public address systems, motor graders, snowplows, loaders, air compressors, cranes, trenching machines, bulldozers, trucks, jeeps, trailers, automobiles, wires, cables, transformers, fire pumpers, ladder trucks, hoses, masks, fire boats and megaphones.

Other items that are to be made available are: recreational equipment, lumber, paint, canvas, desks, chairs, duplicating machines, typewriters, cabinets, x-ray equipment, sterilizers, pipes, water purification units, chlorinators, axes, movie projectors, plumbing supplies and cement.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are hundreds of other items that are to be donated. It should be kept in mind, however, that this list merely identifies those items which, when they become surplus, can be used for civil defense purposes. In the case of bulldozers, for example, perhaps as few as a dozen a week become surplus and they are located in various parts of the country. To obtain any particular item, it must be surplus and must in most cases be located somewhere in the area of the state or region.

States, counties, cities, towns, villages and all political subdivisions of the state, or instrumentalities thereof, or organizations designated pursuant to state law or local ordinance or regulation, as having responsibility for a component part of a civil defense program, are considered to be civil defense organizations and are eligible to receive donable surplus personal property for civil defense purposes, subject to criteria, and terms and conditions established by the FCDA. Units in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Alaska are also eligible.

In general, surplus items are donated for training purposes, research, reserve for emergency or for operational readiness. Surplus is donated but local civil defense units may, depending on state regulations, be required to pay storage or transportation charges. Property donated for CD training purposes and having an original acquisition cost of $2,500 or more cannot be disposed of within four years of the time it is acquired by the city. For motor vehicles this period is two years. Whenever practical, property should be marked with the official civil defense insigne. All property received by donation should also be properly stored and maintained. Again, depending upon state regulations, local civil defense units may be required to submit a plan for using the surplus items and may be called upon to submit reports from time to time.

Under the law, the Federal Civil Defense Administrator is responsible for the operation of the civil defense aspects of the donable programs. In order to simplify administration, however, Congress, provided that the actual distribution of surplus items should be made through state surplus property disposal agencies. These state agencies have been distributing surplus items for educational and health purposes. By expanding the state programs to include donations for civil defense, it was felt that the cost of duplicating a separate civil defense distribution system could be avoided. Each of the state surplus agencies is under the control of the state but the over-all administration of the donable program is under the control of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The Federal Civil Defense Administrator has also delegated his responsibilities in this area to the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

In each state, the state civil defense director is responsible for determining what items of surplus are usable for civil defense purposes in the state. He is to work in close cooperation with the state surplus property disposal unit.

Additional information and application forms are available at the office of the State Civil Defense Agency, 57th Street and South Shore Drive, Chicago 37, Illinois.