|
The Illinois Civil Defense Agency was created by the General Assembly in 1951 to cope with the consequences of possible nuclear attack. It was charged with coordinating state efforts with those of the federal government, local authorities, and political divisions of other states. In the event of a nuclear attack it was to protect the public peace, health, and safety. It was to conduct training and public information programs, survey available resources, make contingency plans, establish mobile support teams and provide needed supplies and equipment following a nuclear attack. Each local political division was authorized to establish its own local organization for civil defense (L. 1951, pp. 1219-1225).
The Illinois Civil Defense Agency was replaced in 1975 by the Illinois Emergency Services and Disaster Agency. Responsibilities of this newly named agency were expanded to include fires, floods, earthquakes, and other natural or manmade disasters in addition to nuclear disasters (P.A. 79-1084, p. 3320). It further was charged in 1984 with cooperating with the Department of Nuclear Safety in planning for means by which to deal with nuclear power plant accidents (P.A. 83-1177, p. 588). And in 1985 it was instructed to develop an Earthquake Awareness Program whereby preparedness literature would be distributed to schools, local governments, community groups, newspapers, and radio and television stations. Together with the State Geological Survey it was to compile a list of strategic manmade structures which were in the greatest danger from earthquakes and to assess the harm their destruction could cause the communities in which they were located (P.A. 84-727, p. 4543).
222.001
DIRECTOR'S SUBJECT FILES. 1973-1990. 34 cu. ft. Partial index.
Files include incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence with related federal agencies (e.g., Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, Federal Preparedness Agency, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission); state agencies (e.g., Department of Health, Department of Nuclear Safety, Pollution Control Board); gubernatorial task forces (e.g., Task Force on Flood Control, Task Force on Drought, Task Force on Hazardous Waste); international, national, and state emergency service organizations (e.g., International Civil Defense Council, U.S. Civil Defense Council, Illinois Emergency Services Management Association); local defense organizations; and citizens concerning disaster planning and relief. Also included are emergency services incident files, studies and working papers for special projects, rules and regulations for state emergency services, federal grant applications, requests for federal disaster assistance funds, and transcripts of testimonies before the U.S. Congress and the General Assembly.
Subjects include nuclear disasters, air defense systems, pollution, civil defense education and training, coordination of services, hazardous waste disposal, disaster preparedness, crop damages, floods, tornadoes, ice storms, mine subsidence, earthquakes, blizzards, wind storms, train derailments, state and federal disaster legislation, nuclear and radiological research, chemical spills, search and rescue programs, communication and warning systems, emergency medical services, fallout shelter construction and maintenance, weather forecasting, transportation of hazardous materials, industrial accidents, flood insurance, dam safety, snow removal, the reentry of the SKYLAB space station, and civilian evacuations.
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
|
