The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) was an agency of the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
from 1961–64. It replaced the
Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization
The Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, created in 1958 originally as Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization, was an office of the Executive Office of the President of the United States which consolidated the functions of the existing O ...
. The organization was renamed the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency on May 5, 1972, and was abolished on July 20, 1979, pursuant to Executive Order 12148. Its duties were given to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Ex ...
(FEMA).
Regions
The Office of Civil Defense was organized into several regions, in order to better manage the distribution of funds, coordination of local training and resources and support state and local agencies planning and perpetration.
In May 1962 there were eight regions that.
Directors of the Office of Civil Defense
*Steuart Pittman, September 15, 1961 – April 7, 1964
*
William Durkee, April 7, 1964 – January 1, 1967
*
Joseph Romm, January 1, 1967 – January 20, 1969
*
John Davis, May 20, 1969 – January 20, 1977
*
Bardyl Tirana, April 13, 1977 – July 20, 1979
Office of Civilian Defense
The Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) was established by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
in May 1941. It was responsible for planning community health programs and medical care of civilians in the event of a military attack on the United States. It was an independent agency and not associated with the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...
. It coordinated with the
Chemical Corps
The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activities that unti ...
of the
Department of the Army regarding protective measures against chemical weapons.
United States Public Health Service
The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant ...
officers were assigned as medical consultants with OCD local district offices. Later in 1941, right-wing Senators added an amendment to forbid OCD from supporting physical fitness instruction “By dancers, fan dancing, street shows, theatrical performances, or other public entertainment.”
See also
*
Emergency Broadcast System
The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), sometimes called the Emergency Broadcasting System or the Emergency Action Notification System (EANS), was an emergency warning system used in the United States. It replaced the previous CONELRAD system an ...
*
Civil defense Geiger counters
This article is about Geiger counters and ion-chamber instruments, and it uses the term "Geiger counter" as a colloquial name for any hand-held radiation measuring device in civil defense. However, most civil defense devices were ion-chamber radi ...
*
Civil Defense Sirens in the United States
References
External links
Records of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency.Accessed August 2, 2007
*
*
{{authority control
Government agencies established in 1961
1979 disestablishments in the United States
Defunct agencies of the United States government
Civil Defense
Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...