A Handbook for Road Repair Crews

[A Handbook for Road Repair Crews]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

A Handbook for

ROAD REPAIR

CREWS

United States

OFFICE OF CIVILIAN DEFWSE

Washington, IK C.

A Handbook for

ROAD REPAIR CREWS

Prepared by the Training Section

U. S. OFFICE OF CIVILIAN DEFENSE

U. S. Government Printing Office, December 1941, Washington, D. C.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.

PREFACE

This is one of a series of civilian defense handbooks prepared by the United States Office of Civilian Defense. The purpose of each handbook is to instruct the individual enrolled civilian defense worker in his duties, and to serve as a manual for reference.
The measures for safeguarding civilians against the effects of air attack, which are described in the following pages, have become a necessary part of the defensive organization of any country open to air attack.
Every State and municipality should take such legal or administrative action as may be necessary to provide for the organization, direction, and training of its Road Repair Crews.

CONTENTS

Pages

Preface...................................... Ill
Chain of Command............................... 1
Number of Road Repair Crews.................... 2
Headquarters for Road Repair Crews ... 2
Duties......................................... 2
Training Requirements ......................... 4
Trucks, Cars................................... 4
Equipping the Truck or Car..................... 4
Other Machinery, Tractors, Bulldozers, etc. 5
Duties Preliminary to an Air Attack .... 6
Delayed Action Bombs........................... 7
Tools and Equipment............................ 7
After the Raid................................. 7
Standard Symbols for Maps...................... 9
Types of Direction Signs...................... 10
Notes....................................... 10
Blackouts......................................13
Warning System................................ 16
What To Do In An Air Raid..................... 18
Fire Defense.................................. 19
Magnesium Bomb.................................20
Water Control of Incendiaries................. 21
Sand Control of Incendiaries ..................22
Fire Extinguishers.............................23
Chemical Warfare Agents, Chart.................24
War Gases..................................... 25
Gas-Tight Room................................ 26
Decontamination................................27
Citizens* Defense Corps........................29
Enrolled Services, C. D. C.....................29
Drill Manual, C. D. C........................ 31

A Handbook for

ROAD REPAIR

CREWS

Chain of Command.

The Public Works Emergency Division Chief, or one having similar authority, usually supervises the Road Repair Crews, the Decontamination Squads, and the Demolition and Clearance Crews. These three services are able to function best within one organization but there are communities where it may be deemed expedient to enroll, train, supervise and equip them separately. Each political subdivision will have its own area to consider, so no hard and fast rule can be laid down. There will be one leader of all Road Repair Crews, under the Public Work’s Emergency Division Chief, whose responsibility will embrace all Truck Companies. An Assistant Leader of Road Repair Truck Companies is usually appointed by the Public Works Emergency Division Chief for each area of 100,000 population.
Leaders of Truck Companies are appointed by the Leader of the road repair truck companies. Truck Drivers and Assistant Drivers are appointed by the Truck Company Leader. All Leaders, Drivers and Assistant Drivers are also workers.

Number of Road Repair Crews.

Road Repair Crews of eight to twelve men are organized for each 4,000 to 5,000 population. Two to four squads are combined to form a Truck Company. These Truck Companies are further organized into groups that serve districts of not more than 100,000. It is not usual that any district will contain more than 100,000 people and no district should be without the services of a proficient Road Repair Truck Company. Each squad is expected to be able to operate alone or in combination with any number of other squads.
Units of the sizes stated above have proven to be the most effective; however, local conditions may make changes necessary.
In small communities the duties of a Road Repair Crew, a Demolition and Clearance Crew and a Rescue Squad may be combined in one Truck Company.

Headquarters for Road Repair Crews.

Road Repair Crews organized into Truck Companies will be stationed throughout the community at strategic points from which any section can be reached regardless of the extent of raids. They should not be stationed near public buildings or storage tanks.

Duties»

The duties of Road Repair Crews cover a wide range. Of course the primary duty is to restore the surface to roads in order that traffic can use it, but there are many other things associated with streets and roads that come within the scope of your work.

Medical units, fire-fighting equipment, rescue squads, police cars and workers, have to get through. The roads should be open to traffic at the earliest possible moment. In the meantime plainly marked detours must be laid out. Routes that are narrow and have overhead obstructions should be avoided, as should routes where there are steep grades and sharp turns. Ideal conditions, being seldom obtainable, the best possible road net is laid out and plainly marked.
In any case, the approval of traffic police must be obtained for a detour route before marking.
Restoring road lines, direction signs, pedestrian crossing lines, and painting poles are also part of your responsibility.
Locked or disabled cars found on the roads, that are obstructing traffic, should be removed by any means available.
Animals found wandering on the road should be secured to a tree or post in a manner that makes it impossible for them to block traffic on roads or sidewalks.
Carcasses of animals will be turned over to those experienced in their disposal.
Sewers that are clogged by debris caused by heavy rains will have to be cleared to permit water to run off and traffic to move. There may be occasions when ditches will have to be dug to accomplish this.
High winds may bring down trees that will obstruct roads.
Slides caused by heavy rains or thawing will have to be removed.

Many of these tasks should be performed by Demolition and Clearance Crews and their assistance should be requested through the Control Center when required. However, you should be ever ready to assist in this work and if need be perform it alone.

Training Requirements»

Each member of a Road Repair Crew is required to be proficient in the following subjects:
1. Fire Defense—3 hours.
2. Gas Defense—2 hours.
3. General Course—5 hours.
4. Drill—2 hours.

Trucks, Cars.

It is doubtful if there are very many municipalities that can set aside vehicles equipped to be used for air raid work alone. However, dependable vehicles should be made available and reserve quantities of oil and gasoline stored for emergency use.
One member of each Road Repair Crew is the truck driver, another should be designated as substitute driver; each must have a thorough knowledge of the district in which he is to function and also know how to reach surrounding districts and communities.

Equipping the Truck or Car,

In many cases it will be necessary to obtain road repair equipment by purchase or by loan. This should be stored close to the truck and a supply of fuel and repair parts be made a part of the service load.

Suggested Equipment.
Shovels.
Picks.
Mattocks.
Axes.
Crowbars.
Rope, 2*.
Rope, 500 ft.
Cable, 1" steel, 200 ft.
Sledge hammers, 10—12 lb.
Wheelbarrows.
Post-hole digger.
Heavy gloves.
Crosscut saw, 2-handled.
Electric cable.
Lamps 250-500 watts.
Black paint.
White paint.
Brushes 1", 2", 4", 6".
White show cards up to 2' x 3' for signs.
Boards up to 2' x 3' x 1" for signs.
Posts—2 by 4’s for signs.
Nails, to fasten signs on posts and trees.
Handsaw, rip.
Handsaw, crosscut.
Supply of detour signs and other standard signs.

Other Machinery» Tractors, nulldozers, etc»

A tractor with a scraping attachment or a bulldozer is almost indispensable for filling craters and should be available to every community. Where the municipality does not possess one, arrangement can be made to rent or borrow one or more from private citizens. The man who is to drive and his substitute are responsible for the tractor or bulldozer being ready when needed.

For fast transportation a truck with a ramp will speed up delivery of slow moving equipment to the scene of an incident. A plentiful supply of gasoline, oil, water, and in cold weather antifreeze, is imperative both for initial usage and for replenishment.
Dump trucks, when available, can be used to great advantage to haul rubble.
Cities that are able to provide all this equipment will be the exception rather than the rule. It is not anticipated that every community will at once purchase everything that might be needed; however, every attempt should be made to secure a good supply of the simpler tools that will do the job efficiently by substituting hand power for mechanical horsepower.

Duties Preliminary to an Air Attach.
After your crew and truck company is trained and organized it will be to the advantage of all to practice loading and unloading your equipment. Have a place for every piece, have every piece in the best possible condition. If the amount of equipment your local defense council is able to furnish is very limited, attempt to secure vital items by loan or purchase.
Drivers and assistant drivers are responsible for the condition of their vehicles. Time spent in tuning them up will pay big dividends when the adverse conditions that exist during raids is encountered. Moments devoted to care of vehicles in a warm, dry, and lighted garage may prevent break-downs that take hours to repair on the job.

6
z Rope off the damaged section with materials from your own truck or with materials that will be supplied by the Warden. Lay out the alternate routes to be used and post as many signs as are necessary to reroute traffic around the area, first checking your arrangements with police authorities. Post guides if necessary. (1,000 lb. bombs will form a crater, in soft earth, 40 ft. across, 6 ft. deep and cause damage to utilities to 10 ft.) Ascertain if any utilities buried under the road have been damaged. If they have been, it will be the responsibility of the chief of public works to say whether it is more important to repair the utilities or to repair the road first. When it is decided to fill in the holes the rubble from the street itself and from buildings that have been destroyed will be used and paving will be replaced.
Cooperation with Demolition and Clearance Crews will lighten the amount of work that will have to be done and shorten the hauls of debris. The usual practice is to demolish walls onto the area formerly occupied by the building. However, when there is a need for materials to fill holes they could be pulled or blown down onto the road where the material can be handled more efficiently.
After alternate routes are marked out and holes are filled in the next step is to restore all signs and lines as were previously in use. When this is finished and caution signs have been placed to warn traffic of the repaired section, the alternate routes will be abandoned, the signs removed and the guides relieved.

Delayed“Action Bombs.

Bombs, other than incendiary, that fall near where your crew is working will be reported to the nearest Air Raid Warden at once. When they fail to explode, if your squad is working within the danger area, work will be stopped at once and the crew and equipment withdrawn to a safe distance. Contact should be made with your headquarters to ascertain if there is work elsewhere for your squad.

Tools and Equipment.

All equipment, from sledge hammers to motor cars, performs best, through long and hard usage, when properly conditioned. During periods of operation and while waiting for calls, no opportunity should be passed up to recondition and tune up equipment. One member of each company should be made responsible for all tools.
As some machinery is equipped with steel wheels, care will be exercised not to let them come in contact with power lines that might be down. Serious and fatal bums and shocks are frequently caused by neglecting this precaution.

After the Raid.

Air Raid Wardens will inform the control center of damages to roads in his section, the control center will notify the Road Repair Truck Company of their location and extent. If it is within the area assigned to your company you will proceed, with all your vehicles and equipment, to the scene of the incident and take the necessary actions to permit traffic to get through.

Types of Direction Signs.

This Page Is for Notes

Standard Symbols for Maps.

Use these standard symbols on all maps—they are intended to make clear the facts you and others will need to know in a hurry.

Warden’s Poet Bomb Crater
Fire Watcher’s Station Roped-off Area
Fire Alarm Street Car Tracks
4^ Telephone Double Tracks
Cisterns or
^3^ Air Raid Shelter .Water Reserves
Gas-Proof Air Raid Shelter Sector Limits
Entrance to Shelter 11“ 'll“ Zone Limits
Fire Station Site of Gas Bomb
Contaminated Area (For
XM. Decontamination cffi} large area, blue cross-
v* Squad Depot XX hatch)
Repair Squad Street Lamp
•4» Casualty Station Fire Hydrant
ff* Decontaminating IUIIU Sewer Gratings
«E» First Aid Station
Bomb Squad Station Manhole
Location of Incident Tree
LJ (Show number in center)
Demolished Building Sandbags

This Booh Belongs to:

(First name) (Initial) (Last name)
Enrolled Status: t

My Home Address Is:

My Telephone Number Is:

Or my home can be reached by calling______________;_______________________
In case of emergency, notify:

City____________________ State________________

This Page Is for Notes

1. Painting curbs, trees, poles and hydrants with white paint. There is a luminous paint, also, that gives off a faint blue light quite visible in total darkness.
2. Painting signs of luminous paint or making them of fluorescent material on which shines ultraviolet or “black” light or installing dimly lighted signs with horizontal screens to diffuse the light.

3. Painting white fenders and stripes around automobiles.
Members of the Citizens’ Defense Corps who have outside duties during a blackout can be identified more easily if they wear a white cap or white-painted helmet; also a white belt fitted with crossed straps over the shoulders.

BLACKOUTS

Blackouts are ordered only on the authority of the War Department. A blackout may be ordered during any period when hostile forces are believed to be in the vicinity, whether or not enemy airplanes have been sighted.
"Blacking Out" a city means that light sources must be so hidden or dimmed that an enemy bomber will have difficulty in finding the target and lack aiming points such as main street intersections. Following are the general plans used. Street Light». These are fitted with low-watt bulbs and covers that diffuse the light.
Automobile». Headlights must be covered except for a small pair of slits and hooded.
Traffic Light». Are treated the same way as automobile headlights.
Building». Windows and doors must be covered with opaque materials. Paint on the glass, heavy curtains, light “baffles” or screens are some of the ways. No cracks of light must show.
Aid» to Seeing. Since people have to move about during a blackout, the lack of light may be somewhat offset and safety promoted by—

ARMY

When an observer sights a group of hostile planes, he picks up his telephone (1) and says Army Flash. The Central Operator (2) at once connects him with the assigned Filter Center (3) to which he reports the type of planes, number, height, and direction of flight. When several reports agree, watchers transmit the data to an Information Center (4) where developments over a large area are plotted on a huge map.
Watching the map, Air Corps officers order interceptor planes into the air, (5) direct them to contact with the enemy; another officer notes the cities threatened and flashes a yellow, blue, or red alarm, according to the degree of danger, to the proper Warning District Center (6).
At this point, Civilian Defense takes over from the Air Corps, telephones the warnings to Control Centers (7) within the Warning District. The Commander of the local Citizens’ Defense Corps notifies the public by a general warning signal, usually short blasts on air horns, power horns or steam whistles or on the wailing sirens—and if the bombers arrive overhead, directs the operation of passive defense. Learn the air raid warning for your city.

Individual Conduct During a Blackout.
Observe traffic rules. Keep to the right and remember the man or vehicle approaching from your right has the right of way.
If you must smoke, go into a hallway or covered place to strike the match. No smoking in the open is an even better rule. Make all crossings at intersections. It is hard for a driver to see you.
Be sure that everyone you know is acquainted with these simple rules.

DO NOT run when air raid warnings sound after dark during blackouts.

Use your flashlight as little as possible, if at all. Never point it upward.

Curb edges and direction signs painted white will help you find your way.

Keep pets on leash if you take them out after dark.

If an air raid warning sounds, get under cover, you may be hit by ■hell fragments.

If you don’t know the neighborhood the first policeman or warden will tell you where to go.

The Refuge Room

WHAT TO DO IN AN AIR RAID

At the yellow warning, if you are not already on duty, you will be summoned to your post and will carry out orders until relieved. However, here are the rules for those who do not have assigned duties when the air raid warning comes. Memorize them carefully so that you can in turn instruct others. Here is what to tell them:
1. If away from home, seek the nearest shelter. Get off the street.
2. If you are driving, first park your car at the curb; be sure all lights are shut off.
3. If you are at home, send the others to the refuge room. This should be a comfortable place with as little window exposure as possible, equipped with drinking water, things to read, toilet facilities, a flashlight, a portable radio, a sturdy table, and food if you like.
4. Turn off all gas stove burners but leave pilot lights, water heaters and furnaces alone. Leave electricity and water on. Fill some large containers or a bathtub with water.
5. Check up on blackout arrangements. Don’t let a crack of light show to the outside.

FLASH

HOW THE MAGNESIUM BOMB WORKS

6. See that everyone’s eyeglasses and dentures are in the refuge room. There should be additional warm garments for everyone, too.
7. Keep out of line of windows. Fragments and glass splinters cause most casualties.
8. If bombs fall nearby, get under a heavy table, an overturned davenport.
9. Don’t rush out when the “all clear” signal sounds. Maintain the blackout. The Raiders may return.
10. Otherwise, keep cool; be sensible and set an example to others.

FIRE DEFENSE

CONTROLLING WITH SANO

CONTROLLING WITH WATER

CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS

REFERENCE AND TRAINING CHART

Ite importance of proper first aid for gas victims cm- C. Keep itie patient at absolute rest: loosen clottiieg Nt.be overemphasized. ne following are general roles to facilitate breathing.
which apply in all cases. D. Remove the patient to a gas-free place as soon as
A. Act promptly and quietly; be calm. possible.
B. Put a gas mask on the patientif gas is still present t Summon medical aid promptly; if possible, send
or, if he has a mask on, check to see that his is property the victim to a hospital.
adjusted. If a mask is not available, wet a handkerchief f. Do not permit the patient to smoke, as this causes
or ether cloth and han him breathe through it coughing and, hence, exertion.

ABOUT FIRE
EXTINGUISHERS

Many houses and public buildings have fire extinguishers. They will be as useful as ever in putting out fires caused by an incendiary bomb. For putting out the bomb itself, the extinguisher may not be suitable.
Read the label. If it says that the contents include CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, it cannot under any circumstances be used on a magnesium bomb. It is not only ineffective, it may cause dangerous gas to be generated. After the bomb is burnt out, use it on any remaining fire.
All water-type extinguishers are suitable. If the label says SODA-ACID, that’s simply a means of creating pressure in the extinguisher. Turn it upside down, use it. You can get a spray effect by putting the thumb over the nozzle, use the jet on surrounding fires. However, one extinguisher is not enough to burn out a magnesium bomb. And you cannot refill the extinguisher.
It is best to have sand or pump-bucket equipment handy, use them on the bomb, and save the extinguishers for resulting fires.
A foam extinguisher will also help to control a bomb, but one extinguisher load will not finish the job.
See that the extinguishers you know about are ready for use.

THE GAS-TIGHT ROOM

War gases hug the ground, flow into cellars and basements. Upper floors of a dwelling are away from dangerous concentrations. If all openings and cracks are closed, a room three stories from the ground will offer good protection against war gases.
To stop cracks and small openings, tape of various kinds may be used. A mush made by soaking newspapers in water or patching plaster may be used for caulking larger openings. A piece of wall board, nails and caulking material may be kept handy to cover a window broken by the blast of high explosives.
One door may be used as an entrance by fastening over it a blanket in such a way as to seal it tightly when no one is going in or out. If soaked in oil to close the air spaces, the blanket is more effective.
Store necessary supplies in such a room— food, water, chairs, a battery-operated radio, flashlight and by all means provide some sort of toilet facilities—use it as the refuge room.

WAR GASES

General Notes.

War “Gases,” or chemical agents used to produce casualties, are surprise weapons. As this is written, they have not been used against the British or others trained to protect themselves. They have been used against the Ethiopians and the Chinese.
A gas-tight room suitably located offers fair protection against any probable concentration of war gas in a city. For those whose duties take them into the streets a gas mask offers full protection against all but the “blister gases” (liquid vesicants). To enter areas where mustard or lewisite is present, full protective clothing is needed.
War gases may be dropped in bombs or simple containers and liquid vesicants may also be sprayed by airplanes.
The gas warning is a “percussion sound”— that is, bells, drums, hand rattles, rapidly struck resonant objects of any kind. If the presence of gas is suspected, report to the nearest warden. Do not shout if distant gas alarms are heard. The danger is local and the spreading of an alarm must be left to the wardens.
The notes on the following pages are simply for reference for those who have received instruction in protection against gas. Reading them will not by itself make you an expert in gas defense.

•RANK DESIGNATION ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ △ △ △ △ △ △ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
«SENIOR OR
AIR R&LP WARDEN FIRST CLASS SECTOR WARDEN TONE LEADER GROUP. LEADER CHIEF WARDEN STATE WARDEN NO OTHER RANI 8 ............ . . . .......fu
* COMPANY STATE FIRE
auxiliary Bremen SQUAD LEADER PLATOON LEADER LEADER FIRE CHIEF COORDINATOR NO OTHER RANK
• • • CHIEF OF
AUXILIARY policemen POUCE NO OTHER RANI S ..............
BOMB SQUADS • • NONE • • NO OTHER RANK
RESCUE SQUADS • ' • DEPOT LEADER • FIRE CHIEF NO OTHER RANI s ..........
STATE MEDICAL
MEDICAL FIELD UNITS * TEAM LEADER SQUAD LEADER UNIT LEADER CHIEF OF E.M.S. DIRECTOR NO OTHER RANI
MEDICAL AUXILIARIES -• • * • * NO OTHER RAP KS.............. ...............
(stretcher teams)
NURSES’ AIDES NO RANK DE JGNATIONS •••-. ...............
COMPANY
EMERGENCY FOOD AND FIRST CLASS UNIT LEADER DEPOT LEADER LEADER CHIEF WARDEN NO OTHER RAN s..........
HOUSING
DRIVERS UNITS - CONVOY LEADER • • NO OTHER RANK« ...............
• SENIOR • 1
MESSENGERS MESSENGER PLATOON LEADER NO OTHER RANKS •••••••.......
ROAD REPAIR CREWS • CREW LEADER DEPOT LEADER •
DEMOLITION AND CLEAR. • ► • . ► CHIEF OF NO OTHER RAN :s...........
EMER. WORK S.
DECONTAMINATION SQUADS • SQUAD LEADER STATION LEADER •
FIRE WATCHERS • NO OTHER RA UKS.............. - •-
• CHIEF OE
REPAIR CREWS CREW LEADER. SERVICE LEADER NONE UTILITIES NO OTHER RAN