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Midnight Writer

(25,287 posts)
3. When I was in Junior High, my duty was to go to the fallout shelter and inventory the supplies.
Mon Mar 9, 2026, 10:58 AM
Monday

The shelter was in the basement of the school, and I went down every two weeks with a clipboard and count the containers. I got a little certificate presented to me at the end of the school year.

We had drums of water, sealed canister of saltines, Gieger counters, hygienic supplies, and some medical kits.

In grade school, we had the "duck and cover" drills, but I don't recall any bomb-specific drills in Junior High.

As an adult, we had a fallout shelter in the basement of our office building. Pretty dank and small, with the same provisions; saltines, water and meds. I got put in charge of that shelter's supplies, as well. They did away with that shelter around 1982.

Recommendations

3 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

What was the address? GusBob Monday #1
No idea who owns it now. MineralMan Monday #2
I have made my prediction too GusBob Monday #4
When I was in Junior High, my duty was to go to the fallout shelter and inventory the supplies. Midnight Writer Monday #3
When I was in grade school, there were ... ananda Monday #5
I remember those drills, too. MineralMan Monday #8
We were also glued to the TV during the Cuban Missile Crisis ananda Monday #13
As 5th and 6th graders, we girls were often more worried about... 3catwoman3 Monday #30
Our town had a fallout shelter on the front lawn Jersey Devil Monday #6
Fallout shelters for the most part are useless. Johnny2X2X Monday #7
Yes, of course they are. MineralMan Monday #9
Yeah, and what about power for air filtration Johnny2X2X Monday #10
Ours had a hand-cranked ventilation system. MineralMan Monday #11
I am 61 get the red out Monday #12
A hand cranked ventilation system? jfz9580m Monday #14
Yup. It used the hand-cranked blower MineralMan Monday #15
During the Cuban missile crisis my parents discussed converting our cellar to a shelter during conversation at the Martin68 Monday #16
We had a neighbor who built one about that time. Everything old is new again. Vinca Monday #17
When I was a little girl, I begged my father to build a "fallout" shelter. Sogo Monday #18
For My Father, It Was a Way for Him to Feel Like He Was Doing Something. MineralMan Monday #20
We moved into a house that had a basement fallout shelter area. hay rick Monday #19
Yes. Such structures were more a security blanket than real protection. MineralMan Monday #21
Not Just One Threat 2na fisherman Monday #22
Indeed. We Live in Precarious Times. MineralMan Monday #23
Me Too 2na fisherman Monday #28
For a bit of levity, here's the obligatory Donald Fagen song... keep_left Monday #24
That's Brilliant! First Time I've Seen It. MineralMan Monday #26
Despite the "old" Steely Dan style... keep_left Monday #31
I had one in the neighborhood. kairos12 Monday #25
My uncle built one in the 60s in Delaware Walleye Monday #27
We had one too. I was 5 when my parents got the new Laurelin Monday #29
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