HISTORY OF THE RADIOLOGICAL DEFENSE (RADEF) INSTRUMENT PROGRAM
(Taken from FEMA Publication CPG 3-1)

      Even before President Truman signed the legislative act that created our modern civil defense program (January 12, 1951), the national need for special radiological instruments for civil defense had been recognized. In December 1950, letters signed by James J. Wadsworth, an official in the Executive Office of the President, had been sent to State Governors encouraging them to obtain such instruments. The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) offered to pool the State orders to obtain more favorable prices through procurement in quantity. The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) had agreed to make tests to ensure the quality and correct calibration of the instruments purchased. All procurement costs were to be the responsibility of the States. Testing and calibration costs would be borne by the NBS.

      North Korea had invaded South Korea the previous June, and U.S. combat forces were actively engaged in battle on the Korean peninsula. Further, our relations with the Soviet Union, which was known to possess nuclear weapons, were strained. Nevertheless, the States were not responsive, and no procurement was undertaken.

     As a next step, the FCDA worked out an arrangement with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) whereby AEC instruments and small radioactive sources were loaned to the States for training. While many of the States took advantage of this program, they recognized its deficiencies. After the initial training, the instruments had to be returned, leaving no capability for refresher training or for radiological monitoring in the event of an emergency. This was somewhat like training soldiers with wooden guns but never providing the real ones. Subsequently, the augment the AEC supplies, FCDA purchased some low-range Geiger counters (later known as the CDV-700s).

     Certain States, notably New York and California, initiated limited procurement actions to obtain operational instruments. But by and large, the need for such equipment went unmet. Finally, it was recognized that the policy of depending on the States to provide their own radiological monitoring equipment simply would not work. The FCDA and Congress accepted that the Federal Government must assume responsibility for the radiological instrument program including design, engineering, procurement, and maintenance and calibration.

     In December, 1960, the Office of Civil Defense Mobilization (OCDM) issued an advisory bulletin announcing to the States the availability, on a grant basis, of radiological monitoring instruments for operational purposes. OCDM recommended establishment of a nationwide network of 100,000 (later increased to 150,000) monitoring stations to provide radiological information for survival and recovery actions at the State and local levels. Each monitoring station that met the specified requirements was to be granted a set of instruments consisting of:
•A CDV-700 Low-Range Radiological Survey Meter, Geiger Counter, probe type, beta-gamma discriminating, 0-0.5, 0-5, and 0-50 mR/hr.

•A CDV-710 High-Range Radiological Survey Meter, gamma only, 0-0.a5, 0-a5, and 0-a50 R/hr. (In later procurements, the CDV-710 survey meter was replaced by a CDV-715 Radiological Survey Meter, gamma only, with an additional range of 0-500 R/hr.)

• A CDV-715 High-Range Radiological Survey meter, beta-gamma discriminating, with a range of 0-5, 0-50, and 0-500 R/hr.

• A CDV-730 Radiological Dosimeter, Self-Reading gamma only, 0-20 R.

• A CDV-740 Radiological Dosimeter, Self-Reading, gamma only, 0-100 R. (In later procurements, the CDV-730 and -740 dosimeters were replaced by a CDV-742 Dosimeter, self-reading, gamma only, 0-200 R.)

• A CDV-750 Radiological Dosimeter Charger.

      In the early 1960's, the Department of Defense's Office of Civil Defense (OCD) embarked on a program to locate and stock naturally occurring fallout protective space in existing buildings. Included in these stocks were radiological instruments. In May 1964, OCD announced the availability of shelter instruments. For shelters meeting the specified criteria, assembled "Shelter Radiation Kits" were provided. Each kit contained one CDV-700, one CDV-715, two CDV-742s, and one CDV-750.

      Other specified requirements were identified, and appropriate instruments were designed and procured. These instruments included the CDV-700M for radioiodine measurements, the CDV-717 for remote readings, the CDV-138 for training, the CDV-781 for aerial surveys, and the CDV-711 for external readings from a hardened site such as an emergency operating center (EOC). A chronological account of radiological instrument procurement is shown in Figure 5. It does not include procurement of radioactive source sets used in training.

Procurement through FY 64 provided sufficient instruments for:

• One set of monitoring instruments for each of 150,000 stations.

• A second set of monitoring instruments for each of 50,000 stations.

• One kit of monitoring instruments for 200,000 shelters.

• 2.4 million dosimeters for emergency workers.

• 1,500 training sets (150,000 instruments).

• 14,510 high school monitoring kits (160,000 instruments).

• 1,250 aerial survey meters.

• 200 remote blast-resistant survey meters for EOCs.

NS-7 CD V-46 with the "CD V-" like on the CD radiation instruments	A case of urinals with Stock No. NS-7 CDV-397
Sterilizer with a Federal Stock No. NS-7CD (FCDA-V-414)	Operating Table With A Federal Stock No. 6530-709-8155 (V-320)