I spent some of my cold war childhood near a strategic airbase in Canada, an early target. We had a big siren mounted atop the elementary school. It was duel use, though, also serving to summon our volunteer firefighters whenever old folks down Bevon Lane burnt toast. The combination of Reagan's televised boosting for a thermonuclear first-strike, windows shuddering from the sonic boom of jets, and air raid siren suddenly wailing, did something to me.
Japan's history of devastating earthquakes, wildfires, and of course the war, established a truly robust disaster response system. Every school, and many strategically located parks, have wide open refuge fields safe from falling debris or urban inferno. Everyone knows exactly where to go, be counted, break open the emergency supplies, deal with it. Communities organize regular drills. Troops of volunteer fire awareness guys wend through the evening streets chanting various cautions and advice. Every house has a hatch in the kitchen floor containing flashlight, water, first aid kit, etc. - by law that is... kids know this is where mom stashes the cookies or where dad keeps his whiskey. Steel poles with public address speakers are all over. These play melodies and cue citizens to, say set out the recyclable newspapers or come down to the park for exercise, at set intervals every day. They would also inform people about disasters, but in practice their main spontaneous use is to call little Koichi-chan home "because your long underwear is dry now and mama wants you to wear it on the after-school field trip."
"Take care, little Koichi."
Japan's history of devastating earthquakes, wildfires, and of course the war, established a truly robust disaster response system. Every school, and many strategically located parks, have wide open refuge fields safe from falling debris or urban inferno. Everyone knows exactly where to go, be counted, break open the emergency supplies, deal with it. Communities organize regular drills. Troops of volunteer fire awareness guys wend through the evening streets chanting various cautions and advice. Every house has a hatch in the kitchen floor containing flashlight, water, first aid kit, etc. - by law that is... kids know this is where mom stashes the cookies or where dad keeps his whiskey. Steel poles with public address speakers are all over. These play melodies and cue citizens to, say set out the recyclable newspapers or come down to the park for exercise, at set intervals every day. They would also inform people about disasters, but in practice their main spontaneous use is to call little Koichi-chan home "because your long underwear is dry now and mama wants you to wear it on the after-school field trip."
"Take care, little Koichi."
