Executive Order 10952
Executive Order 10952 : Assigning Civil Defense Responsibilities to the Secretary of Defense and Others. (White House, President John F. Kennedy, July 20, 1961) "This provided further for the later creation of the Office of Civil Defense by the transfer of certain property, facilities, personnel, and funds from the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization to the Department of Defense, and for the reorganization of OCDM as a smaller advisory agency to be named the Office of Emergency Planning". Five days later he announces the civil defense reorganization during a televised address to the nation. (Gessert, Federal Civil Defense Administration, 1965, p. 73) Functions transferred "included the development and execution of a fallout shelter program; a chemical, biological, and radiological warfare defense program; arrangements for warning or alerting federal military and civilian authorities, state officials, and the civilian population; various other communications functions; post-attack emergency assistance to states and localities; continuity of government plans; and funding for state civil defense needs. The Secretary of Defense was further tasked with planning for, and undertaking, postattack damage and hazard assessments and with arranging for the donation of federal surplus property as provided for in law. The Secretary of Defense established the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to administer these functions. "Although many operational civil defense functions were transferred to the Defense Department, the role of "coordinating... civil defense preparations with other non-military defense preparations" remained in OCDM. Under E.O. 10952, OCDM was to "advise and assist the President" with (i) determining policy for, planning, directing, and coordinating the total civil defense program; (ii) reviewing and coordinating the civil defense activities among federal agencies and between federal agencies and the states and other countries; (iii) determining appropriate civil defense roles of federal agencies and gaining state and local participation, mobilizing national support, evaluating program progress, and reporting to Congress on civil defense matters; (iv) promoting and facilitating interstate civil defense compacts and reciprocal civil defense legislation; and (v) assisting states with arranging for mutual civil defense aid with neighboring countries. "The order also charged OCDM with developing plans, conducting programs, and coordinating preparations related to continuity of federal, state, and local governments in the event of an attack". (CRS, Federal Emergency Management and Homeland Security Organization: Historical Developments and Legislative Options, June 1, 2006)
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