A civil defense radiation shelter was constructed in 1961 in the basement of the Lucas County Courthouse. The structure was designed to protect 400 persons for a two-week period or 4,000 for a shorter period of time. Cost for the shelter was $25,000, and was covered by the federal government.

Initially, various municipal and county agencies also received $6,000 worth of gas masks and radiation-detection equipment. This Toledo Times photo, taken by Bill Cross on July 11, 1961, shows civil defense clerk, Barbara Docis, checking out one of the gas masks, and a few of the radiation detectors.

The equipment was first distributed to trained technicians in the city and county health departments, Toledo police and fire, Maumee police, the sheriff’s office, the Toledo water division, and the Lucas County sanitary engineer’s office. Another 100 radiation detectors arrived later, for use by additional trained emergency operators.

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First Published September 11, 2017, 4:00 a.m.