When the false ceiling is lowered into place in a time of emergency, the
hollow sections of it can be filled with bricks or concrete blocks.
These can be stored conveniently nearby, or can be used as room dividers
or recreation room furniture (see bench in sketch).


PREPLANNED TILT-UP STORAGE UNIT PLAN E

A tilt-up storage unit in the best corner of your basement is another
method of setting up a "preplanned" family fallout shelter.

The top of the storage unit should be hinged to the wall. In peacetime,
the unit can be used as a bookcase, pantry, or storage facility.

In a time of emergency, the storage unit can be tilted so that the
bottom of it rests on a wall of bricks or concrete blocks that you have
stored nearby.

Other bricks or blocks should then be placed in the storage unit's
compartments, to provide an overhead shield against fallout radiation.

The fallout protection offered by your home basement also can be
increased by adding shielding material to the outside, exposed portion
of your basement walls, and by covering your basement windows with
shielding material.

You can cover the above-ground portion of the basement walls with earth,
sand, bricks, concrete blocks, stones from your patio, or other
material.