Virtual Tour

---

1.    Burial Mound Type B FRPs were buried just below ground level, with an earth mound piled on top to provide additional radiation shielding. For the sake of accessibility, the Miami Bunker is buried above ground level.

2.     Entrance Hatch Volunteers originally accessed the FRP via this vertical shaft and ladder. For the sake of safety and accessibility, the Miami Railway Station cut a new, ground-level entrance in the opposite end of the shelter. 

3.    Ventilation Shafts Fresh air was drawn into the FRP through these two vertical metal shafts. Sheet metal caps filled with fibreglass insulation kept out rain and radioactive fallout particles. 

4.    Curtain An asbestos curtain over the door allowed the bottom of the entrance shaft to be used as a decontamination airlock, preventing volunteers from tracking radioactive fallout into the FRP. 

5.    Bunk Beds Two bunk beds were provided for the volunteers. The upper bunk could fold away when not in use to free up space. 

6.    Air Pump An electrically-driven blower moved air through the ventilation shafts. In case of a power outage, it could be manually operated with a hand crank. 

7.   Storage Shelves Food and supplies were provided to sustain two volunteers for up to two weeks. The standard stock of supplies included: 

• 2x 74.5”x29” Felt Bed Mattress 
• 2x Cotton Mattress Cover 
• 4x 90”x77” Bedsheet 
• 6x 8x”x60” Grey Wool Blanket 
• 2x 26”x18” Pillow 
• 2x 29”x20” Pillow Case 
• 1x 36”x18” Utility Table 
• 1x 36”x24” Folding Table 
• 2x Folding Metal Chair 
• 1x Folding Field Commode 
• 1x C1B4 6V Lantern 
• 2x C1B1 6V Dry-Cell Battery 
• 1x C1 Kerosene Lantern 
• 1x C1 Kerosene Lantern Globe 
• 6x C1 Kerosene Lantern Mantle 
• 1x 5-Gallon Kerosene Can 
• 1x Tin Funnel 1/2-pint 
• 28x 2-Person Ration, 14 Days 
• 1x 1-Burner Kerosene Stove 
• 1x 6.5” Steel Frying Pan 
• 2x C1 3-Quart Saucepan 
• 1x 4-Quart Aluminium Tea Kettle 
• 1x 10” Butchers Knife 
• 1x Can Opener 
• 2x Knife, Fork, Spoon 
• 2x 20oz White Earthenware Bowl 
• 2x 7oz White Earthenware Cup 
• 2x 6.75” White Earthenware Plate 
• 2x White Earthenware Cup Saucer 
• 1x 17”x17” Cotton Dishcloth  
• 2x 32”x32” Dish Towel 
• 1x Stainless Steel Sponge 
• 1x 12.875” Stainless Steel Washing Basin 
• 2x C3 10 Imperial Gallon Garbage Can 
• 1x 15”x14” Plastic Bag 
• 1x Broom 
• 1x 12” Metal Enamelled Dustpan 
• 1x Quart 2-GP-7 Automobile and Floor Soap 
• 20x Paper Towel Roll 
• 1x Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher 
• 1x Asbestos Fire Blanket with Metal Container 
• 1x IM-108C Radiacmeter 
• 3x Tactical Dosimeter DT-60/PD 
• 1x PP-1578/PD or PP-1578A/PD Radiac Detector Charger 
• 1x Nuclear Yield and Position of Burst Indicator ID-5035/U 
• 1x CP-5001/PDR Circular Radiac Slide Rule 

8.   Chemical Toilet This particular toilet comes from an RCAF C-45 Expeditor training aircraft, but is representative of the “facilities” that NDFRS volunteers would have been provided with.  

9.    Mk.IV Field Telephone FRP communications systems varied depending on the manning agency. For example, RCMP-run shelters used the police radio system, while CNR/CPR-run stations used the railroad telegraph network. Most FRPs, however, used the regular telephone system - a major flaw of the NDFRS system. This Mk.IV Field Telephone is of Second World War vintage, but was still in use by the Canadian Army in the 1960s. It features a signal key to send Morse Code in addition to voice messages. 

10.    IM-5015 Remote Monitoring RADIAC Meter This instrument allowed volunteers to measure outside radiation levels from safely inside the FRP. A sensor probe mounted on the surface was connected via a long cable to a readout console. The IM-5015 could measure dose rates up to 500 Röntgens per hour.  

11.    IM-108C Gamma Survey Meter If an IM-5016 Remote Monitoring RADIAC Meter was not available, volunteers would have been issued with an IM-108C, the Canadian Army’s standard portable Gamma survey meter. Like the IM-5015, the IM-108C could measure dose rates up to 500 Röntgens per hour. 

12.    IM-5502A “Pencil” Dosimeter Dosimeters measure the cumulative radiation dose the wearer is exposed to over time. The IM-5502A is an ion-chamber type, containing a fine quartz fibre. This fibre is charged with static electricity using the IM-5120 Charger/Reader, causing it to stand straight. As ionizing radiation passes through the dosimeter, it bleeds away the fibre’s electric charge, causing it to curl. This deflection is read against a calibrated scale by holding the dosimeter up to the light. If no external light source is available, a light bulb in the IM-5120 Charger/Reader can be used. The dosimeter is then reset by re-charging the fibre.  

13.    Firefighting Equipment In such a confined space, fire was a serious concern. FRPs were thus well supplied with fire extinguishers and asbestos fire blankets. 

14.   Water Supply Stored in special enamel-lined Jerry Cans, water was not only intended for drinking and cooking, but also decontamination if volunteers were forced to venture outside the FRP. One Jerry Can also held naphthalene fuel for cooking and lighting.  

15.   Naphtha Lanterns While Type A FRPs located in basements could tap into their host building’s original electrical supply, Type B and C FRPs located in remote areas used naphtha-fuelled mantle lanterns for illumination.