In the 1950’s when the worst threat we might encounter was mere nuclear annihilation at the hands of godless Communists during the Cold war, there was a plan enacted for our safety and Public Service Announcements like the following were commonplace, even played for children in schools.

Okay, you didn’t actually need to watch the whole thing, the first couple of minutes was enough to get the idea.

Now that the Nuclear “Boogy Man” is a thing of the past, there are real threats out there that warrant our attention and government agencies and those tasked with our protection are addressing them.

Here are a few excerpts I found from one of the Fire-fighter Manuals, more of which can be found Here.

WARNING “Near approaches of UFOs can be harmful to human beings. Do not stand under a UFO that is hovering at low altitude. Do not touch or attempt to touch a UFO that has landed. In either case the safe thing to do is to get away from there very quickly and let the military take over. There is a possibility of radiation danger and there are known cases where persons have been burned by rays emanating from UFOs. Don’t take chances with UFOs!”

THE UFO THREAT–A FACT

In this chapter we will now turn our attention to the very real
threat posed by Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), whether they exist
or not. The well-documented and highly publicized War of the Worlds
radio drama by Orson Welles shows how even a perceived existence to
alien creatures can cause very real disaster-like conditions and
panic among a given populace. In addition, if the apparent visits by
alien beings and their space vehicles should pose any type of threat,
it will, as always, be the fire service that is called upon to
provide the first line of life-saving defense and disaster mitigation.

On April 25,1991, radio station KSHE in St. Louis, Missouri was
fined $25,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for
broadcasting a mock warning of a nuclear attack during the Persian
Gulf War. The seriousness with which the FCC treated this case is
indicative of the very real panic that can be created from even
illusionary or fictional phenomena. Certainly if these unexplainable
events become more prevalent, the possibility of panic could be even
greater; and again, the fire department will be the agency called
upon to handle the situation.(35) Hence, as we near the year 2000 and
move beyond, any comprehensive disaster plan should address the
potential for panic and other deleterious effects that might befall a
populated area when unexplainable phenomena occur. We will see, as we
continue our discussion in this chapter, that widespread blackouts,
communication disruptions, and other potentially disastrous conditions
have been linked directly to UFO sightings. Hence, fire service
leaders who want to ensure that their disaster planning is complete
will not neglect an appendix to outline those things that could be
done in preparation for the occurrence of such phenomena.

Throughout this book, many of the references to actual events are
based on the experiences of both of the authors. However, in this
area of UFOs and their potential, we are relying largely on the
research and experiences of Charles Bahme. Chuck has made a
considerable study of this subject and is acquiring many publications
and VCR tapes to augment his library on this and related phenomena.
His interest in UFOs was greatly heightened when Congress in 1969
adopted a law (14 CFR Ch. V Part 1211–Extraterrestrial Exposure)
which gave the NASA Administrator the arbitrary discretion to
quarantine under armed guard any object, person, or other form of
life which has been extraterrestrially exposed. The very fact that our
congressmen believed there was a necessity for such drastic authority
made Chuck wonder if they had only our astronauts in mind when they
adopted it. Could it be applied to anyone who has had a UFO
encounter? Whether it has or not is not likely to be a topic for
public dissemination.

UFO BACKGROUND INFORMATION

With no intention of trying to prove or disprove the authenticity
of the numerous UFO encounters often related by very credible
witnesses including airline and military pilots, astronauts, police
officers, fire fighters, members of Congress, and even a U.S.
President, the balance of this chapter will present a brief history
and nature of UFOs and their alleged occupants; their widespread
sightings over the globe since ancient times; their appearance,
propulsion origin, and possible motives for continuing reconnaissance.

A quick look at some of the classic accounts of encounters
documented in numerous foreign and U.S. publications might help us
judge the magnitude of their threat, if any, to social stability,
and, if deemed desirable, propose a fire service plan for coping with
some of the conceivable catastrophic effects that UFOs could produce
on cities and densely populated areas.

For readers who already have made up their minds that there is no
such thing as a UFO notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence to the
contrary, it should be pointed out that there is circumstantial
evidence that disastrous effects have already been attributed to UFO
activity in more than one nation, including the United States.

UFO CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Northern University Professor Emeritus of
Astronomy and an advisor to the Air Force’s Blue Book Project adopted
a very simple classification system based solely upon the manner of
observation:

1. Nocturnal lights
2. Daylight disks
3. Close encounters (day or night)
4. Radar readings.

He concluded that this system tells us nothing about the nature of
the UFOs, but can suggest a means for gathering data. He found
that while a large number of such reports were readily identifiable
by trained investigators as misconceptions of known objects or
events, a small residue (about 1.000) were not. These came from
credible witnesses from such widely separated places as Canada.
Australia. South America, and Antarctica. He concludes with:
“Although I know of no hypothesis that adequately covers the
mountainous evidence, this should not and must not deter us from
following the advice of Schroedinger: to be curious, capable of being
astonished, and eager to find out.” Dr. Hynek has an excellent,
well-illustrated article on UFOs in a 1982 book which gives a
detailed history of the UFO sightings, together with the reports of
some well-known people who made them, including President Jimmy Carter
while governor of Georgia.

Apparently at the time this chart was produced we were not yet familiar with the “Triangle,” or the “Cigar” so those are notably missing. Hopefully the agencies tasked with keeping our public servants up to date on these issues are performing their duties with diligence.

UFO MISSIONS

Many reasons have been advanced for the purpose of the UFOs visits
to our planet. Although some of the persons who apparently have been
the subjects of genetic investigation, such as the family of Whitley
Streiber may not agree, the majority of those who have studied
possible UFO visitors feel that they are friendly. Mr. Streiber
described his experience as terrifying, and believes that these
“little figures with eyes that seem to stare into the deepest core of
being are asking for something. Whatever it is, it is more than
simple information. The goal does not seem to be a sort of clear and
open exchange that we might expect; whatever may be surfacing, it
wants far more than that. It seems to me that it seeks the very depth
of soul; it seeks communion.”

Permission to use this image kindly provided by grayzonecomics