A. Funding IV. ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATION-PENTAGON BUILDING No additional funds appropriated by Congress. D.C. Government absorbed costs. B. Medical Activities 1. Medical Air Stations were housed in D.C. Department of Public Health trailer and a Red Cross trailer, as well as Army hospital tents manned by D.C. Department of Public Health personnel and Red Cross volunteers; these trailers and tents were on The Mall. The Department of Defense provided medical care and facilities at the Pentagon Building. 2. Pre-Positioned Ambulances were provided by the Red Cross, with volunteers, and medical evacuation was principally to D.C. General Hospital. C. Sanitation Facilities 1. Toilet Facilities were provided by National Park Service mobile trailer and rented chemical toilets. 2. Drinking Water bubblers provided water from fire hydrants. NOTE: A holding station was set up for stranded persons and additional support to the D.C. Government was provided by the following: Department of Defnese. National Park Service. D.C. Chapter, American Red Cross. D.C. Medical Society. Temporary contractual arrangements. Emergency communications were provided by Civil Defense Network. A. Funding V. CIVIL DISTURBANCE, APRIL 1968 No additional appropriation by Congress; the District Government absorbed costs. B. Medical Activities 1. Three Medical Aid and Social Relief Stations were set up in churches and were operated by volunteers from Medical Committee for Human Rights. Public Health Nurses from the D.C. Department of Public Health were assigned as coordinators and consultants. 2. Medical Evacuation was primarily to D.C. General Hospital; contract and Freedmen's Hospitals were also utilized. 3. Additional Ambulances assigned to the Fire Department Emergency Ambulance Service were provided by the D.C. Department of Public Health and the Army. 4. Mcdical Screening of Detainees at police precinct stations and the court house was provided by volunteer physicians from the Medical Committee for Human Rights. There were 1,202 patients treated in the emergency rooms of D.C. General Hospital, contract and Freedmen's Hospitals; and 107 patients admitted to hospitals, and 9 deaths. C. Following is a summary of environmental health activities related to the civil disturbances of April 1968. The problems were related to protection of the drug, food, milk, and water supplies, sanitary disposal of waste, and rodent control. The fires interrupted electricity supplied to refrigerators, produced damage to food and drugs, de stroyed buildings, broke water and sewer lines, and opened the buildings to looting of food and drugs, the safety of which had become questionable as a result of the interruption of refrigeration, damage from heat or contamination by tear gas. Visits began on the morning of April 7 to thirty-four emergency food distribution operations which were evaluated as to potential food protection problems and provided with advisory service. Insufficient refrigeration capacity was the principal problem encountered. None of the milk plants suffered any physical damage in the disturbance even though two are located within the affected areas. Close liaison was maintained with the plants during the critical period. There was some interruption in the normal milk distribution arrangements only during the period April 4 through April 9. A survey of the disturbance areas on the afternoon of April 7 indicated the extensive nature of the damage to food and drug establishments. More than 1,200 visits were made over the next two weeks to 935 premises where food and drug businesses had been interrupted by the disturbance. Of these, 216 had been in buildings which were demolished and which will have to be entirely rebuilt before any business can be resumed. For all practical purposes, at least 120 of these establishments are out of business. Another 467 interrupted businesses could not resume without some time consuming repairs to the buildings or the equipment, some of which are still under way. Another group of 252 businesses had reopened by April 21, having repaired the minor damage and completed necessary decontamination operations. The disposal of damaged food and drugs was monitored to make sure that none reentered the normal trade channels. In many cases, the damaged food was mixed with debris from the demolished building. The Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, provided personnel who worked closely with the Bureau of Food and Drugs. These personnel assumed responsibility for disposal of damaged drugs and for the decontamination of salvable drugs damaged by tear gas. A number of the destroyed buildings which had housed food businesses and which had become sources of food for rats, were baited and some were sprayed for fly control. In a few cases, deodorizing agents were applied to reduce odors. Reports of broken water lines were relayed to the Department of Sanitary Engineering in order that the water supplies to the damaged buildings could be cut off. Soon after the disturbance, samples were collected from the water supply in the areas of disturbances and checked for adequacy of residual chlorine and bacteriological indications of contamination. Residual chlorine concentrations were found to be adequate and no indications of contamination were found. There remained the problem of the demolished buildings in which the rubble mixed with food is serving to feed rats, is the breeding place of flies, and a source of noisome odors. In most cases, neither the former business operators nor the property owner has assumed responsibility for cleaning up the debris. This situation was called to the attention of the appropriate offices of the District Government immediately after the disturbance and on several occasions since then and suggestions have been made for possible ways in which the District Government could assure the early clean-up, possibly by actively participating. Although a few contracts have been let by the District Government, demolition and disposal of debris is proceeding slowly in a handful of the 200 buildings, many of which can be expected to become increasingly more serious problems with the passage of time. D. ESTIMATED COST OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ATTRIBUTABLE TO ACTIVITIES RELATED TO CIVIL DISTURBANCE, APRIL 1968 E. Non-Hospital Estimated Costs 1. Personnel Compensation: Administration: Office, Director of Public Health_. Procurement and Supply Division_.. Total Administration___. 2. Planning and Research: Program Review and Development Division_. 3. Preventive Services: Office of the Associate Director----. Bureau of Nursing--- Bureau of Chronic Disease Control Health Mobilization Division................ Estimated Cost $851 6,219 184 7,254 174 326 2,048 279 F. Supplies Supplies 1,321 Total non-hospital estimated costs----- 122,049 Total medical care and non-hospital estimated cost--- To date, no additional appropriations have been provided. The Department of Public Health has informed the contract and Freedmen's Hospitals that the District Government cannot assume financial responsibility for treatment of patients connected with the Poor Peoples' Campaign at their hospitals. B. Medical Activities-Current and Proposed The Medical Committee for Human Rights (volunteers composed of physicians, dentists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, nursing assistants and clerical staff) has the primary responsibility for medical care, food sanitation and general environmental sanitation. The responsibility of the D.C. Department of Public Health will be limited to assistance to the Medical Committee for Human Rights in those areas where they do not have adequate resources. C. D.C. Department of Public Health Assistance 1. We are loaning two medical trailers and one public health nurse at Res urrection City; and one public health nurse for consultation and referral of health problems at St. Stephen's Church. 2. The Southwest Health Center will be available for medical examination of campers of Resurrection City. 3. Patients needing inpatient or outpatient treatment or diagnostic work-up are being referred to D.C. General Hospital. Diagnostic laboratory services are available at the Departments Central Laboratory. 4. The Department of Public Health cannot neglect its public health responsibility to protect the health of all persons, regardless of whether they are residents or visitors. We are participating in an immunization program against measles, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis and small pox. 5. We are engaged in tuberculin skin testing, chest xray and serology surveying. D. Environmental Health 1. Sanitation. To protect the health environment, the Department is supervising and monitoring the water supply, sewage disposal, trash and garbage collection, and insect and rodent control. 2. Food. To protect the food supply, prevent contamination and spoilage, the D.C. Department of Public Health is supervising and monitoring the sources, preparation and transportation serving the people. E. To carry out the above responsibilities in Section VI, C and D We have assigned medical and paramedical personnel, nurses, sanitary engineers, food technologists and a nutritionist to the respective areas. We are coordinating our public health activities with the National Park Service. F. Additional Support to D.C. Government National Park Service. The Department of Defense is loaning ambulances and an ambulance bus with supporting personnel, if needed. The D.C. Medical Society. The Medical Chirurgical Society of D.C. Mr. Dowdy. Mr. Nelsen was asking about where the lumber came from that went into this Resurrection City. As I recall, some of the newspaper accounts stated that Mr. Hechinger provided the lumber at quite a discount. Mr. CASTRO. My recollection is that the Hechinger Company provided some of the lumber at cost. I learned this from news reports. Mr. DowDY. Is that the same Hechinger that is on the Council? Mr. CASTRO. Yes, sir. Mr. Dowdy. I believe he is the chairman or vice chairman of the Council? Mr. CASTRO. He is the president of the City Council. Mr. Dowdy. The president of the City Council? Mr. CASTRO. Yes, sir. Mr. DOWDY. The statement of expenses that you will furnish us will just be the expenses of the Park Service? Mr. CASTRO. No, sir. It will include the costs incurred by the General Services Administration and by the District Department of Highways and Traffic. When we decided to dismantle Resurrection City we called on the General Services Administration and the District Government to help us because we did not have the staff to do it within the time limit we had in mind. So we asked them to help us and they kindly did and they incurred costs which are a part of this $71,000 we are talking about. Mr. Dowdy. This $71,000, and the $35,000 you are not asking reimbursement for, does not include the extra cost of police personnel! Mr. CASTRO. No, sir. We consider that a normal expense though it was expensive. I think we spent about $114,000 in overtime alone. Mr. Dowdy. $114,000? Mr. CASTRO. Yes, in overtime. Mr. Dowdy. That was overtime for the Park Service Police ? Mr. CASTRO. That was just for the U.S. Park Police, yes, sir. Mr. Dowdy. You have no figures for the Metropolitan Police Department? Mr. CASTRO. I do not. Mr. DOWDY. Mr. Adams. Mr. ADAMS. Mr. Castro, you indicated groups have been holding demonstrations in Washington, D.C., for as long as you have been here and before. Mr. CASTRO. Yes, long before I came here. Mr. ADAMS. How long have you been with the Department? OTHER PERMITS GRANTED Mr. CASTRO. I have been here seven years. Mr. ADAMS. Can you give us examples of other groups who come in and use the park areas? Mr. CASTRO. We have a great variety of them. Mr. ADAMS. Do the Boy Scouts ever use them? Mr. CASTRO. Not in the city itself-not for camping. Mr. ADAMS. Tell us about the groups who come in and use the areas in the city. Mr. CASTRO. We have requests from such groups as the Women's Strike for Peace, the group for a Sane Nuclear Policy, a number of them. |