civil defense

noun

plans or activities organized by civilians and civilian authorities for the protection of civilian population and property in times of such disasters or emergencies as war or floods.

First recorded in 1935–40

In 1990, the army's Civil Defense corps—precursor of today's Home Front Command—handled distribution.

I'd heard sirens like these before -- they test the civil defense sirens at noon on Tuesdays.

A couple of guys fishing on the lake saw the explosion and called the local civil defense head-quarters.

A civil defense official brought up a Geiger counter, but no matter how he shook it and rapped on it, it refused to click.

A nationwide civil defense system now exists in the United States, and is being enlarged and improved constantly.

The Office of Civil Defense, however, is solely responsible for the validity and accuracy of the information in the handbook.

Browse