1. The Emergency Public Information Planning Division continued its traditional activities in the area of wartime planning but it, perhaps, more than any other component of CEMO, was aware of the importance of preparing for peacetime disasters.
2. It was recognized that in peacetime emergencies the public demands advice, instruction and information on measures to ensure personal and family survival. In response to this need, Canada EMO produced a series of five leaflets designed to give essential advice to the public on action to be taken in the event of hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, winter storms and power failures. From 1970 to 1974 over two million of these pamphlets were printed in French and English. In addition to the printed material, a film on flooding was being prepared in 1974 but budget considerations delayed its completion.
3. Due to the relaxed internationa1 situation and prevailing public opinion, wartime information activities were of a low key nature.1 These activities were conducted at two levels. The first was essentially educational. Guidance, advice and information was prepared to assist governments, agencies, municipalities and the Canadian public to correctly respond to and recover from a wartime crisis. The second method centred on the establishment of an effective Emergency Pub1ic Information Service which in wartime would provide governments with the capability of communicating with the public. As in earlier years the main characteristic of the educational activity remained the development of material and its (prepositioning) in strategic locations. In a crisis the information units would be disseminated to the public. Thus the public would be informed of the meaning of the Attack Warning Sirens and be made aware of the essential preparations for survival. The period 1970 to 1974 saw the continuation of established activities. Additional copies of the pamphlet 11 Steps to Survival were printed in French and English. Besides recording the text of 11 Steps on teletype setter tape by the Canadian Press, an animated television film based on the pamphlet was produced in conjunction with the National Film Board. Preparations were begun to meet the information needs of Canada’s ethnic groups. To satisfy the requirements of the broadcast media the production of 60-second television clips commenced in 1969 and continued into 1974 .
4. The second war-oriented activity focussed on the development of the Emergency Public Information Service. In the first five years of the 1970s, funds continued to be allocated for the procurement of necessary communications equipment. EPIS slowly evolved as an austere wartime national service intended to operate from protected installations.
5. In addition to the aforementioned tasks, the public information section advised CEMO on matters of public opinion, co-ordinated its activities with those of other federal departments, replied to queries from the public and news media and published the EMO National Digest. Despite modest progress, public information suffered from two handicaps. Because the budget remained frozen at $70,000 from 1970 to 1974 the program was handicapped and the recruitment of needed personnel was prevented.