The term is Civil Defense, which descriptive term the fed.gov despises and FEMA has disavowed, even to the extent of replacing the familiar CD logo with a new *public safety/public trust* logo somewhat less likely to inspire particular confidence.
No problem. Now that the government has abrogated their responsibilities and tossed away the old symbol, it's now available for the use of any volunteers inclined to use it.
Civil Defense: Now it's up toUS!
The 'fallout shelter' was a sort of fire and forget deal, unfortunately, but then it was a government feelgood program, too, at least for most of the civillian population.
As for Civil Defense, we, the people, could make something real out of it--Neighborhood Watch is getting closer to the mark. (If the neighbors do not call us in for having an "armed compound" (8^D).
I worked construction a couple of the years the oil patch was slow, and my size and talent for breaking things meant I was the one who got the jackhammer, etc. One building we remodeled (over 20 years ago) still had the 'fallout shelter' signs on the exterior walls. We took them down as the remodel rendered the building unsuitable for a shelter.
The supplies had been raided long before-- there were no foodstuffs, none of the surviving medical supplies were useable, the pharmaceuticals were long gone, including the 500 tablets of phenobarbital.
All that really survived were a couple of sanitation kits, and the toilet paper in them was single ply which showed small bits of wood in it. Imagine having the radiation induced runs, and having to use that stuff.
Nope. It looked good in print, and it kept people feeling safe.
As long as they feel safe, they won't do squat on their own.
A lot of the old CD radiation detectors are on the market, and one might be a good item to pick up as long as it runs on current batteries. Otherwise, in the event of a radiological event, you are depending solely on the authorities for information.
There are limits to what individuals can do, but being armed is generally within those limits. A gun, a knife, and a wide variety of other ordinary items can suffice, as long as the 'no victim' mindset is present. It is seldom you are anywhere there are not things handy which can be used as a weapon as well.