The author of this article is the son of the head of the Liaison and Communication Service of the Dutch Civil Protection (B.B.) in South Limburg and describes his experiences with this organization in the 1950s and 1960s, during the height of the Cold War. This period was marked by the threat of nuclear weapons, a scarcity of resources, and reconstruction efforts. It created an atmosphere that was unprecedented today, in which the public was much less involved in government responsibilities than now. To understand the role of the B.B., one cannot overlook the global context at that time, how Dutch citizens coped with it, and their perception of the B.B. as a somewhat secretive institution. The article describes the layout of the bunkers and the spaces where necessary supplies were stored. The depiction of the command centers also reflects the prevailing atmosphere, especially during drills. To provide some insight into numbers and scale, the services within the organization and their respective resources are also described. The relaxation that occurred toward the end of the Cold War quickly led to the decline of the B.B. as a protective entity. In hindsight, the question remains whether this rapid and drastic reduction was wise or not.