Alert Colors Defined

Like the weather and traffic reports, terrorism alerts have become a routine part of news broadcasts. Most of us realize green is good and red is bad, but the specifics of each level and how it effects us may not be common knowledge. Terrorism is one instance where what you don't know certainly can hurt you.

Where Did It Come From?
President Bush created the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) to improve communication between the government and public regarding terrorism. September 11 taught us that information is not the sole property of the intelligence community. Since the threat of terrorism affects every citizen, an informed public is a safe public. The HSAS established the color-coding system as a means of informing citizens and government agencies of terrorism-related risks. The system is comparable to other federal warning systems, such as weather alerts, with the purpose of informing, rather than creating panic. The alerts are essentially a guide to the current terrorism climate.

What is the Alert System?
The alerts consist of a threat condition and corresponding protective measures. They rate the current risk atmosphere and recommend appropriate responses. Determination of an alert level is based upon the credibility, source, and severity of threat-related information.

The severity of an alert determines what actions to take as well as who needs to act. They are intended to deter terrorist activities and provide a source of information for law enforcement, government officials, and the private sector. Each alert level activates specific security measures or checks. Threat conditions can apply to the nation, a regional, a state or particular targeted location.

The Colors Decoded

• Green = Low Condition (low risk of attacks)
• Blue = Guarded Condition (general risk of attacks)
• Yellow = Elevated Condition (significant risk of attacks)
• Orange = High Condition (high risk of attacks)
• Red = Severe Condition (severe risk of attacks)

At the green and blue levels, recommended protective measures target emergency personnel and government officials. They include tasks such as monitoring emergency systems and procedures. These measures basically ensure the proper mechanisms are in place should the need ever arise. Think of green and blue alerts as a call for readiness, comparable to periodically checking the contents of your first aid kit at home.

The protective measures for yellow alerts are also directed at officials and emergency personnel for the most part. These alerts recommend heightened surveillance of targeted locales and activating emergency procedures on an as-needed basis. You may notice an increased police presence on busy highways, for example.

Orange alerts, on the other hand, call for protective measures from government as well as the private sector. At this level, the average citizen may be directly affected by an alert. Coordination of law enforcement efforts, monitoring operation of the businesses sector (determining whether staff should be present in offices or work from another location, for example), and heightened security at public events are recommended.

Red alerts call for full activation of emergency and security systems. At this point, all sectors are alerted and encouraged to respond accordingly. Transportation, government offices, and public facilities are monitored or closed as needed. Travel plans, work schedules, or daily routines of the average citizen will likely feel an impact at this heightened alert level.

The color system is intended to inform and coordinate antiterrorism safety measures at every level of our country. In most cases, the average citizen's routine is not noticeably affected, but without understanding an alert's meaning, it is impossible to be prepared or make informed choices.