Terror Threat Level Raised to ‘High Risk’
Written by Mason Booth, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

February 7, 2003 — For only the second time since the Homeland Security Directive was adopted in March, President George W. Bush raised the national terror threat level to Orange status on Friday (Feb. 7), signifying a high risk of terrorist attacks.

While general explanations of each level were given at the inception of the color-coded system, many Americans have been left with questions about how each condition affects their lives. In response, the American Red Cross developed specific disaster readiness guidelines for individuals, families, neighborhoods, schools and businesses.

“Our recommendations were tailored for cases just like this to answer questions such as ‘What does the new orange level mean to my family?’ and ‘What extra precautions should I take?’” said Carol Hall, manager of the American Red Cross weapons of mass destruction, terrorism program. 

According to the Directive, there are five threat conditions for possible terrorist attack - Green = Low; Blue = Guarded; Yellow = Elevated; Orange = High; and Red = Severe - and the Red Cross recommendations correlate to the escalating scale.

“At this Orange status, individuals should exercise caution and review their disaster plan. People should also be very aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to the proper authorities,” Hall said.

As the terror threat escalates, so do the precautionary measures each person should take.Other individual actions recommended by the Red Cross include:

• Develop alternate routes to and from work or school and practice them.
  
• Exercise caution when traveling.
  
• Have shelter-in-place materials on hand and review procedure in Terrorism: Preparing for the Unexpected brochure.
  
• Prior to volunteering, contact agency to determine their needs.

Because terrorist attacks impact every level of a community, the Red Cross guidelines not only answer what implications each color code has on individuals, but also on families, neighborhoods, businesses and schools.

”When we reach a higher level, such as the current Orange condition, it’s important that families remember that their children could possibly have many questions, and they need to be prepared to alleviate some of their children’s fears,” Hall said. “These events can happen any time, any place, so we must make sure we are ready.”