Color-Coded Terrorism Advisory Scale

Six months after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S.A government created a color-coded terrorism advisory scale called the Homeland Security Advisory System which provides a "comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people." *1. It was published on March 12, 2002, by Tom Ridge, who was the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. The different levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public facilities.

The scale consists of five colors that represent the levels of threat. They show the probability of a terrorist attack and its potential gravity. Each of these levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at some airports and other public places. The red one states for a severe risk; the orange one states for a high risk; the yellow one states for a significant risk; the blue one states for general risk and the green one states for a low risk. The green and the blue ones have never been used.

The government provides general guidance for civilians and federal agencies, but some of its actions of the different threat levels are not published. These actions include increasing police and other security presence at landmarks and other high-profile targets, more closely monitoring international borders and other points of entry, ensuring that emergency response personnel are ready, and, in some cases, deploying members of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement on security details. *2. And the alert level was raised once in 2004, the tear of the past presidential elections that cause many people to think that the president of the United States government used it for political purposes rather than security ones.

I think it is a good try to have a code of colors for possible terrorist attacks risk, but I am not so sure that the levels of threat are accurate as, for example, “the evidence cited to justify changes in threat levels has been stated vaguely (see below) and its sources have seldom been revealed. This lack of disclosure makes the system vulnerable to manipulation by government officials.” *3. and according to what I have heard on TV. News, some of the actions of the government violate the rights of many people. I think that the risk of a terrorism attack can not be registered in a table as, for example, the Beaufort Scale *4., in which scientists can classify and register the type of wind according to their characteristics such as speed, direction, height, etc., and of course, the damaged caused. Thus, how can the people of the security- or any other-, of a country can determine how terrible will a terrorist risk be, how long will it last, where can it come from, etc.

I agree with the published terror alert that all American citizens, especially the ones that travel in the transportation systems, "to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately." Also, that people have to prepare an emergency preparedness kit and a family emergency plan.

I would like to search and learn more about what common people think about this scale of color for the possible terrorist attacks risk -what they think, feel, and how do they act about it.-, I also would like to know how this new color code affects the life of them.

*1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_Security_Advisory_System_-_43k_–

*2. http://www.answers.com/topic/homeland-security-advisory-system%20-%2056k

*3. http://www.answers.com/topic/homeland-security-advisory-system%20-%2056k

*4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale_-_30k