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The American Red Cross has attempted to answer the questions of many Americans about the Homeland Security Advisory System, a color-coded system that depicts the current risk of terrorist activity. Questions like, what specific steps should we take at each of the five terrorist attack threat levels? "We thought it would be helpful to the American public to answer the inevitable question as to 'What does going to orange or red mean to me or my family?'" said Carol Hall, manager of Red Cross' Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism Program. Along with developing disaster plans and survival kits, the Red Cross recommends Americans take the following steps at threat levels Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange and Red: Green-Low Risk of Terrorist Attack
Yellow-Elevated; Significant Risk of Terrorist Attack
Orange-High Risk of Terrorist Attack
Red-Severe Risk of Terrorist Attack
The current threat level can be found on the Department of Homeland Security Web site. The first thing every individual and family should do is develop a disaster plan and assemble a disaster kit. The plan should cover such information as:
The plan should be practiced every few months to ensure that everyone is familiar with it. As part of the overall plan, families should assemble disaster kits. The disaster kit should contain enough water and non-perishable food for every family member for at least three days. The kit should also include:
One recommendation the Red Cross lists for several of the advisory system levels is volunteering with local agencies that respond to disasters. This training not only can help the community as a whole if a disaster situation occurs, but it can help individuals feel more capable of their abilities to respond to disasters of any kind. There are many organizations from which you can choose when considering volunteering. The American Red Cross, of course, provides disaster relief services and offers classes both at military installations and in the community. Check with your local chapter for more information. Another option is the Citizen Corps, one of several citizen-service organizations initiated by President Bush. The Citizen Corps is coordinated nationally by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; state Citizen Corps councils are coordinated by state emergency management agencies. Citizen Corps has several volunteer programs including Citizen Corps Councils, Neighborhood Watch Programs, Volunteers in Police Service, the Community Emergency Response Team and the Medical Reserve Corps. A third option for volunteer organizations is the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Created in 1941, the Civil Air Patrol has a great deal of experience with emergency services missions. Homeland security operations are a new area of responsibility for this organization. These are just a few examples of volunteer opportunities. Investigate your local community for other options. Even if you decide not to volunteer, disaster preparedness training you obtain from these or other organizations can be invaluable if a disaster or terrorist attack occurs. The important thing to know is that individual citizens are not helpless. There are things that can be done to prepare families and communities for a worst-case scenario. Developing disaster plans, assembling disaster kits and following the Red Cross' recommendations for actions to take at various terrorist threat levels are things that everyone can do to help ensure the safety of families, communities and the nation. [Source: American Red Cross bulletin, Preparing for the Unexpected]
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