Comparison of the old
Homeland Security Advisory System
and
Wood/Wirt LEPC Alert Color Codes
The Wood/Wirt County LEPC Alert System uses color codes based on
the now-defunct Homeland Security Advisory System (article below). We
believe this color-coded system will allow users of our website to
more quickly evaluate current status with a single glance. The new
National Terrorism Advisory System Public Guide can be downloaded
here.
Click here for a listing of severe-weather terms used by the
National Weather Service.
HOMELAND SECURITY
ADVISORY SYSTEM |
|
WOOD/WIRT COUNTY LEPC
ALERT COLOR CODES |
THREAT CONDITION
LOW
LOW RISK OF TERRORIST ATTACKS |
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|
Wood/Wirt County Alert Status
NO ALERTS
No Current
Alerts at This Time
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|
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Recommended Actions for Citizens
-
Develop a family
emergency plan. Share it with family and friends, and practice
the plan.
-
Visit
www.Ready.gov
for help creating a plan.
-
Create an
"Emergency Supply Kit" for your household.
-
Be informed. Visit
www.Ready.gov or obtain a copy of "Preparing Makes Sense, Get
Ready Now" by calling 1-800-BE-READY.
-
Know how to
shelter-in-place and how to turn off utilities (power, gas,
and water) to your home.
-
Examine volunteer
opportunities in your community, such as Citizen Corps,
Volunteers in Police Service, Neighborhood Watch or others,
and donate your time.
-
Consider
completing an American Red Cross first aid or CPR course , or
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course.
|
|
A green status bar indicates that there are no
known current alerts for Wood or Wirt County. |
THREAT CONDITION
GUARDED
GENERAL RISK OF TERRORIST
ATTACKS |
|
|
|
Wood/Wirt County Alert Status
ADVISORY
Please
Take Note of This Condition |
|
|
Recommended Actions for Citizens
|
|
An ADVISORY is used when the
National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Advisory,
or when appropriate to alert the public when flooding or other
event is anticipated which is generally considered only an
inconvenience and does not pose a threat to life and/or
property, such as road closings or disaster exercises; also used
when a hazardous condition is possible, but considered unlikely,
such as an aftershock following a minor earthquake.
|
|
THREAT CONDITION
ELEVATED
ELEVATED RISK OF
TERRORIST ATTACKS |
|
|
Wood/Wirt County
Alert Status
WATCH
A WATCH has been issued for a
severe
weather event or other similar threat. |
|
|
Recommended Actions for Citizens
|
|
A WATCH is issued
when conditions are favorable for the development of a severe
weather event in and/or close to the watch area. Watches
are usually in effect for several hours, with 6 hours being the
most common.
The term WATCH implies that people should be
alert for the possibility of severe weather or flash
flooding, and have a plan of action in case a storm threatens.
|
|
THREAT CONDITION
HIGH
LOW RISK OF TERRORIST
ATTACKS |
|
|
Wood/Wirt County Alert Status
WARNING
A WARNING has been issued for a
severe
weather event or other similar threat. |
|
|
Recommended Actions for Citizens
-
Complete
recommended steps at lower levels.
-
Exercise caution
when traveling, pay attention to travel advisories.
-
Review your family
emergency plan and make sure all family members know what to
do.
-
Be Patient. Expect
some delays, baggage searches and restrictions at public
buildings.
-
Check on neighbors
or others that might need assistance in an emergency.
|
|
A WARNING is issued when a
severe weather event (tornado, severe thunder storm, flash
flooding, etc.) has actually been detected by radar or observed
by trained storm spotters or public officials.
Severe weather events can result in the loss
of life and/or property.
These warnings are for short-fuse events that
only last an hour or so. People in the path of the storm
are expected to take action to protect life and property when
the term WARNING is heard.
|
THREAT CONDITION
SEVERE
SEVERE RISK OF TERRORIST ATTACKS |
|
|
Wood/Wirt County Alert Status
IMMEDIATE ACTION
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED |
|
Recommended Actions for Citizens
-
Complete
all recommended actions at lower levels.
-
Listen to local
emergency management officials.
-
Stay tuned to TV
or radio for current information/instructions.
-
Be prepared to
shelter-in-place or evacuate, as instructed.
-
Expect traffic
delays and restrictions. Provide volunteer services only as
requested.
-
Contact your
school/business to determine status of work day.
|
|
An IMMEDIATE ACTION alert will
be used only when local government officials have issued
instructions which require immediate action on the part
of the community, such as a Shelter-in-Place directive or a
large-scale (more than a single neighborhood)
evacuation. People in the community are expected to
follow government instructions and take the prescribed actions. |
In the United States, the Homeland Security
Advisory System was a color-coded terrorism threat advisory scale. 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. It is often called the
"terror alert level" by the U.S. media. The system was, as scheduled,
phased out April 27, 2011, and replaced with a new system called the
National Terrorism Advisory System. The phase-out was announced on
January 27, 2011 by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
during a speech at George Washington University.
The scale consists of five color-coded threat levels, which are
intended to reflect the probability of a terrorist attack and its
potential gravity.
- Severe (red): severe risk
- High (orange): high risk
- Elevated (yellow): significant risk
- Guarded (blue): general risk
- Low (green): low risk
The specific government actions triggered by different threat
levels have not always been revealed to the public, although the
government has provided general guidance for civilians and federal
agencies. Actions have included increasing police and other security
presence at landmarks and other high-profile targets, a closer
monitoring of international borders and other points of entry,
ensuring that emergency response personnel were ready, and, in some
cases, deployment of members of the
National Guard and
State Guard to assist local law enforcement on security details.
Some of the actions taken as a result of the threat levels have
been challenged as being illegal under the U.S. Constitution's Fourth
Amendment. No court has yet ruled on these various actions.
The published terror alert notices have urged American citizens,
especially those traveling in the transportation systems, to "be
vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious
items or activities to local authorities immediately." In addition,
DHS advises the public to prepare an emergency preparedness kit and a
family emergency plan.
This system is no longer in place. It was replaced in January
2011.
The
National Terrorism Advisory System, or NTAS, replaces the
color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). This new system
will more effectively communicate information about terrorist threats
by providing timely, detailed information to the public, government
agencies, first responders, airports and other transportation hubs,
and the private sector.
It recognizes that Americans all share responsibility for the
nation’s security, and should always be aware of the heightened risk
of terrorist attack in the United States and what they should do.
The new system includes only two levels:
Imminent Threat Alert: Warns of a
credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat against the United
States.
Elevated Threat Alert: Warns of a
credible terrorist threat against the United States.
For more information, download the
National Terrorism Advisory System Public Guide or visit the
Department of Homeland Security website. |
