Color Guard: Federal Law Enforcers Plan to Unveil a Color-Coded Terror-Alert System

http://www.abcnews.go.com ^ | March 5 2002 | ABC NEWS

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Color Guard

Federal Law Enforcers Plan to Unveil a Color-Coded Terror-Alert System

The idea is to better direct local law enforcement officials, who have to scramble every time federal authorities issue a general alert, sources said.

"It's very costly to local governments, both in tax dollars and emotions in your personnel," said Broward County, Fla., Sheriff Ken Jenne, whose department has spent $2 million since Sept. 11 to ratchet up protection and manpower every time an alert is issued.

The system, as it stands now, would use five colors to rate alerts from the lowest to highest levels:

Green — Normal. This will be the lowest level, and is a new category. The description was still being worked on.

White — Guarded.   This will signify a continuing general threat of terrorist activity.

Yellow — Serious.   Yellow indicates an increased and predictable threat of terrorist activity.

Orange — Critical.   This will warn that a terrorist threat may be likely.

Red — Severe.   Terrorist activity on a specific target may be imminent under this warning.

The announcement is expected to be made by both Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft, with participation from local law enforcement officials.

Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney, who used a similar system to protect the Republican presidential convention in his city two years ago, said at least it helps narrow down the range of the threat for people who may have to respond.

"By giving different color codes, at least it gives them a certain stage on which to work and allocate and relocate resources and personnel," he said.

Officials said they were hoping to present the new system soon, but were still undecided on what level the nation would be rated at right now: orange for critical or yellow for serious.

[Consort]

Color blind people will be seeing red clear over this.

[Consort]

Pink - Gender Alert A hoard of rogue gay people has jumped the Marin County Reservation.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I am also comfortable living in condition yellow for my outside life. Even getting the mail in an upscale neighborhood of a low-crime city, I am glancing about enough to "clear" the area of potential threats. Same when approaching and opening my car when parked around town. It's easy to get used to, just as a mother gets used to knowing where her toddler is at all times.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Well, 90-91 was the best time for it. Constant Charlie or Delta. How could you miss?

[sarasmom]

I had no idea there was an actual condition white!LOL!

[Jen]

Take a deep breath and hold it. Exhale slowly!
Now close your eyes and take a deep breath and hold it. Exhale slowly!
Now slowly open your eyes: Look at the colors and think about a wonderful place!
A wonderful place you have been to or want to go to: You are there now. Take a deep breath and hold it. Exhale slowly!
You are feeling very warm and comformtable! Take a deep breath and hold it. Exhale slowly!
Imagine that you are in control but totally relaxed: Take a deep breath and hold it. Exhale slowly!
Think about the colors and how you want Free Republic to continue to be colorful in your life.
You are now pledging money per month, and it feels so good.
You decide to pledge more money per month. Take a deep breath and hold it. Exhale slowly!
Pledging money to Free Republic is like breathing in slowly and exhaling slowly!


Now click here, make your donation and you will feel so warm and comfortable!

[archy]

When do the Civil Defense air raid sirens get put back on line? Do I get to wear my gun on my hip under a Red? Or does that make me a target?

We have our sirens in Memphis back up, a relic of the days when the Defense Depot/Logistics Center and Millington Naval Air station made this transportation hub a probable secondary target. If you need assistance getting those in your area working, I'd be glad to point you toward info on what it took here.

As for wearing your gun on your hip, you have immediate access to it in anything beyond Condition White. At Yellow, my spares are made available, and the primary equipment gets readied.

I don't think you'd care to know what all gets employed at latestage Orange or early Red. But it's very noisy, indeed, and spectacular. Yes, it's come to that a couple of times.

But you'd best expect to be a target in any event, and be prepared to do something decisive about it, often with little or no warning.

-archy-/-

[vannrox]

LEVEL - NORMAL

LEVEL - GUARDED

LEVEL - SERIOUS

LEVEL - CRITICAL

LEVEL - SEVERE

[the]

LiberalJoe sez, "Once again Ascroft is discriminating
against oppressed minorities. Why is "White" the color
of OK, but Yellow and Red are the color of danger? And
don't even get me started on the exclusion of Black
from the color chart!"

LiberalSuzie sez, "Isn't there enough room for
all the colors of the rainbow?"

[RCW2001]

Yep...me too! Ridge, you can expect a 'bonus' in your Christmas stocking this year! /sarcasm

[theDentist]

Ummmm... what are they gonna do? Paint town halls the appropriate color according to threat? Maybe switch street lights on with the appropriate bulbs (like you see on a submarine)? Have the Police wear the THREAT OF THE DAY Tie? Paint the mailboxes an appropriate shade? Maybe the background on your local news and soaps on TV?

[Dialup Llama]

>Not a bad idea!

There some organization consultant who will color code your files they same way, but I don't think she will spend millions of $$$ like Ridge.

[johnboy]

Oceania is at war with Eurasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia...

i've been saying this for three years to people; they have no idea what i'm talking about. thank you.

maybe i'm crazy, but at least i'm in good company.

[Lion's Cub]

Wow! I can see how this would be useful. Just think if we'd have had a green on 9/10! (Or maybe a white, by some accounts.)

If they ever get serious about coming up with some kind of useful system, they might try tieing the color to the type of threat they most expect: such as a bombing, chemical, biological, or nuclear attack, and to the amount of credibility they give their evidence.

OTOH, it could be that they are only instituting this "system" as a "feel good" PR measure. Do they want the terrorists to know what they know? I doubt it.

[the]

I note in passing that WHITE was replaced with blue in the final color-coded terror alert system.