SPECIAL ITEMS SPECIAL ITEMS

6. Special items Terrorism 145Keep all your emergency supplies in an easy-to carry container, such as a covered trash con-tainer, backpack, or duffle bag.

What Is Suspicious Activity?

Residents may observe a variety of actions, statements, associations, or timing or patterns of activitythat create suspicions of illegal conduct. No one has a better perspective about what defines “nor-mal” than the people who live there. Law enforcement has long relied on the common-sense per-ceptions of citizens who notice something or someone that appears suspicious or out of place.

Who Should I Call to Make a Report?

Call your local police or sheriff or the nearest State Patrol Post.Tell the operator you want to make asuspicious activity report. Ask the operator to alert Homeland Security. Your local law enforcementagency will contact the Sharing and Analysis Center. Agents from the State Bureau of Investigation orthe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be assigned to carefully check out your information.

Should I Give Police My Name and Contact Number?

Yes! If you want your report to be taken seriously, you should be willing to give your name and con-tact information to investigators. Someone from State Homeland Security will want to talk to you per-sonally to understand the full details of your information, and then take appropriate action in a timelymanner.

Will My Identity Be Protected?

Yes! Reports to State Homeland Security are considered an important part of America’s ongoing inves-tigation into the war on terrorism. Investigators need to know your name and contact numbers to dotheir job, but the state will make every effort to keep your identity confidential.

Do I Have to Talk to the News Media?

No! No one who makes a report to State Homeland Security is required to speak with the newsmedia. State Homeland Security will not release your name to reporters. The decision to remainanonymous to the public or to speak with the news media is left completely up to you.

How Should I Focus My Attention?

Everyone should be especially mindful of suspicious activity around what Homeland Security calls“critical infrastructure.” These sites are places or facil ities where damage or destruction could causean interruption of service or result in serious injury or death.

What Should I Watch For?

Citizens should immediately report people who photograph, videotape, sketch, or seek blueprints fordams, drinking water supplies, and water treatment facil ities; major highway intersections, bridges,and tunnels; ports, transportation hubs, airports, and shipping facilities; electric plants and substations,and nuclear facilities and transmission towers; pipelines and tank farms; military installa tions, lawenforcement agencies, and defense contract sites; hospitals and health research facilities; Internet,phone, cable, and communications facilities and towers; and capitol, court, and government build-ings. Suspicious activity around historic structures and national landmarks also should be reported.

Is My Awareness Really That Important?

Intelligence agents at the State Information Sharing and Analysis Center have investigated an averageof one Homeland Security tip every day for nearly a year.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive

The nation requires a Homeland Security Advisory System to provide a com prehensive and effectivemeans to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to federal, state, and local authorities,and to the American people. Such a system would provide warnings in the form of a set of graduated“Threat Conditions,” which would increase as the risk of the threat increases. At each Threat Condition,federal departments and agencies would implement a corresponding set of “Protective Measures” to fur-ther reduce vulnerability or increase response capability during a period of heightened alert.This system is intended to create a common vocabulary, context, and struc ture for an ongoingnational discussion about the nature of the threats that con front the homeland, as well as the appro-priate measures that should be taken in response. It seeks to inform and facilitate decisions appro-priate to different levels of government, and to private citizens at home and at work.

Homeland Security

Since September 11, 2001, President Bush has restructured and reformed the federal government tofocus resources on counterterrorism and ensure the security of our homeland.

Homeland Security Advisory System

The Homeland Security Advisory System shall be binding on the executive branch and suggested,although voluntary, to other levels of government and the private sector. There are five ThreatConditions, each identified by a descrip tion and corresponding color. From lowest to highest, the lev-els and colors are:• Low = Green• Guarded = Blue• Elevated = Yellow• High = Orange• Severe = RedThe higher the Threat Condition, the greater the risk of a terrorist attack. Risk includes both the prob-ability of an attack occurring and its potential gravity, Threat Conditions shall be assigned by the AttorneyGeneral in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. Except in exigent cir-cumstances, the Attorney General shall seek the views of the appropriate Homeland Security Principalsor their subordinates, and other parties as appro priate, on the Threat Condition to be assigned.Threat Conditions may be assigned for the entire nation, or they may be set for a particular geo-graphic area or industrial sector. Assigned Threat Conditions shall be reviewed at regular intervals todetermine whether adjustments are warranted.Terrorism 147For facilities, personnel, and operations inside the territorial United States, all federal departments,agencies, and offices other than military facilities shall conform their existing threat advisory systemsto this system and henceforth administer their systems consistent with the determination of theAttorney General with regard to the Threat Condition in effect.The assignment of a Threat Condition shall prompt the implementation of an appropriate set ofProtective Measures. Protective Measures are the specific steps an organization shall take to reduce itsvulnerability or increase its abil ity to respond during a period of heightened alert. The authority to craftand implement Protective Measures rests with the federal departments and agen cies. It is recognized thatdepartments and agencies may have several pre planned sets of responses to a particular Threat Conditionto facilitate a rapid, appropriate, and tailored response. Department and agency heads are respon siblefor developing their own Protective Measures and other antiterrorism or self-protection and continuityplans, and resourcing, rehearsing, documenting, and maintaining these plans. Likewise, they retain theauthority to respond, as necessary, to risks, threats, incidents, or events at facilities within the specific juris-diction of their department or agency, and, as authorized by law, to direct agencies and industries toimplement their own Protective Measures. They shall continue to be responsible for taking all appropri-ate proactive steps to reduce the vulnerability of their personnel and facilities to terrorist attack. Federaldepartment and agency heads shall submit an annual written report to the President, through the Assistantto the President for Homeland Security, describing the steps they have taken to develop and implementappropriate Protective Measures for each Threat Condition. Governors, mayors, and the leaders of otherorganizations are encouraged to conduct a similar review of their organizations’ Protective Measures.The decision whether to publicly announce Threat Conditions shall be made on a case-by-casebasis by the Attorney General in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.Every effort shall be made to share as much information regarding the threat as possible, consistent withthe safety of the nation. The Attorney General shall ensure, consistent with the safety of the nation, thatstate and local government officials and law enforcement authori ties are provided the most relevant andtimely information. The Attorney General shall be responsible for identifying any other informationdeveloped in the threat assessment process that would be useful to state and local officials and others,and conveying it to them as permitted consistent with the constraints of classi fication. The AttorneyGeneral shall establish a process and a system for con veying relevant information to federal, state, andlocal government officials, law enforcement authorities, and the private sector expeditiously.The Director of Central Intelligence and the Attorney General shall ensure that a continuous andtimely flow of integrated threat assessments and reports is provided to the President, the VicePresident, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the Assistant to the President for HomelandSecurity, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Whenever possible and prac-ticable, these integrated threat assessments and reports shall be reviewed and commented upon bythe wider interagency community.A decision on which Threat Condition to assign shall integrate a variety of con siderations. Thisintegration will rely on qualitative assessment, not quantita tive calculation. Higher Threat Conditionsindicate greater risk of a terrorist act, with risk including both probability and gravity. Despite bestefforts, there can be no guarantee that, at any given Threat Condition, a terrorist attack will not occur.An initial and important factor is the quality of the threat information itself. The evaluation of this threatinformation shall include, but not be lim ited to, the following factors: