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This book reviews the Homeland Security Advisory System and the associated problems, looks at comparable international systems, and presents an alternative recommendation to provide timely and informative warnings of terrorist threats, and restores credibility by merging HSAS with the already existing DoD force protection conditions. After the events of 9/11, Homeland Security Presidential Directive-3 (HSPD-3) established the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) to provide a comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to federal, state, and local authorities and the American people. Under HSAS, threat levels were raised or lowered 16 times, but never below Threat Level Yellow (Elevated Condition). HSAS should have been straightforward and easy to understand. What evolved was confusion over alerts, lack of specific threat information, concerns over costs to institute and maintain protective measures, and questions regarding what was expected of citizens. Government agencies, the private sector, and the general population became immune with the threat level remaining at or above Yellow. HSAS was woefully misunderstood not just by the general population, but also within federal, state, and local governments. Ridiculed by comedians, HSAS gradually began to disappear, to the point where it was necessary to search to find the current threat level, whereas it had once been prominently posted.
The Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS), established on March 12, 2002, is a color-coded terrorist threat warning system administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The system, which federal departments and agencies are required to implement and use, provides recommended protective measures for federal departments and agencies to prevent, prepare for, mitigate against, and respond to terrorist attacks. DHS disseminates HSAS terrorist threat warnings to federal departments, state and local agencies, the public, and private-sector entities. This dissemination of warnings is conducted through multiple communication systems and public announcements. HSAS has five threat levels: low, guarded, elevated, high, and severe. From March 2002 to the present, the HSAS threat level has been no lower than elevated, and has been raised to high six times. The first time it was raised to high was on September 10, 2002, due to the fear of terrorist attacks on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The most recent time it was raised to high was on August 1, 2004, due to intelligence regarding possible terrorist attacks on financial institutions in New York City, Washington, DC, and Newark, New Jersey. On March 16, 2004, the House of Representative's Committee on Government Reform's Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations held a hearing on the HSAS, its threat codes, and public response to it. This hearing focused on the information DHS issued the public the six times the HSAS threat level was raised from "yellow" to "orange." While the need for terrorist threat warnings seems to be widely acknowledged, there are numerous issues associated with HSAS and its effects on states, localities, the public, and the private sector.
In the view of the Task Force, a national threat warning system for terrorist attacks is as central now as it was when today's system was established in 2002. Further, that warning system should remain dedicated to threats from terrorism and not be combined with other national warning systems for weather, natural disasters, infectious disease and so forth. Though the Task Force offers suggestions to reform the current system, the members unanimously share the Secretary's view that maintaining the nation's vigilance is the key to protecting against terrorism.

Homeland security

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform. Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 268


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The Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS), established on March 12, 2002, is a color coded terrorist threat warning system administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The system, which federal departments and agencies are required to implement and use, provides recommended protective measures for federal departments and agencies to prevent, prepare for, mitigate against, and respond to terrorist attacks. DHS disseminates HSAS terrorist threat warnings to federal departments, state and local agencies, the public, and private sector entities. This dissemination of warnings is conducted through multiple communication systems and public announcements. While the need for terrorist threat warnings seems to be widely acknowledged, there are numerous issues associated with HSAS and its effects on states, localities, the public, and the private sector. These issues include the following: * vagueness of warnings; * lack of specific protective measures for state and local governments, the public, and the private sector; * dissemination of warnings to states, localities, the public, and the private sector; * coordination of HSAS with other federal warning systems; and, * cost of threat level changes. This report will be updated as congressional or executive actions warrant.
Provides a comprehensive account of past and current homeland security reorganization and practices, policies and programs in relation to government restructuring.