To improve coordination and communication among all levels of government and the public in the fight against terrorism, President George W. Bush signed Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3 on March 12, 2002, creating the Homeland Security Advisory System. This advisory system serves as a foundation for a simple communications structure to disseminate information regarding the risk of possible terrorist attacks to all levels of government, as well as to our nation's citizens.

There are many federal alert systems in our country, and each is tailored and specific to different sectors of our society: transportation, defense, agriculture and weather, for example. These alert systems fill vital and specific requirements for a variety of situations in both the government and commercial sectors.

The HSAS provides a national framework for these systems, allowing government officials to communicate the nature and degree of terrorist threats to citizens. This advisory system characterizes appropriate levels of vigilance, preparedness and readiness in a series of graduated threat conditions.

The protective measures that correspond to each threat condition will help the local government and its citizens decide what actions they should take to help counter and respond to possible terrorist activity. Based on the threat level, federal agencies will implement appropriate protective measures. State and municipalities are encouraged to adopt compatible local response systems.

State and local officials will be informed in advance of national threat advisories whenever possible. The Department of Homeland Security will convey relevant information to federal, state and local public officials, as well as to the private sector. Heightened threat levels can be declared for the entire nation or for a specific geographic area, functional or industrial sector. Changes in assigned threat conditions will be made whenever necessary by the DHS.

These threat conditions characterize the risk of a possible terrorist attack based on the best information available. Protective measures are the steps that should be taken by government and the private sector to reduce their respective vulnerabilities. The HSAS contains five threat conditions with associated suggested protective measures. From low to high, they are green, blue, yellow, orange and red.

Since the system's inception, our nation has been at the high-risk orange level only a few times. Recent HSAS warnings have been regional and/or functional in their scope. When the nation as a whole goes to the orange level, local officials should take steps so citizens know that their municipal officials are making an effort to protect them.

To achieve this goal, there are several common-sense measures that local public officials should take so their citizens and businesses know they are being properly protected against a possible terrorist attack, regardless of its actual likelihood. These public officials include elected officials, city managers, police chiefs, fire chiefs, public works directors and other emergency personnel.

• Police and fire personnel should maintain a heightened sense of awareness while responding to, and working at, incidents.
• Appropriate city officials should review local emergency response plans and be prepared to activate the Emergency Operations Center.
• City managers, police chiefs, fire chiefs and public works directors should communicate and coordinate with their respective counterparts at other levels of government in case a coordinated response is needed.
• City managers should place all emergency management and specialized response teams on call-back alert status. This is also applicable to police and fire chiefs.
• Both the police and fire chiefs should make sure that critical response vehicles are stored in a secure area or in an indoor parking facility, if one is available.
• City managers should work closely with their police chiefs to consider controlled access to all municipal buildings, other significant facilities and critical components of the public infrastructure.
• City managers and police chiefs should ensure that appropriate security measures are in place and are functioning properly.
• Police chiefs should closely monitor all available security and intelligence data from federal, state and other local law enforcement agencies.
• Police chiefs should make sure that police officers closely monitor all municipal reservoirs and watershed areas, wastewater treatment plants, and other sensitive public facilities.
• Police chiefs should ensure the enforcement of the restriction for the parking of vehicles away from sensitive public buildings
• Police personnel should inspect building and parking areas for suspicious packages.
• The police chief should increase defensive measures around key structures and for major public events.
• Local municipal officials should work closely with their county officials in an attempt to report and detect all transmittable diseases.

Municipal officials also should issue recommended precautions for citizens and businesses. These measures should be decided in advance of a heightened state of alert.

Citizens should be encouraged to:

• Resume normal activities but expect some delays, baggage searches and restrictions as a result of heightened security at public building and other facilities.
• Continue to monitor world events and local circumstances, as well as local government threat advisory warnings.
• Report all suspicious activities at or near critical public facilities to local law enforcement agencies by calling 911.
• Avoid leaving unattended packages or briefcases in public areas.
• Inventory and organize emergency supply kits and discuss emergency plans with family members. Re-evaluate the family meeting location based on the national threat level.
• Consider taking reasonable personal security precautions. Be alert to surroundings, avoid vulnerable situations, and closely monitor the activities of children.
• Maintain close contact with family and neighbors to ensure their safety and emotional well-being.

Businesses should be encouraged to:

• Announce the high-risk threat level to all employees and explain any special actions required of them.
• Place company emergency response teams on notice, as appropriate.
• Activate the company's operations center, if suitable to the occasion.
• Monitor world and local events, passing on the latest information to employees.
• Ensure that appropriate security measures are in place and functioning properly.
• Instruct employees to immediately report suspicious activities, packages and people to their supervisors.
• Search all personal bags and parcels and require employees to pass through a metal detector if one is available.
• Restrict vehicular access and parking close to company-owned buildings.
• Inspect intrusion-detection systems, lighting, security fencing and locking systems to ensure that they're working properly.
• Inspect all deliveries and consider accepting shipments only at off-site locations.
• Remind employees of heightened security policies and proper evacuation procedures.

The time to prepare a response plan, such as the one described above, is before our nation goes on a heightened state of alert. A community's guidelines should be distributed in written form to the mayor and city council, all department managers, emergency management personnel, chamber of commerce, and citizens. This information should also be posted on a city's Web site, published in local newspapers, and placed as a public service message on a public-access cable TV channel. It's also a good idea to inform citizens and businesses of homeland security-related Web sites.

The goal is to spread the word to citizens about your city's state of preparation for the next heightened state of national alert. Citizens expect their public officials to be looking out for safety and health under such circumstances. Simple guidelines for communities, citizens and businesses, such as those described above, represent a common-sense approach to being prepared to safeguard and protect your community during a disaster, whether natural or man-made.

Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., is the city manager of Vallejo, Calif. He is the editor of Homeland Security: Best Practices for Local Government and has served on the U.S. Justice Department's Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council.