SECRETARY NAPOLITANO ANNOUNCES NEW NATIONAL TERRORISM
ADVISORY SYSTEM TO MORE EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE INFORMATION ABOUT
TERRORIST THREATS TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
DHS Discontinues Color-Coded Alert System
WASHINGTON—Secretary
of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced that the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will discontinue the color-coded
alerts of the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) in favor of a new
system, the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS), that 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.
The National Terrorism Advisory System will be
implemented over the next 90 days in order for DHS and our federal,
state, local, tribal, community and private sector partners to
transition to the new system.
“Security is a shared
responsibility, and we must work together to keep our nation safe from
threats,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This new system is built on a
clear and simple premise: when a credible threat develops that could
impact the public, we will tell you and provide whatever information we
can so that you know how to keep yourselves, your families and your
communities safe.”
HSAS was first introduced on March 11,
2002. In July 2009, Secretary Napolitano formed a bipartisan task force
of security experts, state and local elected and law enforcement
officials, and other key stakeholders—co-chaired by Fran Townsend,
former Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security, and
Judge William Webster, former director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—to assess the
effectiveness of HSAS. The results of this assessment formed the basis
of the National Terrorism Advisory System.
Under the new
system, DHS will coordinate with other federal entities to issue formal,
detailed alerts when the federal government receives information about a
specific or credible terrorist threat. These alerts will include a
clear statement that there is an “imminent threat” or “elevated threat.”
The alerts also will provide a concise summary of the potential threat,
information about actions being taken to ensure public safety, and
recommended steps that individuals and communities, businesses and
governments can take.
The National Terrorism Advisory
System alerts will be based on the nature of the threat: in some cases,
alerts will be sent directly to law enforcement or affected areas of the
private sector, while in others, alerts will be issued more broadly to
the American people through both official and media channels—including a
designated DHS webpage (www.dhs.gov/alerts), as well as social media channels including Facebook and via Twitter @NTASAlerts.
Additionally,
NTAS will have a “sunset provision,” meaning that individual threat
alerts will be issued with a specified end date. Alerts may be extended
if new information becomes available or if the threat evolves
significantly.
Secretary Napolitano announced this change
today during her “State of America’s Homeland Security” address at the
George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute. A copy
of her prepared remarks is available here.
For more information on the National Terrorism Advisory System, visit www.dhs.gov/alerts.
Stay safe!
Respectfully,
Harold C Hansen
IAVM Director of Life Safety & Security
harold.hansen@iavm.org