The Homeland Security Advisory System evaluates threats to the US and outlines five levels of threat using a color-coded system. It was created after the 9/11 attacks and requires different levels of preparedness from local and state governments. The threat level has never been downgraded to green or blue, and different actions may be required depending on the threat level.
The Homeland Security Advisory System is a system that evaluates threats to the United States and makes recommendations to address them. Created by a presidential directive in March 2002 and administered by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the system was created in response to the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.
Using a color-coded system, the Homeland Security Advisory System outlines five different levels of perceived threat to the United States. Each threat level requires different levels of preparedness from local and state governments, and each level also contains specific instructions for citizens to follow.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists carried out coordinated attacks on various US landmarks, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and mass destruction. In the wake of the attacks, US government officials concluded that a system needed to be in place to prepare the nation for the possibility of similar attacks and take preemptive steps to prevent them from happening. Presidential Directive 3 for Internal Security was issued on March 11, 2002 to create the Internal Security Advisory System. While initially overseen by the United States Attorney General, the new Department of Homeland Security began administering the system in January 2003.
There are five different threat levels specified by the Homeland Security Advisory System, each assigned a different colour. The lowest threat level is green. Next comes blue, which represents a protected threat and general risk, then yellow, which represents a high threat and significant risk, then orange, which represents a high threat and risk, and finally red, which represents a serious threat and risk.
At no time since system startup has the threat level been downgraded to a blue or green level, consistently remaining at a yellow level or higher. The first time the level was raised to red was in August 2006, after the British authorities thwarted a terrorist plot to blow up planes, and even then it only affected British flights to the United States . Yellow, or high, is the most common threat level.
Depending on the threat level, different actions may be required of state and local authorities in combination with the predetermined directions of the system. These precautions may include enhanced security at landmarks or threatened areas, vigilance at U.S. borders, and even deploying the U.S. National Guard to provide assistance to needed areas. Additionally, each threat level carries with it instructions to the general public on recommended behaviors and precautionary measures.
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