The much maligned, five-tiered Homeland Security Advisory System you see at airports across the country is on its way out. The Department of Homeland Security has replaced it with a more straightforward system, the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). It has just two tiers: Elevated Threat and Imminent Threat.
The former warns of a “credible terrorist threat against the United States,” the latter of a credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat” against this country.
The old system relied on gradating the threat level. Green meant a Low threat, blue a Guarded one, yellow an Elevated threat, orange a High threat, and red a Severe threat.
Critics contended it caused more confusion than clarity.
In announcing NTAS’ implementation Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said, “The terrorist threat facing our country has evolved significantly over he past ten years, and in today’s environment — more than ever — we know that the best strategy is one that counts on the American people as a key partner in securing our country.”
Americans can’t do that if they’re confused.
“The old color-coded system was too blunt an instrument,” says Sen. Susan Collins from Maine, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Seeming to caution that merely rolling out a new set-up doesn’t automatically make for a better one, Collins goes on to say DHS “must ensure that the new system will effectively disseminate threat information in a timely manner and provide sound guidance to the public and affected homeland security partners on the actions they should take to protect themselves and the nation.”
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Chuck Coker)
