Whenever there are terrorist threats reported against the United States, it is common for people to ask what they can do to protect themselves and their families and how they can prepare to deal with an attack if one happens.
The United States has a five-tiered Homeland Security Advisory System that provides information to the American people and federal, state and local authorities about the risk of terrorist acts. An explanation of this system can be found on the White House Web site www.whitehouse.gov/homeland and on the Department of State Web site www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/.
A comprehensive listing of State Homeland Security Directors and Resources is at www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/contactmap.html.
In addition to the sources listed above, there are several other agencies and organizations that have published useful information on the topic of family preparedness. They include:
The Office for Domestic Preparedness
http://odp.ncjrs.org/content/
The American Red Cross
www.redcross.org
The American Red Cross brochure titled Terrorism - Preparing for the Unexpected www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/unexpected.html
The American Red Cross brochures titled Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit (stock number A4463) and Your Family Disaster Plan (A4466) available from local Red Cross chapters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
www.fema.gov
FEMA manual titled Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness
www.fema.gov/areyouready
Department of Health and Human Services
www.hhs.gov
Centers for Disease Control
www.bt.cdc.gov