Steve Quayle News Alerts

September 19, 2002
By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY

Many of the nation's cities have taken little or no action in response to the federal government's elevated terrorism alert, a survey by the National League of Cities shows.

The survey of 309 cities mainly involved small to medium-size cities. About 25% have customized preparedness plans to conform to the national five-color alert system. One in five don't understand what the system means.

Most cities did not step up security around Sept. 11, even though the Bush administration put the nation on Threat Condition Orange — or high alert — for a terrorist attack. It was the first time the level was raised since the government set up the color-coded system in March.
Alert level may fall
U.S. officials believe the immediate threat of terrorist attacks may have passed and were considering Thursday downgrading the national threat level from "high" to "elevated."

They cited last week's capture of suspected Sept. 11 ringleader Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, arrests of six Buffalo-area men accused as al-Qaeda-trained operatives, and the passing of the anniversary.

But officials were concerned about how to reduce the threat level without encouraging people to drop their guard.

Code Orange Survey findings on response to last week's alert:

Fewer than a third of cities increased security at utilities, public buildings, schools or airports.

27% said they "conducted business as usual."

Fewer than a fifth issued local warnings or coordinated with police and emergency responders.

The alert system is designed to communicate threats to the nation. The government recommends certain security steps, but state and local governments are not required to act. The threat levels are: red for severe, orange for high, yellow for elevated, blue for guarded and green for low.

Under Threat Condition Orange, the federal government suggests that local government and industry leaders take extra precautions at public events, coordinate security with armed forces or police, and allow some people to stay home or work from other locations.

Many local officials say tight budgets prevent increasing security. The federal government has yet to provide most of $657 million allocated by Congress.

John DeStefano, mayor of New Haven, says his city put extra security guards on duty for a couple of days around Sept. 11. Those precautions are no longer in place.

"We'd appreciate some more information," he says. "There's a real disconnect between what's happening in cities and towns and the rhetoric" in Washington.

Barb Graff, emergency preparedness manager for Bellevue, Wash., says the alert would have gotten her attention if, for example, officials said terrorists were planning to attack shopping malls on the West Coast. A more general alert, she says, "does not warrant many specific local actions."

The survey also found:
* Fewer than a third of cities increased security at utilities, public buildings, schools or airports.
* 27% said they "conducted business as usual."
* Fewer than a fifth issued local warnings or coordinated with police and emergency responders.

"The code is like the boy who cried wolf," says John Weichsel, town manager of Southington, Conn. "We did nothing, as there was nothing to be done."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002-09-19-alert_x.htm