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Season Two Research Files

Episode Two
9:00am-10:00am

ALERT CONDITIONS

In March 2002, the Department of Homeland Security established a set of graduated Threat Conditions regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people. This system was intended to create a common vocabulary, context, and structure for an ongoing national discussion about the nature of the threats that confront the homeland and the appropriate measures that should be taken in response. It is to inform and facilitate decisions appropriate to different levels of government and to private citizens.

At each Threat Condition, Federal departments and agencies would implement a corresponding set of Protective Measures to further reduce vulnerability or increase response capability during a period of heightened alert. The higher the Threat Condition, the greater the risk of a terrorist attack. From lowest to highest, the levels and colors are:

    Low = Green
    Guarded = Blue
    Elevated = Yellow
    High = Orange
    Severe = Red

The American military already had an alert system in place, called LERTCON (alert conditions). In the event of a national emergency, a series of seven different LERTCONs can be called. The 7 LERTCONs are broken down into 5 Defense Conditions (DEFCONs) and 2 Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs). Defense readiness conditions (DEFCONs) describe progressive alert postures primarily for use between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders of unified commands. DEFCONs are graduated to match situations of varying military severity, and are numbered 5,4,3,2, and 1 as appropriate. DEFCONs are phased increases in combat readiness. In general terms, these are descriptions of DEFCONs:

    DEFCON 5 = Normal peacetime readiness
    DEFCON 4 = Normal, increased intelligence and strengthened security measures
    DEFCON 3 = Increase in force readiness above normal readiness
    DEFCON 2 = Further Increase in force readiness, but less than maximum readiness
    DEFCON 1 = Maximum force readiness.

EMERGCONs are national level reactions in response to ICBM (missiles in the air) attack. By definition, other forces go to DEFCON 1 during an EMERGCON. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US Strategic Air Command was placed on DEFCON 2 for the first time in history, while the rest of US military commands (with the exception of the US Air Forces in Europe) went on DEFCON 3.

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