Threat levels terrorist

It is interesting to note that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security used a similar color code during 2002-2011 to warn Americans of the terrorist threat levels in the coimtry. 

Ultimately, the answer to the question of due diligence must be decided at the local level and will depend on a number of considerations. Among other factors, local authorities must decide what level of risk is reasonable in the context of a perceived threat. Careful planning is essential to developing an appropriate response to terrorist threats, and in fact, one primary objective of USEPA s Response Protocol Toolbox (RPTB) is to aid users in the development of their own site-specific plans that are consistent with the needs and responsibilities of the user. Beyond planning, the RPTB considers a careful evaluation of any terrorist threat, and an appropriate response based on the evaluation, to be the most important element of due diligence. 

PST prepares both general and periodic threat assessments subjected to the risk of terrorist attack. The risk assessments of PST are in most cases not giving any more information than their exact assessment of the threat which has been either low or moderate. When PST decided to increase the risk level in Norway from low to moderate after Al-Qaeda announced the second terrorism threat, there was hardly any information about what the assessment was based on and why they decided to increase the level to moderate, which they did not after the first. However, PST contributes with qualitative statements that give the impression of an imminent terrorist threat. Jam Hohne, the current Director of PST, claims that it is just a matter of time before terrorists strikes Scandinavia (Jam Holme, Director of PST, in Aftenposten 15.12.2005). 

Possible applications of the M2STTLAL model pertain to the anticipation of potential attacks to a targeted chemical supply chain and the limitation of the consequences of these attacks thanks to an appropriate evaluation of terrorist threats. Additionally, the MXSTRAJl model can lead to a better definition and allocation of the security countermeasures for both intra-modal and inter-modal levels. 

National threat levels are intended to provide a guide to the current likelihood of a terrorist attack. Decisions regarding the setting of the threat level are taken by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), created in 2003 as the UK s centre for terrorism analysis and assessment. Threat levels are regularly reviewed in the light of the available intelligence and can be found on the Home Office website. The possible levels are given below. 

Alert levels A progressive, qualitative measure of the likelihood of terrorist actions, from negligible to imminent, based on government or company intelligence information. Different security measures may be implemented at each alert level based on the level of threat to the facility. 

Threats of Concern Terrorist acts can be the most problematic to defend against since they may be more extreme or malevolent than other crimes focused on monetary gains or outcomes with less malicious intent. Plus terrorists may use military tactics not often provided for in base chemical facility design. Chemical facility security must be considered in context with local and national homeland security and law enforcement activities, as well as with emergency response capabilities. There is a practical limit to the ability of a chemical site to prevent or mitigate a terrorist act. Above a certain level of threat, the facility needs to rely on law enforcement and military services to provide physical security against extreme acts of intentional harm. The security posture must be risk-based, and so extremely robust security measures are not always applicable or necessary. 

Nevertheless, due to increase of threats from different terrorist groups, works must be continued on further upgrading of the actual physical protection level at PA Mayak s transport facilities. First and foremost, this implies prompt equipment of the special train of TK-VG-18 railcars and the TK-VS escort-car with up-to-date systems of physical protection and communications. 

A well-trained frontline response will reduce the impact of an emergency event. Since a terrorist event or a naturally occurring threat to the public s health is considered a low-probability/high-consequence event, the challenge exists to identify ways to educate, train, and engage the PHN to raise competency levels by sharpening clinical and communication skills. 

Overall, there is a general agreement that local preparedness of medical professionals for chemical terrorist incidences, as well as the levels of organization and systemic preparedness required and available are nominal. Although there are some highly trained personnel available and excellent capabilities in many consequence management organizations to respond to a domestic chemical disaster, chemical response personnel and equipment are everywhere limited compared to the potential threat, and there is still much room for improvement. 

A CDC is not able to assess the level of threat of a terrorist nuclear attack. However, for many years CDC has participated regularly in emergency-response drilLs where we have worked closely with other federal, state, and local agencies to develop, test, and implement extensive national radiological emergency- response plans. 

The Third Review Conference noted with concern that, along with the threat of the possible production, acquisition and use of chemical weapons by States, the intemahonal community also faces the danger of the produchon, acquisihon and use of chemical weapons by non-State actors including terrorists. These concerns have highhghted the necessity of achieving universal adherence to the Convention, as well as the high level of OPCW readiness. 

---