In March of 2002, the White House issued the Homeland Security Directive which established five threat conditions for a possible terrorist attack. General explanations were given for preparedness activities for each level, but the question remained, "What does this mean to me and my family?"

The American Red Cross recognized the need for real answers to these questions and created guidelines for individuals, families, neighborhoods, schools, and businesses. These guidelines are found on the documents page and are in PDF format.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view them, and if you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, see the top of the Disaster Peparedness documents page for further instructions.