Background
Launch and Modifications
Authority
Alert System
References
External Links
Authority
”DHS will share an NTAS Alert with the American public when circumstances warrant doing so.”(NTAS Frequently Asked Questions). DHS is the organization that maintains and controls the NTAS and allows DHS to notify the public of events. “NTAS Bulletins permit the Secretary to communicate critical terrorism information that, while not necessarily indicative of a specific threat against the United States, can reach homeland security partners or the public quickly, thereby allowing recipients to implement necessary protective measures.”(NTAS Frequently Asked Questions). The Secretary of DHS posts on the bulletin section of the DHS website the current information that can be shared about the current statues about threats which ends after the expiration date unless the bulletin is extended by the Secretary of DHS.
“Given the terrorist threats our country faces, it is important for all Americans to continue to embrace the adage, ‘if you see something, say something, said Sen. Carper”(Senator Carper Responds to Updates to National Terrorism Advisory System). Information gathering is not only the responsibility of the government. The mentality of “see something, say something” as shown above adds a new dynamic to the role of the public. Under the NTAS a role of the public is an informant who keeps a watchful eye on its community and informs proper authorities if something is seen that could cause a problem. This makes the notification from a community and the detail communication from DHS a cycle of information which requires both parties to function properly. “Today(December 15, 2015), Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced updates to the National Terrorism Advisory System that will provide more information for Americans to help them to quickly report suspicious activity to law enforcement.(Senator Carper Responds to Updates to National Terrorism Advisory System). The public has the ability to directly impact the information gathering process of DHS with the update of the communication systems.
Launch and Modifications
“The NTAS includes information only specific to a particular and credible threat, along with a clear statement that there is an imminent threat or elevated threat.” (USA Transitions of National Terrorism Advisory System). Information is not posted until the threat is credible, once this happens details are given to the public. The details can consist of locations or specific threats based on the level of hazards and the potential outcome. Also, these details can consist of suggestions to a community or general potential outcomes if the attack occurs. Bulletin posts by DHS are the way the Secretary of DHS notifies the public of the threat level and concerns. These posts are found on the DHS website and the posts are also on the DHS Social Media links and this is the primary way DHS notifies the public.
NTAS Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/ntas-frequently-asked-questions
USA transitions to National Terrorism Advisory System. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2017, from https://www.army.mil/article/56809/usa-transitions-to-national-terrorism-advisory-system
Senator Carper Responds to Updates to National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). (2015, December 16). Retrieved April 27, 2017, from https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/media/minority-media/senator-carper-responds-to-updates-to-national-terrorism-advisory-system-ntas
Road map 2
Contents:
Background
Launch and Modifications
Authority
Alert System
References
External Links
Authority
When the Department of Homeland Security has information that can be used to warn the public of an incoming attack they alert the public using different notification systems (NTAS Frequently Asked Questions). DHS is the organization that maintains and controls the National Terrorism Advisory System. The National Terrorism Advisory System is used to post a bulletin that allows the Secretary to inform the public of a potential attack and suggestions on defensive options the public has(NTAS Frequently Asked Questions). It is the Secretary who decides what threat level the nation is in and also decides what will be posted in the bulletins on the DHS website. The information posted has the intent of communication information to the public about potential terror attacks. On the DHS website there is only one advisory bulletin posted at a time to have clear and concise advisory alerts that are informative. Although these bulletins are used throughout the year to communicate the NTAS has not made an official threat level increase in the past six years for any terrorist attack.
Under the National Terrorism Advisory System the public is encouraged to turn in any suspicious activity to DHS. This is just one of the ways DHS has increased the communication channels with the public (Senator Carper Responds to Updates to National Terrorism Advisory System). Although the statement above was intended to be an improvement compared to the HSAS communication system, there has been very little information given to the public about their “role” in this new system. The NTAS appears to be a ghost that was not highly publicized and many Americans are not even aware of the change for the HSAS to the NTAS.
Launch and Modifications
Bulletin posts by DHS are the way the Secretary of DHS notifies the public of the threat level and concerns. These posts are also found on the DHS Social Media links and this is the primary way DHS notifies the public. The NTAS only informs the public if there is a credible threat, the information consists of clear statement explaining the threat concern (USA Transitions of National Terrorism Advisory System).
The Secretary of DHS stated that the level that we understand as a normal alert level would have been considered a higher level years ago but because of the continual threat we now consider a high threat level as the “baseline” (Sharp, Vincent H (2013)). Although there are many expectations for the system it has made no alert in the past six years of service (Sharp, Vincent H (2013)). This begins to question the effectiveness of the NTAS. The bulletins have also been generally the same for the past few months. This could be explained by the new “baseline” discussed above and how it does not have a lower level below the one we are in now. Since there are only three threat levels and the baseline used to be a “high threat level” years ago it will take a serious threat to increase the level and it will take longer for the level to be lowered. Either there has not been a credible threat in the past six years or the threat was not posted.
The lack of information given by DHS and the apparent lack of use of the NTAS begins to question its usefulness as an advisory system. The only way to test the system would be to compare it with another advisory system that has been in use for longer and has not been changed recently. The more militarized notification system by the Department of Defense called the Force Protection Condition (FPCON) is more proactive in its assigning of threat levels and also has lower threat levels. Also, the FPCON has increased their “normal” threat level to Beta which is an increased potential for imminent attack. In this area the NTAS new “normal” seem to be on the same level of concern with other advisory systems. FPCON is not a civilian advisory system and because of this the actual threat levels have vague descriptions of what they mean but they do still more explanation then the NTAS. Under the FPCON the threat level is posted on every military base and on many buildings inside the base, this allows every person in the military to know the current level, this type of threat level awareness is not displayed in NTAS (Sharp, Vincent H (2013)). After these comparisons the lack of communication with the public and the lack of notification system the NTAS is clearly not being used as it was intended. The NTAS also does not have “pre-designed measures to be taken to improve security”, because of this the NTAS is used for notification and nothing more (Sharp, Vincent H (2013)).
NTAS Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/ntas-frequently-asked-questions
USA transitions to National Terrorism Advisory System. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2017, from https://www.army.mil/article/56809/usa-transitions-to-national-terrorism-advisory-system
Senator Carper Responds to Updates to National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS). (2015, December 16). Retrieved April 27, 2017, from https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/media/minority-media/senator-carper-responds-to-updates-to-national-terrorism-advisory-system-ntas
Sharp, Vincent H. "Faded Colors: From the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) to the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)." (2013).