"I'm a little nervous," 17-year-old Sawn says.

"I think that it's creating a fear factor in the community right now," says Delorme Mckee-Stovall, a mother.

"In case of an emergency, my parents said we should all go outside in our backyard, by my window," says Brittany, 15.

A new government website, www.ready.gov, urges parents to explain to their children what to do in case of an emergency. Kids should carry all of their parent's phone numbers and know where to meet their family members if they can't go home, the website reports. As for parents, they should buy and store emergency supplies at home.

"A three-day supply of food, water, medicines if they are unusual," advises Dallas Jones, director of the California Governors Office of Emergency Services.

If the country moves to a red, or "severe," threat level, or if another terror attack occurs, some in this huge nation may be forced to go several days without running water, electricity or leaving home.

"Most likely, you are going to be on the periphery of an event and not necessarily included in it. But that will affect your life because of the phone lines being jammed and other things," Jones says.

More ominous, the government website reports that in the case of chemical or biological attack, you may need duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal your home and a mask to walk outside. Still, experts caution not to overreact every time the threat level is changed.

"[It] really wouldn't make a great deal of difference for an average family, going from orange to red," Jones says. "It does mean, though, reviewing your own plans and making sure your preparedness level is adequate."

He says even with a code red, you can still send your kids to school, take them on vacation and keep going to work … until you hear otherwise.

By Suki Shergill-Connolly, M.Ed.
CWK Network, Inc.

For most Americans, the events of September 11, 2001, have been vividly etched into memory. Prompted by the these terrorist attacks, government agencies, businesses and schools have designed and implemented specific safety plans focusing on evacuation, lock down and bioterrorism. As the United States' threat condition fluctuates between codes yellow and orange, many school districts have actively revamped their emergency safety plans to specifically deal with terrorism and the possibility that the country could reach code red alert levels.

In the state of Georgia, the law requires every school to have a detailed safety plan that passes muster with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA). Unlike a safety plan for a possible tornado or hurricane, it is difficult to nail down specifics of how a school would respond to an attack that could come in many forms.

Elsewhere, school administrators in the Washington area have stepped up preparations for possible terrorism, and most school districts have told parents that they would be prevented, or strongly discouraged, from picking up their children in the event of a biological or chemical attack. Some districts said regular lock-down drills are planned to prepare for possible chemical attacks - reminiscent of the "duck-and-cover" Cold War exercises of the 1950s and '60s. For example, this week Westland Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland, required its students to practice closing blinds in their classrooms, locking doors, papering over windows and doors and assembling away from windows.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United States currently is at an elevated (yellow) threat level. The nation's Homeland Security Advisory System provides a national framework to inform and facilitate the decisions of federal, state and local government as well as private individuals at home and at work. As a parent, it is important that you know what each threat level entails so that you can act accordingly:

• Red: Severe risk of terrorist attack
• Orange: High risk of terrorist attack
• Yellow: Elevated condition, with significant risk of terrorist attack
• Blue: Guarded condition, with general risk of terrorist attack
• Green: Low risk of terrorist attack

In preparation for an attack on the nation, the best approach your family can take is to have a plan in place now. The U.S. DHS suggests that you be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer. While several items might make you more comfortable, think first about fresh water, food and clean air. Consider putting together two kits. In one, put everything needed to stay where you are and make it on your own. The other kit should be a lightweight, smaller version you can take with you if you have to evacuate. Consider these additional tips from the American Red Cross to help you create a family disaster plan:

• Meet with your family and discuss why you need to prepare for disaster. Plan to share responsibilities and work together as a team.
• Discuss in brief the potential dangers - biological, chemical and radiation threats, explosions and nuclear blasts - that are likely to occur. Explain what to do in each case.
• Pick two places to meet - right outside or inside your home in case of a sudden emergency, and outside your neighborhood in case you can't return home. Make sure everyone knows the address and phone number.
• Ask an out-of-state friend to be your "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Other family members should call this person and tell them where they are. Everyone must know your contact's phone number.
• Discuss what to do in an evacuation. Plan how to take care of your pets.

What should you and your family do in the event of an emergency or if the alert level changes? The U.S. DHS advises you to assess the situation and use common sense and whatever you have on hand to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Think about the places where your family spends time: school, work and other places you frequent. Ask about their emergency plans, and find out how they will communicate with families during an emergency. If they do not have an emergency plan, consider helping develop one.

With the current threat level at orange, now is the time for you and your family to take action to help reduce the impact an emergency has on your lives. The Citizen Corps offers the following tips for keeping your family and community safe:

• Check and change the batteries in your smoke alarms and replace all alarms that are more than 10 years old.
• Make sure you know where your local fire department, police station and hospital are located, and post a list of emergency phone numbers near all the telephones in your home.
• Locate the utility mains (gas, electricity and water) for your home and be sure you know how to turn them off manually.
• Prepare a three-day disaster supply kit, complete with flashlights, batteries, blankets and an emergency supply of water and food (and pet food!).
• Plan to hold a Neighborhood Watch meeting. Your local sheriffs' office or police station can help you get started.
• Check the expiration dates of all over-the-counter medications. Discard all that are expired, and replace any that are routinely needed.
• Make sure all cleaning products and dangerous objects are out of children's reach.
• Plan to sign up for a first-aid training course. Call your local American Red Cross chapter or National Safety Council to ask about courses in your area.
• Visit with your neighbors and discuss how you would handle a disaster in your area. Talk to neighbors with special needs and help them become safer, too!

American Red Cross
California Governors Office of Emergency Services
Citizen Corps
Georgia Emergency Management Agency
U.S. Department of Homeland Security