Threat Alert!!!

jaxnRN · Feb 7, 2003

I live in the heartland. Midwest USA. Up the river (Mississippi), just a few short miles, there is an ammunition plant. I guess some bomb threats were being called in, and they traced them after a few calls. Seems like the plant was being timed by some "illegal residents" as to how quickly their reaction time was after the calls were received. How fast the police and other departments responded.

Pretty scary when you think you have lived without this kind of fear for so long and now poof! all that security is gone. Makes you put life in true perspective.

renerian, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2003

Rather scarey without enough details.

renerian

JedsMom, ASN, RN · Feb 7, 2003

I live very close to Barksdale Air Force Base (The 1st place the President stopped on 9/11). Kinda scarey thinking that might be a big target since it is home to all the B 52 bombers

TNcanNURSE · Feb 7, 2003

What the heck is orange alert status.........Is that high, low, midway??????? Just curious

TNcanNURSE · Feb 7, 2003

Originally posted by jaxnRN
I live in the heartland. Midwest USA. Up the river (Mississippi.

Hey hey.

I live right off the Mississippi river too..........Not in the midwest though. Midsouth.

Katnip, RN · Feb 7, 2003

Orange is "High" chance of trouble. Red is "severe". I suppose red would be if we actually had an attack of some sort.

Below orange is yellow, then Im not sure if it goes to blue, but low risk is green. Saw it on my Yahoo page today. Never knew such a thing existed.

Gomer · Feb 7, 2003

I'm more frightened of the FBI and its leader than I am of any terrorist.

l.rae · Feb 7, 2003

Originally posted by emily_mom
Personally though, how many times have they called alerts....nothing has happened. The whole reason there was dissent over even having this system is the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome.

Right now, I'm kinda feeling that....

Kristy

Quite possible Kristy that the alerts are WHY nothing happened...but difficult to prove.......being to specific is likely to put us more at risk and divulge our sources who must be protected.....l did hear them mention hotels, apartment buildings and areas of ???can't remember the term they used but l took it to mean significant areas that are American icons....anyhoo, those who want to be critical basicly have a free pass, upset when nothing happens and definatly first in line to dish the dirt if it did.....so it becomes a political football, just depends on which side you want to see sometimes.

flowerchild · Feb 7, 2003

Fear of the unknown = ANXIETY

As citizens of the USA, Homeland Security wants us to be on an increased awareness for suspicous activity and to report it to our local authority. Things like, you see someone in the mall that leaves a box or other container (breifcases, etc.) sitting on a bench or in a corner. Or, you overhear someone talking and making terrorist type threats or plans. Or you work for a rental car company and the guy who wants the car has no interest in how or where to return the car. Example, the air flight training schools who knew that the flight students had only an interest in flying the plane but not taking off or landing. Strange, but at the time the instructors had no idea that we were in danger. The threat levels are to help us citizens to know that we need to be alert and aware.

We had a guy try to get into the attic through the ceiling tiles at the last hospital I worked at, it was right after Sept 11, and we went into lockdown and called the police. Turned out the guy was homeless and psychotic and was looking for a place to sleep. It scared us! Hospitals can be vulnerable in that most facilities have open doors everywhere and anyone can walk in at anytime. I hope the hospitals are beefing up security. Seems to me a hospital would be an easy target and would make our citizens afraid of coming in to seek help. But, I don't think hospitals are the terrorists targets but you never know what these terrorists will do. The whole idea behind terrorism is to scare people into submission. You'd think they'd know better than to mess with the USA but I don't believe terrorists are very smart to begin with.

I live near the AFB war command center. Now that would be a target. Or, the ammunitions place that someone else mentioned here on this thread.

Airports, planes, trains, subway tunnels, are places that the terrorists would attack. I think about all the times that terrorists have bombed buildings, used chemical agents in subways, suicide bombers walking into restraunts, and using planes to destroy our WTC.

There has been talk about suitcase nuclear bombs that are already in our country and are ready to deploy. I have heard there are a half dozen of them.

Threat Level Orange means that all businesses and others need to be on alert, increase security measures, and for us not to ignore strange or unusual activity.

IMO, the terrorists are already here on American soil (and in many other countries of the world) and have been for many years. They've caught some of them but I'm sure not all of them. These terrorists are just waiting for a go to reak havoc on our nation and people. They will use our weaknesses against us anyway they can. It is time for us to be strong and educated. The terrorists have already proven they can hurt us in our own country. It has been how long since an enemy has been able to get on our soil and hurt us??? 200+ years? And, that war is not even comparable! As a nation, I can not think of anytime in our history where we have been attacked on our own land. It's no wonder that we do not know how to react. Our parents didin't teach us, their parents didn't teach them. It's not something we have dealt with before. We have little to base our teachings to our children on. We must support each other through this very trying time in all of our lives and support our troops.

So, I think we need to:

1. Stay calm.

2. Be alert.

3. Take your vacation locally.

4. Be prepared and do not hesitate to report suspicious activity.

5. Teach children on a level that they can understand. Kids know good guy/bad guy.

6. Support our troops.

7. Be strong and support each other.

8. Take threat levels seriously.

9. Be aware of your surroundings and what other people are doing within you view.

10. Spread love and kindness.:kiss

cindyln · Feb 7, 2003

Well with working on an army post it took me longer to get to work this morning. The guards were more vigilant with checking ID's and such this morning and were wearing more gear also.

Mkue · Feb 7, 2003

I heard the alert was for "abroad". (?)

flowerchild · Feb 7, 2003

Originally posted by mkue
I heard the alert was for "abroad". (?)

I sure do hope so. But, I thought we've been under yellow alert since 9/11. Moving it up to orange would seem prudent b/c our country is getting ready for war. Troops and units are on the move to the middle east as we post.