Government Warn America "GET READY"

WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Wednesday launched a national Ready Campaign to prepare Americans for terrorist attacks, urging them to take such measures as storing 3 or more gallons of water for each family member and watching for dead birds as a sign of chemical attack.

A week after Ridge and his department came under fire for suggesting that duct tape and plastic sheeting would be a defense against possible attacks, the homeland security secretary traveled to Cincinnati to tout the new campaign he said was designed primarily to prevent fear and panic.

"Fear is the terrorists' most effective weapon," Ridge said. "The threat of terrorism forces us to make a choice. We can be afraid or we can be ready. And today America's families declare we will not be afraid and we will be ready."


The campaign's list of recommendations elaborated on some of the precautionary steps Ridge urged last week after the Bush administration raised the terrorist threat level from yellow, for "elevated risk," to orange, for "high risk." Ridge did not say when he expected the threat level to be reduced to yellow, though he had indicated over the weekend that it might be soon.

Speaking Wednesday, Ridge said, "Stash away the duct tape," prompting laughter from the audience. "Don't use it, stash it away, and that premeasured plastic sheeting for future--and I emphasize future--use."

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) criticized Ridge's suggestions last week, charging that the homeland security effort was seriously underfunded and that duct tape was no substitute for federal money.

A spokesman for Daschle said he had no immediate response to Wednesday's presentation. A spokeswoman for Pelosi said that she had no additional comment but that the sentiments she expressed about underfunding last week still stood.

Rob Perks, spokesman for the environmentalist Natural Resources Defense Council, said that although the readiness campaign was welcome, the administration had failed to take steps to protect Americans from an attack on highly vulnerable chemical plants.

"While we applaud any effort to better inform the public about these dangers and about ways to cope in an attack," Perks said, "we cannot help but observe that the Bush administration has failed to take meaningful steps to reduce the likelihood that Americans will need to run or shield themselves from a toxic release caused by an attack on a chemical plant."




source http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-02-20/news/0302200356_1_duct-tape-homeland-security-ridge