Terror Alert Level

With the Homeland Security's threat-of-terrorism level raised to the color of 'Orange' or 'High,' federal departments and agencies are taking extra precautions to prevent and prepare for terrorism.

There are also steps you can and should take to secure the home front as well because the heightened level of alert comes with particular concerns for high-density housing residents.

On Feb. 7, when U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III announced the government was raising the threat level to 'High' for one of the few times since 911, they said intel suggested terrorists may be planning attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States.

Federal and housing officials say, while some precautionary steps may appear unnecessary or over zealous, don't forget how warnings were ignored before the 911 attacks.

At the 'High' or 'Orange' level, authorities tighten security coordination efforts with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, National Guard or other security and armed forces; they take additional precautions at public events, possibly considering alternative venues or even cancellation; they prepare to execute contingency procedures, such as moving to an alternate site or dispersing the work force; and they restrict access to a threatened facility to essential personnel only.

The latest alert indicates precautions are also necessary at home, especially if you live in an apartment, town home, condominium or other high density housing complex where a terrorist might seek concentrated populations to maximize injury and death.

Working in conjunction with federal officials, the National Multi Housing Council last year, during a similar alert, prepared "Guidance On The Recent Federal Bureau of Investigation Threat Warning" with some helpful advice for both multifamily development owners, managers and residents.

That document is applicable again.

According to the document, by now, your property managers, landlord and other overseer of your housing development should be aware of the latest federal alert report and should have instructed employees to be vigilant about suspicious activity or behavior and to report any suspicious activity to the local FBI field office. Home owner associations (HOAs) should take similar precautions.

As with any crime in process, dial 911 to report imminent threats to life or property.

Residents likewise should be vigilant and call the FBI, emergency services at 911, the manager, landlord or homeowner association as deemed necessary.

In any effort to ferret out suspicious activity, don't neglect to adhere to fair housing laws that forbid discrimination based on, among other things, race, ethnic origin or religion.

Owners, managers and their employees should work to secure vacant units, perform move-in and move-out inspections with the resident or owner and keep an eye out for unauthorized occupants and illegal materials.

Property managers should also step up inspections of common areas and grounds and, along with landlords, make sure employees' and contractors' background checks are up to date and in compliance with applicable law.

Managers should also be careful to verify the identification of all adults who are prospective or new tenants -- again, only to the extent allowed by law.

Tenants, HOA members and managers also should be wary of suspicious packages and letters and unattended backpacks, suitcases and other containers. Suspicious packages and letters are those that are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you, have no return address, or have return addresses that can't be verified as legitimate. They may also show a city or state in the postmark that doesn't match the return address, have excessive postage or excessive packaging material such as masking tape and string or have handwritten or poorly-typed addresses.

Both federal and multi housing council officials say additional precautionary efforts residents should take are much like those any household should take to prepare for disaster.

Published: February 12, 2003

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the website, DeadlineNews.com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home, Nolo, and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.