PRESS CONTACT: Cindy Rosenthal 212-332-6306 [email protected]
NON-PROFIT ‘AMERICA PREPARED CAMPAIGN’ LAUNCHES Reports results of study showing 75% of Americans now fail test of basic knowledge necessary to prepare themselves and their families in the event of a terrorist attack.
NEW YORK, December 10, 2003 – A journalist who wrote a book about the aftermath of the September 11th attacks has organized a group of the country’s most talented leaders – in areas ranging from political communication, to advertising, to media, to business, to medicine – to create and implement a campaign to persuade fellow citizens to do more at home and in their schools and workplaces to prepare for another terrorist attack.
Steven Brill, whose book, AFTER, chronicled America’s recovery from the September 11th attacks, will be the chairman of The America Prepared Campaign, Inc. The non-profit campaign, which will seek no donations from the public, is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation with additional funding by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Sloan was instrumental in organizing the “Ready” effort, a drive begun last year by the Advertising Council and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that included public service advertisements and the creation of the Ready.gov website, which provides basic information on citizen preparedness. Officials from Sloan initiated talks with Brill during the summer about how the “Ready” effort could be sustained and augmented.
“Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has led the way in trying to convince Americans that when it comes to terrorism, civil defense is nothing like the exercise in futility that it was during the Cold War,” Brill explained. “We want to supplement that effort to drive that message home.”
“America Prepared is meant to provide new support for the excellent work done by the Department of Homeland Security and the Advertising Council with ‘Ready,’ as well as the work done by the Red Cross and other local and state groups,” Brill continued. “We intend to involve some of this country’s best creative and business talent to spread the word so that we can substitute knowledge for panic. We’ll do it through television ads, written materials such as magazine pull-outs and school hand-outs, and other avenues, such as campaigns to get some of the nation’s leading retailers to package and promote low-cost, all- in-one ‘ready-bags’ that people can buy at the check-out counter.”
American Preparedness Indicator – or ‘API’ – Shows Knowledge Gap
The Campaign’s first activity was a nationwide study conducted last month to determine how knowledgeable Americans are in what Brill called “the basics of being prepared to lessen the damage done to them or their families in the event of another attack. - 2 - We’re going to use these questions as an ‘American Preparedness Indicator,’ or ‘API’” Brill added. “We’ll do the test nationwide at various intervals to measure progress in the ‘API.’”
The study was conducted at cost by America Prepared Board Member Frank Luntz of The Luntz Research Companies. The questions were drafted in consultation with experts at the Department of Homeland Security and the medical and science experts on The America Prepared Campaign’s Advisory Panel.
Overall, only 25% of a random sample of 1,004 Americans over the age of 18 were able to answer more than five of nine (55%) API questions correctly. Only 8% were able to answer at least seven of the nine questions.
For example, nearly 40% thought, incorrectly, that any disease that can become an epidemic is contagious. In fact, many diseases related to possible terrorist attacks, such as anthrax, are not contagious.
81% did not know the correct immediate action to take to survive a chemical attack, and most of those who chose the wrong answer chose the two most dangerous wrong answers – stopping to find something to cover your nose and mouth before leaving the area, or waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. (The best alternative of those offered is to leave immediately.)
And about half thought that a so-called “dirty bomb” will always kill those within a five mile area of the explosion and contaminate all buildings in that area for years to come. In fact, a dirty bomb’s major damage may often be the panic it instills; its actual effects could be far more limited depending on the amount of radiological material used.
When asked two additional questions about their own state of preparedness, only 14% said that they had taken the two most basic steps in becoming prepared – creating a family communications plan and preparing an emergency kit, although 21% did say that they have made a communications plan.
“DHS and the Advertising Council have already made great progress with Ready,” Brill said. “The fact that the results of the study show that nearly a quarter of Americans have prepared by making a family plan, and that some know even as much as they now do know about the basics is testament to the success of this early effort, which started when awareness and the knowledge base for most people was zero. But there is still a significant knowledge gap. Fixing that can translate into lives saved. We’ve got to improve those results dramatically in the next year.”
Members of America Prepared’s Board of Directors and Advisory Panels include Harvey Weinstein; Mary Matalin; James Carville; Leslie Moonves; Jeffrey Katzenberg; Floyd Abrams; Sally Quinn; Bill O’Reilly; Major General Bruce Lawlor (Ret.); Dr.’s Tara O’Toole and Irwin Redlener who are the directors, respectively of the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health; and David Ropeik, the Director of Risk Communication at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. A full listing of the Board and the Advisory Panel and their affiliations is attached. - 3 -
“It’s a group that runs the gamut of talent and perspectives,” Brill explained. “And they were each recruited for what they can add to our efforts to frame exactly the right messages and then get those messages out quickly and indelibly. They all readily agreed to help,” Brill added, “because they love their country and they understand how important this is.”
“We’ll also be working with other groups like the Advertising Council, the American Red Cross and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health,” Brill continued. “In fact, we have already negotiated a cooperative agreement with the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Similarly, we’ll be working closely with Secretary Tom Ridge and his staff at the Department of Homeland Security.
“If we succeed, we can save lives and take the terrorists’ best weapon – fear of the unknown – away from them.”
“I’m delighted that Steve Brill has agreed to lead this next-stage effort,” Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said. “Last summer when he told me he thought we should continue to do more in this area, I asked him to help by organizing an effort outside the government. His quick response in forming The America Prepared Campaign, the Sloan Foundation’s willingness to support it, and the willingness of the group Steve has now assembled to join in that effort are in the best spirit of American patriotism.”
"Our own studies show that more than three out of four Americans remain concerned about the possibility of additional attacks in the United States,” said Dr. Irwin Redlener, the Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Yet few have taken basic steps that could really help in the event of a major bioterrorism event or other serious situation. Our job is to help people understand what they can do now to ensure the safety of their own families and communities.”
“When I was growing up in Queens,” Brill recalled, “we used to do a drill in school, where we had to turn away from the window facing Jamaica Bay and the airport and duck under our desks in case there was a nuclear attack. Everyone knew that that was ridiculous. Well, terrorism is not like that,” he continued. “There are things you can do to protect yourself and your family from a chemical, radiological or even biological attack, and there are things you can do to prepare your family for surviving the aftermath. A citizen education and preparedness campaign in the September 12th Era is not an empty, feel good program. It will lessen the psychic and economic damage terrorists hope to inflict. And it will save lives. It is a real line of defense.”
The Campaign will have a staff of approximately a dozen people. “We’ll work full throttle through next year,” Brill explained.
“There’s a lot to be done,” Brill concluded, “and it needs to be done quickly but sensitively so that we don’t alarm people, but, instead give them the comfort of knowing the basics, so that they are more in control if there is an emergency. If we succeed, we can save lives and take the terrorists’ best weapon – fear of the unknown – away from them.”
- 4 - Results of Nationwide ‘API’ Study
Here are the questions and the results from the inaugural “API” study, which was conducted by the Luntz Research Companies over three nights beginning on December 1, 2003. A total of 1,004 adult Americans, aged 18 years and older, were interviewed by telephone using traditional random digit dialing methodology. The margin of error for this survey was +3%.
Knowledge Questions:
1) Three of the following ARE crucial to terrorism preparedness, but one is NOT. Which one is not?
a. Creating a family plan (8.8%) b. Stockpiling antibiotics (64.6%) c. Becoming knowledgeable about types of potential attacks and responses (9.7%) d. Making an emergency preparedness kit (6.5%) e. Don’t know (10.5%)
The answer is b. Stockpiling antibiotics is not recommended because it is impossible to predict the exact nature of the next biological terrorist attack and there is not one antibiotic that effectively treats all bio-terrorist related sicknesses. In addition, inappropriate use of antibiotics can potentially lead to dangerous side effects and also exacerbate the problem of antibiotic resistant strains of many organisms.
2) Three of the following SHOULD be included in a family communications plan, but one SHOULD NOT. Which one should not?
a. A list of important phone numbers, including doctors and emergency services (10.7%) b. An out of town contact that all family members can call (17.3%) c. A provision for each person in the family to be at a specific land line telephone at a specific time (49.3%) d. Knowledge of the emergency plan in place at your children’s schools (11.3%) e. Don’t know (11.5%)
The answer is c. The provision for each family member to be at a specific land line at a specific time may not be possible or useful under many conditions. Family members may have to evacuate entirely from their community or land line communication may be disrupted by power failure.
A family communication plan should be flexible enough to accommodate the unforeseen conditions resulting from a terrorist attack. Knowledge of your child’s school plan is essential if you expect your family to reunite after an attack. It may be easier to reach an out-of-town contact than a number within your own city if local phone lines are flooded. A - 5 - list of important numbers is common sense for day-to-day life. Finally, a central meeting spot is a fallback option for the family that cannot reach each other by phone.
3) True or False: If a disease could become an epidemic, then it is always contagious.
True:38.9% False: 58.6% Don’t know: 2.5%
The answer is false. Anthrax, Botulism and Salmonella are all examples of biological agents that could create a non-contagious (i.e. non-communicable from infected person to healthy person) epidemic.
4) True or False: You are in the vicinity of an explosion. It is a good idea to cover your nose and mouth with a cotton t-shirt or dust mask as soon as possible.
True: 90.1% False: 8.2% Don’t know: 1.7%
The answer is true. In an explosion of an unknown cause, a dust mask or t-shirt would help to avoid to exposure to particles such as asbestos or radioactive dust. Exposure to radioactive particles may not always be lethal (x-rays are not generally lethal), but they may be cancerous; therefore, it is best to limit exposure to your respiratory system.
5) Which of the following is an accurate description of a “dirty bomb”?
a. A miniature nuclear device: 8.6% b. An explosive device that disseminates chemicals: 14.1% c. An explosive device that releases a biological agent: 23.7% d. An explosive device that spreads radioactive materials over a targeted area: 37.3% e. Don’t Know: 16.3%
The answer is d. The term “dirty bomb” is used to denote an explosive device that is designed to spread radioactive materials over a targeted area.
6) Three of the following ARE true of a biological attack, but one is NOT. Which of the following is NOT true of a biological attack?
a. A biological attack may not be immediately obvious: 13.0% b. A biological attack is the deliberate release of germs or other biological substances that can make you sick: 3.7% c. A biological agent can make you sick by being inhaled, by being eaten or through contact with the skin or mucous membranes: 5.6% d. All biological attacks create contagious diseases: 70.6% e. Don’t Know: 7.1% - 6 -
The answer is d. As discussed in question 3, there are several biological agents (such as Anthrax) that are not contagious.
7) If you are outside and see people suddenly getting violently ill, or choking or passing out – which are signs indicating a chemical attack – which of the following is the FIRST thing you should do?
a. Leave the area as fast as possible: 19.3% b. Stop, look wherever you can to find a dust mask or cotton fabric to cover your mouth and nose, and then run away as fast as possible: 20.5% c. Run into the basement of the closest building and seal all the doors and windows: 15.3% d. Put a cotton fabric or dust mask over your nose and mouth and wait for emergency personnel to arrive so that you don’t spread the contaminate: 40.7% e. Don’t Know: 4.1%
The answer is a. A dust mask or cotton t-shirt tied tightly over the nose and mouth helps to filter particles of a certain size from entering the lungs, but they offer little protection from chemicals. Chemicals are so fast-acting that exposed individuals should avoid taking any steps that will delay their evacuation from the area. You should not shelter in a basement because chemicals tend to lie low to the ground. The FIRST thing you should do in this scenario is get out of the area immediately. Since you may have been exposed to the chemical, you need to decontaminate by showering with soap and water as soon as possible. Then, you might consider sheltering, after you decontaminate, on a high floor to prevent further exposure. If it was clear that the chemical was blowing toward you, after leaving the immediate area, escaping into a building (and closing the doors and windows and shutting off the ventilation system) might be the best choice.
8) True or False: A “dirty bomb” is an explosive device that is always especially dangerous, because, even if it contains a small amount of radioactive material, it will kill everyone within a five mile area of the explosion, while making the buildings in that area so radioactive that the area will be uninhabitable for years to come.
True: 44.1% False: 45.4% Don’t know: 10.5%
The answer is false. A “dirty bomb” can needlessly increase fear and panic if too much is assumed based on its frightening name. People may be killed by the initial blast as they would with any bomb. A “dirty bomb,” is designed to disperse radioactive dust, thereby increasing the fear and panic that will result from monitors on the scene showing increased level of radiation. That dust may contaminate the surrounding area and cause radiological sickness in some of the people who were not killed by initial blast. But, the area may be only contaminated for a short period of time depending on the amount of radiological material - 7 - used, and although some of those who were exposed to the blast and/or radioactive material may be subject to an increased risk of cancer over the course of their lifetime, not all of the individuals struck by radiation sickness will get cancer and even fewer will die.
9) Name the official government website that offers the most comprehensive information about how citizens can best be prepared for a terrorist attack.
Ready.gov: 4.4% Other: 13.6% Don’t Know: 82.0%
The answer is: the Department of Homeland Security’s www.ready.gov.
Preparedness Questions:
10) Have you prepared a family communications plan that includes a meeting place away from your home, work and school, a family contact person outside of your area, a list of phone numbers for each family member?
a. Yes: 21% b. No: 78.2% c. Don’t Know: 0.8%
A family communications plan should be a flexible plan that lists many different ways of communicating. It should include your child’s school phone number and an out-of-state contact, in case local phone lines are flooded. For more information and an easy-to-use family communications plan template, visit www.ready.gov.
11) Do you have a readily accessible emergency kit that includes all of the following in one place: supplies of food and water, a first aid kit, battery powered radio, a flashlight and extra batteries and any items such as prescription medications that are essential to your family?
Yes: 38.6% No: 60.8% c. Don’t Know: 0.6%
You should have a kit of important items that you may need if you had to leave your house or shelter in your house in the event of an emergency. The basics of that kit are food, water, a first aid kit, a radio and flashlight; however, a full listing is available on www.ready.gov.
Attached: Board of Directors Listing Advisory Panel Listing
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. THE AMERICA PREPARED CAMPAIGN, INC.
Board of Directors
Steven Brill (Chairman) The America Prepared Campaign, Inc.
Floyd Abrams Partner, Cahill Gordon & Reindel, LLP
Cynthia Brill General Counsel, The America Prepared Campaign, Inc.
Barbara Chaffee President, Public Intelligence
Bill Gray President, Ogilvy & Mather New York
Maj. Gen. Bruce Lawlor U.S. Army (Ret.), former Chief of Staff, Department of Homeland Security
Frank Luntz President, Luntz Research Companies
Carl Weisbrod President, Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc.
Advisory Panel (in formation)
The advisory panel is group of people with expertise in diverse fields and with equally diverse perspectives who have expressed a willingness to provide counsel to the Campaign and its staff on issues ranging from creative approaches to communicating the Campaign’s messages, to implementing marketing and distribution efforts related to those messages, to determining the substantive content of the messages.
Donald Baer Senior Executive Vice President, Discovery Communications Inc., (former White House Communications Director)
Cathleen Black President, Hearst Magazines
James Carville Political Consultant, co-host, Crossfire, CNN
Jeffrey Katzenberg Principal, DreamWorks SKG
Ellen Levine Editor in Chief, Good Housekeeping
Mary Matalin Political Consultant, former senior aide to Vice President Richard Cheney
Leslie Moonves Chairman, CEO and President, CBS
- 9 - Bill O’Reilly Host, The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News
Tara O’Toole, M.D. Director and CEO Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Sally Quinn Writer, The Washington Post
Irwin Redlener, M.D. Director, National Center For Disaster Preparedness Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
David Ropeik Director of Risk Communication, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis
Gregory Thomas Director, Program for School Preparedness and Planning, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Harvey Weinstein Co-Chairman, Miramax Film Corp.
Affiliations provided for identification purposes only.
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