skip to main content
Majority of Americans Not Ready for Terrorist Attack

Majority of Americans Not Ready for Terrorist Attack

Latest terrorist alert had little effect on preparations

by David W. Moore

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- A majority of Americans believe they are not ready to deal with a terrorist attack in their own community. The public is also skeptical about the readiness of other people and institutions in their community that would be needed in case of a terrorist attack.

Despite this self-admitted lack of preparedness, the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll suggests that the terrorism alerts issued by the federal government have not resulted in Americans taking steps to prepare themselves. The latest orange alert, issued Feb. 7, prompted few Americans to take any new steps to prepare for an attack. One reason may be that only four in 10 believed the alert was a serious matter that applied to them personally, while six in 10 said the alert either did not apply to them or was not serious. Still, half of Americans claim to be paying more attention to the alerts than they did last year.

The latest Gallup Poll, conducted Feb. 24-26, shows that 43% of Americans believe they are ready to deal with a terrorist attack if one should happen in their community, while 55% say they are not ready. Similarly, only 44% believe the hospitals in their community would be ready. People are somewhat more optimistic about the readiness of the police, fire department, and other "first responders" in their community, but even then just a slight majority, 52%, believe these groups are prepared. About the same proportion, 54%, believe the federal government in Washington is ready.

Opinion of Readiness for Terrorist Attack
Feb 24-26, ‘03

Preparations for Terrorist Attacks

On Feb. 19, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge suggested several specific actions be taken in preparation for a possible terrorist attack. Among the five items included in the poll, all part of the suggestions issued by Ridge, the public is most likely to have a first aid kit and a portable radio with fresh batteries. More than seven in 10 Americans say they have these items, while six in 10 also say they have a stockpile of food and water.

Personal Preparations for Terrorist Attack
Feb 24-26, ‘03

But the poll shows that less than half of all Americans (46%) have designated a person outside their area whom their family could contact, and an even smaller number (38%) have designated a "safe room" in their house in case of an attack.

Little Effect of Orange Alert

On Feb. 7, the federal government raised the terrorist alert level to orange, but the action appears to have had little effect on the public. A Feb. 17-19 poll found that only 37% of Americans felt the alert was serious and applied to them, while 61% felt the alert either was not a serious matter (28%) or that the alert did not apply to them (33%).

The current poll finds that few Americans did anything in response to that alert. Despite the fact that relatively large numbers of Americans have such things as stockpiles of food or radios on hand, few acquired these as an explicit result of the terrorist alerts. Only 9% percent say that following the orange alert they designated a safe room in their house, 8% say they prepared a stockpile of food and water, another 8% designated a contact person for their family outside of their area, 7% obtained a radio with fresh batteries, and 2% acquired a first aid kit.

Orange Alert Reaction:
Have Done the Following in the Past Two Weeks
Feb 24-26, ‘03

One reason that few people have taken any new steps in preparation for a terrorist attack is that most people already have at least some of the basics: a first aid kit, a portable radio, and food and water. But another reason may well be that most people are not even worried that such an attack would affect them.

The Feb. 17-19 poll, conducted just over a week after the announcement of the orange alert, found that only 36% of Americans were either "very" (8%) or "somewhat" (28%) worried about being a victim of a terrorist attack. Another 33% said they were "not too" worried, and 31% said they were not worried "at all."

Despite this relative lack of concern, the latest Gallup Poll shows that about half of Americans, 51%, say they are taking the terrorism alerts more seriously than they did last year. Another 34% say they are paying as much attention as they did last year, and 14% say less attention.

Survey Methods

The latest results are based on telephone interviews with 1,002 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Feb. 24-26, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Do you think [RANDOM ORDER]are -- or are not -- ready to deal with a terrorist attack if one should happen in your local community?

 

A. You and your family

 

Yes, are ready

No, are not

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

43%

55

2



B. The police, fire department and other "first responders" in your community

 

Yes, are ready

No, are not

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

52%

42

6



C. The hospitals in your community

 

Yes, are ready

No, are not

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

44%

48

8



D. The federal government in Washington

 

Yes, are ready

No, are not

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

54%

41

5



Q.13 CONTINUED

SUMMARY TABLE: READINESS TO DEAL WITH TERRORIST ATTACK IN COMMUNITY

 

2003 Feb 24-26

(sorted by "yes, are")

 

Yes, are


No, are not

The federal government in Washington

54%

41

The police, fire department, other "first responders" in community

52%

42

The hospitals in your community

44%

48

You and your family

43%

55



 

Next I am going to read a list of things some people have done in order to prepare for a terrorist attack. For each one, please say if this is something you currently have or do not have. How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

A. A stockpile of food and water in your home

 

Have

Do not have

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

60%

40

*



B. A radio with fresh batteries in your home

 

Have

Do not have

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

72%

28

*



C. A first aid kit in your home

 

Have

Do not have

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

78%

22

*



D. A designated person outside your area whom your family members would contact in the event of a terrorist attack

 

Have

Do not have

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

46%

53

1



E. An interior room in your house designated as a "safe room" in the event of an attack

 

Have

Do not have

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

38%

61

1



Q.14 CONTINUED

SUMMARY TABLE: PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK

2003 Feb 24-26

(sorted by "have")


Have

Do not have

%

%

A first aid kit in your home

78

22

A radio with fresh batteries in your home

72

28

A stockpile of food and water in your home

60

40

A designated person outside your area whom your family would contact

46

53

An interior room in your house designated as a "safe room" in the event of an attack

38

61

And for each of the following, please tell me whether that is something you had before the latest terrorism alerts two weeks ago, or whether it is something you took care of only in the last two weeks. How about [ITEMS A-E ROTATED APPROPRIATELY]?

COMBINED RESPONSES (Q.14-14-1)

A. A stockpile of food and water in your home

 

Have done in the last two weeks


Have done prior to that

Have done, unsure of when


Have not done


No
opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

8%

52

*

40

*



B. A radio with fresh batteries in your home

 

Have done in the last two weeks


Have done prior to that

Have done, unsure of when


Have not done


No
opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

7%

65

*

28

*




C. A first aid kit in your home

 

Have done in the last two weeks


Have done prior to that

Have done, unsure of when


Have not done


No
opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

2%

76

*

22

*




D. A designated person outside your area whom your family members would contact in the event of a terrorist attack

 

Have done in the last two weeks


Have done prior to that

Have done, unsure of when


Have not done


No
opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

8%

37

1

53

1



E. An interior room in your house designated as a "safe room" in the event of an attack

 

Have done in the last two weeks


Have done prior to that

Have done, unsure of when


Have not done


No
opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

9%

29

*

61

1



SUMMARY TABLE: PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK


2003 Feb 24-26

(sorted by "done in the past two weeks")

Done in the past two weeks

Done prior to that

%

%

An interior room in your house designated as a "safe room" in the event of an attack

9

29

A stockpile of food and water in your home

8

52

A designated person outside your area whom your family would contact

8

37

A radio with fresh batteries in your home

7

65

A first aid kit in your home

2

76

Do you find that you, personally, are currently paying [ROTATED: more attention, the same amount, or less attention]to government terror alerts than you did a year ago?

 

 

More attention

Same amount

Less attention

No opinion

2003 Feb 24-26

51%

34

14

1



* -- Less than 0.5%


Gallup https://news.gallup.com/poll/7936/Majority-Americans-Ready-Terrorist-Attack.aspx
Gallup World Headquarters, 901 F Street, Washington, D.C., 20001, U.S.A
+1 202.715.3030