Communicating in the First Hours
Terrorism Emergencies

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This section includes various threat agents that could be used by terrorists. For each of these agents, HHS has developed resources to aid health officials as they communicate with the public in the first hours of an emergency.

These include:

1. Short and extended messages offering health and safety information for the first hours
2. Radio scripts, slates, B-roll and sound bites to aid with media outreach
3. University research reports that formed the groundwork for these materials

The extent of the resources varies for each agent. There are four categories of terrorism agents:

1. Bioterrorism agents
2. Chemical agents
3. Radiological emergencies
4. Suicide bombs

Message Template for the First Minutes for all Emergencies
The suggested template below could be used in the first minutes after a suspected terrorism incident when little is known.

• Page last updated May 14, 2007

• Content source: CDC Emergency Communication System (ECS), Division of Health Communication and Marketing (DHCM), National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM)