Responding to General Alerts with Precision
How to Lead When the Threat Is Real but the Details Are Missing
This article is part of The CP Journal’s Operational Readiness Playbook, designed to help Academy subscribers get the most out of their weekly Watch Office situation reports.
What to do with general alerts—as opposed to specific alerts—remains one of the most persistent leadership challenges in public safety and corporate security.
A general alert might warn of a heightened cyber threat, increased geopolitical tension, or elevated fire or severe weather conditions. But without clear targeting or timing, it's easy for leaders to either overreact or under-prepare.
Purpose of this Play
To help leaders respond to broad, non-specific alerts by taking proportionate, preparatory actions, without exhausting resources or compromising credibility.
Use this play when you receive a Watch Office update about conditions that warrant proactive attention, but:
The alert lacks a specific time, location, or target.
It describes elevated conditions or potential threats (e.g., “watch,” “outlook,” “increased chatter”).
There’s no immediate operational trigger, but leadership is expected to “do something.”