The emotional costs of life in the War on Terror, collectively across America's population, are significant. These can range from skepticism and irritation, through to anxiety, fear, and paranoia. For our own health, for the well being of those we're close to, and for the vitality of our country, it's important to confront these feelings and deal with them constructively. One of the best ways to cope is to develop a pragmatic action plan, and update it periodically. The knowledge that we've thoroughly investigated what we ought to do -- now, to prepare, and also during an attack, to survive -- can provide us with a improved sense of composure, reduce day-to-day terror-related stress, and gain valuable bonding and cohesion within our local social groups. No one should have to deal with the threat of terror alone. Talking about it helps a lot.

This leads right to some concrete things that can be addressed in a personalized action plan. Of course, fundamental information is available from Web sites of the American Red Cross, the Department of Homeland Security, and other bodies. But this information only goes so far, it sometimes neglects the utter confusion and multiple uncertainties likely to prevail, and above all it's broad-brush rather than customized.

So where does one begin to prepare? I think an action plan should start with people issues. Besides yourself, whose safety do you most want to assure? And whose help do you hope to rely on for your own welfare in a crisis? Relatives, friends, co-workers should all be considered. Forewarned is forearmed, and teamwork can make a huge difference to avoid bad on-the-spot decisions or abject panic and despair. Consider all the relevant contexts: when you're at home, while you're at work, while you're traveling, and while you're enjoying your leisure. In an attack, it may for some hours or even days be difficult to communicate, let alone reunite, with those who matter to you most. Prepare for this. Develop an emergency contact list, of acquaintances dispersed around the country, whom people can attempt to speak to, go to, and leave messages with, if your family is separated and needs refuge or can't talk directly. Make sure everyone, including children, keeps this list with them at all times.

Financial planning deserves attention early on. Review your different insurance coverages -- life, health, disability, homeowners -- and make sure the amounts are adequate and there aren't loopholes. Ask for input from your insurance agent. If you have an investment portfolio, take a fresh look at it with a qualified broker-advisor. Are you properly hedged and balanced, in case of serious economic disruption triggered by terrorism? Why compound the basic problem by being unwittingly vulnerable to a big hit to your family's standard of living and wealth?

Since professional first-responders will quite possibly be overwhelmed, brush up on your relevant skills so that you can be a more meaningful volunteer. This is useful even if you live far from the scene of catastrophe, since first-string manpower will be drawn in from nationwide, creating a need for auxiliaries to fill in everywhere. Or do you want to just feel like a victim? I thought not. Mutual aid and strong civil defense will be the earliest crucial steps to communal recovery, esteem, and pride.

Next, because the place and type of an attack are difficult to predict, it's wise to prepare in advance for both of two options: remaining in place until the worst is past, or evacuating a building and then (maybe) departing a whole geographic area. Start with having -- in each of the places where you spend much time -- a cell phone, a portable radio, and adequate backup batteries for both. Intend to use these to get information and advice from governmental authorities, and situation reports from friends, in a crisis when there might be prolonged power outages. You'll be able to make the smartest choices on whether to stay or flee.

Knowing in which direction to go is critical. Teach yourself about the prevailing winds in your locale, and pay attention to daily weather reports. Toxic gases and particulates will drift with air currents, downwind from the site of their release. Maneuver to avoid this downwind footprint.

Obtain, now, the equipment you might need for an evacuation. The simplest things can prove to be most valuable. Assume that you might have to walk very long distances on foot, to be able to reach emergency aid shelters or mass transit that's still running. Expect that part of your path will be covered with debris and broken glass. Buy a pair of steel-toed construction shoes to get you across the debris field, and also have a pair of comfortable walking shoes that you can drape over a shoulder until you reach clear ground. Keep both pairs in your office, your car, your house, and wherever else you might need them unexpectedly and quickly. Also keep handy a dust mask and eye goggles, or if feasible a good quality gas mask with a drinking tube and spare filters: Even minor building collapses can throw up persistent blinding, choking dust. Smoke inhalation is also an issue. Nuclear, chemical, or biological agents may be present in the air -- for most people, fortunately, in somewhat diluted amounts for which respiratory and eye protection can make a material difference. (Dust masks and goggles are available at any hardware store.) If you need to take any prescription drugs, be sure to keep a few pills within easy reach.

Prepare one or more fanny packs with a bottle of drinking water, plus jerky or other long-shelf-life survival food, cash, a butane lighter and wool socks and cap plus a lightweight "space blanket" (to keep you warm and dry), and basic first aid supplies. You'll want that fanny pack so you'll be able to keep your hands free when on the move, to better get through rubble yourself, have sustenance while on a potentially grueling foot march, and to also be best able to help other people who might be struggling near you. If you decide instead to stay in place temporarily, these same supplies will keep you going.

Always remain conscious that evacuating might not be the best strategy in a given situation. If evacuation routes -- bridges, tunnels, highways -- are damaged or become hopelessly clogged, then they will offer you no true sanctuary. To be stranded in your vehicle on a distant interstate, among hundreds of thousands of other equally gridlocked escapees, can lead to severe thirst, starvation, inadequate sanitation, consequent epidemics, and even to increased exposure to the WMD agents you're trying to elude. Evacuating, when not absolutely necessary, can also be emotionally taxing and disruptive, especially for children or the infirm, thus increasing physical and mental strain at the worst possible time. In the event of a biological attack, quarantines may go into effect, and evacuation could become forbidden. So, don't rely entirely on being able to reach an area, unaffected by the attack, that has abundant, uncontaminated resources. Be self-reliant, too.

One key to a good plan is taking steps to avoid in the first place being somewhere from which you might be forced to evacuate under duress. Many weapons of mass destruction and their byproducts are most deadly in high concentrations. You might rearrange your daily schedule to minimize the time spent in enclosed spaces with limited exits. Areas to not dwell in more than you need to could include airports, subways, or tall office buildings, although this is sometimes much easier said than done.

Yet another, related, part of coping with terror -- which has certainly come into play around New York -- is to reconsider where you live, where you work, and where your kids go to school. Not everyone has much, or any, flexibility in these matters, but performing a piercing self-audit can help focus your coping priorities. Speaking militarily, it's desirable to limit the effects of enemy attack by dispersing friendly targets while simplifying lines of communication and supply: You can reduce your risk by moving away from a dense urban center, and then working in your house. Hard socio-economic tradeoffs and compromises would need to be made, but the improvement in safety for you and your dependents might be worth it. (Other family lifestyle advantages can result by taking up a more suburban or rural residence, combined with wage-earner telecommuting.)

Psychological studies have shown that most people adjust with surprising rapidity to the frequent and jarring reminders of potential violence epitomizing the new age of global terror. Having a good action plan, designed to compensate for the inevitable short-term chaos caused by a future attack, can yield enhanced peace of mind immediately. Visualize the sorts of bad things that could happen, and in your head rehearse what you should do. Minimize the chance you'll be caught unprepared or off guard -- and then, by all means, go back to enjoying life in the here and now to the fullest. Are you and your family ready?

JoeBuff.Com / Joe Buff Inc. Joe Buff, President Dutchess County, New York E-Mail readermail@JoeBuff.Com