5 FAH-2 H-420
Cable DELIVERY PRECEDENCE
(CT:TEL-100; 06-04-2024)
(Office of Origin: DT/ES/MCS/GSM)
5 FAH-2 H-421 AUTHORIZED PRECEDENCE DESIGNATORS
(CT:TEL-54; 05-16-2017)
(Uniform all agencies)
The authorized precedence designators are: FLASH, NIACT IMMEDATE, IMMEDIATE, and ROUTINE. (See 5 FAH-1 H-232.4, Precedence, for information on these precedences and how to apply them.)
5 FAH-2 H-421.1 How to Handle High-Precedence (FLASH and Night Action (NIACT) IMMEDIATE) Cables
(CT: TEL-79; 01-26-2023)
(Uniform all agencies)
a. When post receives an incoming high-precedence cable, the responsible action office or duty officer must be notified upon receipt of the cable, regardless of the time of day or night. Post must acknowledge receipt of the high-precedence cable.
b. See 5 FAH-1 H-232.4 for more information on the use of high precedence. (See 5 FAH-2 H-422 for information on processing cables after business hours.)
5 FAH-2 H-421.2 Additional Information Regarding Night Action (NIACT) IMMEDIATE Cables
(CT: TEL-079; 01-26-2023)
(Uniform State/USAID)
a. NIACT IMMEDIATE cables require immediate action by the destination office(r), regardless of the time of day or night. Only the action addressee(s), for whom the NIACT is intended (identified by "NIACT" following the post name - EXAMPLE: Address line TO: Embassy Paris NIACT IMMEDIATE), must take immediate action. Other action addressees will process the cable during business hours.
b. For outgoing NIACT cables, the drafter must include the justification for using NIACT in the first paragraph of the cable text.
c. See 5 FAH-1 H-232.4 for more information on the use of the NIACT IMMEDIATE precedence.
5 FAH-2 H-422 SMART GUIDANCE FOR RESPONDING TO hIGH-PRECEDENCE CABLE ALERTS
(CT: TEL-079; 01-26-2023)
(Uniform all agencies)
a. The post's alert roster personnel receive the high-precedence cable as well as the action recipients. When an action post receives a high-precedence cable, SMART initiates the alert process, which involves outreach to one or more of the post's alert roster personnel and administrators listed on the post's Manage Alert Roster page. To contact alert roster personnel, SMART uses the preferred method (text, call, or Department of State email address) specified in their user properties.
b. Only an alert roster member, post administrator, or MSMC administrator can satisfy the alert. When an action recipient opens the cable, the alerting process is not stopped. Until an alert roster member opens the cable or a post or MSMC administrator marks the cable as having been read, notifications to the alert roster personnel and duty officer repeat every 10 minutes, up to 50 minutes. After that, MSMC administrators will continue their efforts to contact an alert roster member.
c. See SMART Administrator Online Help, Alerting Details, for more information about responding to high-precedence alerts.
5 FAH-2 H-423 Contacting the Department’s Executive Secretariat’s Operations Center (S/ES-O)
(CT: TEL-079; 01-26-2023)
(Uniform State/USAID)
a. If staff at post wish to communicate urgent information to S/ES-O, staff should first telephone S/ES-O. A telephone call can take less time than processing a cable. After placing the call, you should then send a cable to establish an official record of the contact.
b. The S/ES-O telephone number, (202) 647-1512, rotates through 25 lines, so it can answer all calls as quickly as possible.
5 FAH-2 H-424 THROUGH H-429 UNASSIGNED