I'm not sure if this has been addressed here yet so please go easy on me. I don't expect every one of my questions to be answered but instead just think about them.

How do you know its time to put on your gas mask? Once its on, how do you know when its safe to take it off?

What got me thinking about this is say one night a plane passes over my house and releases a strain of Anthrax that is designed to be inhaled. From what I've heard inhaling it is the most deadly at almost a 100% death rate unless anitbiotics are administered within the first few hours of initial symptoms.
My neighbors and I wake up the next morning, I assume there will be no signs of the attack (colorless/odorless) and go about business as usual.
How long before symptoms start? How long before anyone realises that an attack has occured? How long before they backtrack the victims to a specific area and state possitively that the attack occured in this exact area?
What good was having a gas mask?

Lets say that suddenly the local emergency rooms are flooded with people complaining of flu like symptoms, You immediately put on your gas mask, collect your family and retreat to a safe room and mask off the windows and doors, how long do you stay there until you know its safe? From what I understand Anthrax is a pretty sturdy bacteraia that can last in an area for a long period of time. How do you know its safe?

I don't want to start a panic but these are some of the things I've been bringing up lately when coworkers start talking about surviving a terrorist Anthrax attack.

What do you think?

Actually, I would appreciate it if someone could at least answer this question for me:
[b]How long before symptoms start?[/b]

Shhhhhhhhhh....

By the time you even suspect you might need a mask, it's way too late.

It's never safe.  You should wear a gask mask at all times.  Be sure to change the cartridge every 3 hours, or whatever the manufacturer recommends.

Yes.  To be on the safe side, everytime you hear an aircraft, truck or car go by/overhead, You should put on your mask.
Don't forget to whimper, cry and run around in circles while flailing your arms about..

ROTFLMAO

I tried this beleive me this does not work![peep]