The safety, security, prevention and resiliency of the United States against acts of terrorism, natural disasters and pandemics do not simply rest on the government alone, but rather the concerted effort of the whole community. The whole community is the idea that everyone, including individuals, businesses, community and faith-based groups, nonprofit organizations and all levels of government contribute to the nations preparedness goal. The National Preparedness Goal is, “A secure and resilient nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk” (National Planning Frameworks, 2015). As a result of this, …show more content…
Though the community only has a small effect on the overall picture, they are the most vulnerable to all disasters and threats. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the community to prepare one another and assess the potential risks and hazards within their community in addition to what steps are needed to address the issues. It is this preemptive response and planning, especially in locations with historically reoccurring hazards that reduce the disaster effects and overall cost. This community-based effort conducted by community groups has the, “potential to make a significant and long-lasting contributions to reducing local vulnerability and strengthening adaptive capacities” (Allen, 2006, p. 97). One example of a community-organized group is Community Emergency Response Teams or CERT. CERTs are composed of individuals who are trained by local response agencies to have the capabilities, resources and knowledge to be first responders in their communities (Flint & Brennan, 2006). While community groups provide the means to prepare and respond to a disaster, nongovernmental and non-profit organizations are also a vital asset to the whole …show more content…
These entities range from small local businesses to large corporations who employ thousands of workers. According to the Government Accountability Office (2006), approximately 85% of critical infrastructures are owned by the private sector (Government Accountability Office, 2006). Therefore, if they do not assess the possible hazards and threats to their infrastructures, it could result in irreparable damage to the community. Therefore, it is imperative that both businesses and the government collaborate to insure the protection of
In my opinion the organizations are more comprehensive than other organizations. Innovative ways are being implied to when new technologies are being created and applied. The infrastructures of an organization are complex for FEMA and Department Homeland Security to implement and resolve many type of disaster. To identifying community hazards, specific threats and setting capability targets for each core capability resources to meet the capability
In accordance with the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, the terrorist threat is one of the prevailing challenges that pose a significant risk level to the United States as well as to American citizens abroad and many U.S. allies (Department of Homeland Security, 2014). In the United States, the Federal Government assumes the responsibility for leading the efforts that seek to manage the risk level of the terrorist threat. That is why the Federal Government has created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), whose main mission is to prevent terrorist threats by managing their risk levels (DHS, 2014). Since the terrorist threat is a very complex threat to manage for one entity or agency alone, the DHS is able to accomplish its main mission by working in partnerships with many federal agencies; State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLLTT) Governments; private and public organizations; international partners; and communities all across the United States (DHS, 2014). In all of those partnerships, the Federal Government through the DHS plays a leadership role
The general public, healthcare professions and other volunteers need education on strategies in the case of a catastrophe occurring in the community even before it happens. During this stage, the community nurse can hand out information pamphlets to local
Not every policy and strategy enacted can be a success, as a country we would never learn or find ways to improve if there were no failures. Since the inception of the Department of Homeland Security, many policies and strategies have been proposed and implemented, some being successful and some needing a revision or another policy enacted to change the failure to potential success. Here we will look at two policies, the USA PATRIOT Act and the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022. While these are reactions to events that have occurred, as many policies proposed or implemented, were reactions to events that had occurred. They are also future prevention strategies to help efforts to keep the homeland safe and secure.
Although storms like Hurricane Katrina occur once in every one hundred years, being prepared and storing water, food, medicines, and other supplies keep families ready for any disaster. Natural disasters can leave communities without power for days and even for weeks. Being prepared in the event of severe weather and disasters like Hurricane Katrina, can reduce fear and anxiety that accompanies disasters. A crucial element of self-sufficient living is survival. Our government does not have all the resources to be totally prepared to take care of the vast numbers of people in a disaster.
There is no doubt that the preparation can assist any organization to prepare and or prevent an attack, while there is no amount of preparation to stop everything, it certainly will lessen the damage and or loss of life in the event that tragedy does occur. As the Homeland Security Liaison, Sergeant Larry Pollard has taken on additional duties to ensure there is an unobstructed line of communication between the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigations Division, and the Office of Homeland Security. It is vital that the member holding this position be available at all times to coordinate efforts between each division in the event of a terrorist, or potential terrorist, incident.
More and more authorities continue to be taken away and have been spread across many agencies within DHS. “FEMA no longer manages a comprehensive emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery and the agency function that President Carter and the Governors envisioned in 1979 no longer exists” (FEMA, 2013). The sole focus has turned to terrorism disaster preparedness and FEMA has become somewhat dismantled and lost its ability to provide the command and control that it had prior to the move to DHS. This will prove to be a major flaw and will again, show the failure of FEMA in the next occurrence of natural disaster the United States faces. There are other agencies within the DHS that need to be scrutinized as
In Katrina’s Wake: National Guidance Throughout the history of the United States Military, historians recorded the heroic actions of Soldiers, Airman, Sailors, and Marines that won countless battles in various conflicts around the world. In modern times, the role of the military changed drastically, especially in regards to the military’s role within natural disasters. Therefore, a National Guidance of Preparedness was developed, which reinforces response readiness and provides guidelines for the sharing of responsibility between all levels of government. After a review of the actions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, federal, state, and local governments aided in the development of the guidelines, which shape and support preparedness
The Division includes the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Preparedness, and the Office of Prevention and Security (State of Colorado, 2015). Its mission, vision, and values are to "prevent, protect, mitigate, respond and recover from all-hazards" through the development of a comprehensive Strategic Plan in synchronization with the DHS (State of Colorado, 2015, p.1). The State of Colorado has its own unique concerns it must address. Colorado Concerns and Threats Critical
CERT according to the FEMA’s website is a “Program (that) educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. (FEMA Website,
Preparation is key to the health crisis because it allows “a strong response, organized, and scientifically based” (KLTV). Action plans must meet early enough and properly in order to produce the best results. Politicians in Texas must be consistent in their actions and coordinate all available resources. It is essential to invest in public health resources in order to prepare preventive measures to minimize the impact of health crises, as they generally always the poorest suffer most.
Identifying and assessing the risks of facilities, that if attacked and damaged, would result in significant consequences, negative impact on national economic security, national public health and safety, public confidence, national governance, or some combination of these adverse outcomes is important. The order of precedence would follow the path of facilities, equipment, conveyances records, artifacts, and materials. With prioritized approaches put in place to mitigate the effects of incidents, the owners and operators of these facilities can make risk-informed decisions during incidents and following through with rapid response and restoration, even during times of limited resources. These actions not only allow for an increase in security, but it also strengthens resilience through such an approach that identifies and prioritizes these actions. The Government Facilities Sector (GFS) is in ownership of assets that are owned or operated by 56 states and territories, 3,031 counties, 85,973 local governments, and 566 tribal nations, totaling more than over 900,000 constructed assets (Homeland
Loss of life, property damage, economic disruption and environmental degradation all play a part in these devastating events, leaving an aftereffect with devastating challenges for these affected communities in their wake. This essay will examine some underlying social and economic factors which contribute to increased vulnerability while simultaneously challenging adaptive capacity among regional communities when facing bushfires. There are various social and economic factors that make regional communities more prone to bushfire impacts, such as population density. Many regional communities with relatively few residents distributed over an extensive geographical area make emergency response harder as emergency personnel must cover large areas with limited resources; additionally, their spread-out nature makes it more challenging for individuals seeking information or support during bushfire
We have learned that it is not possible to prevent terrorist attacks, completely. [5]. Although, DHS, Homeland Security and the many agencies that have come together nationally and worldwide to end terrorism, work to mitigate threat of terrorism, in response and defense, there may never be a 100% certainty that an attack will not happen. And, it is important to understand that threats to the security of the nation do not stop at just
FEMA’s mission and priorities were changed so that, “terrorism prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery became central to the emergency management mission” (Haddow 325). As a result of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 the country’s focus shifted completely from natural disasters to an outright major assault on all things terrorism with no second glance at the potential emergency’s natural disasters presented. There might be a possibility that because of the nation’s extreme obsession with terrorists and terrorism that Hurricane Katrina was not given full priority nor given as much thought as it should have been because the whole focus of the government was on terrorism. When an agency and governmental structure, such as the defense agencies, undergoes an extreme shift within the course of a few years brought on so suddenly, there are bound to be weaknesses. Hurricane Katrina was the most challenging threat that tested the DHS as well as FEMA’s preparation and mitigation of natural disasters since the shift of focus.