An Analysis Of The Homeland Security Advisory System

Tragic events that cause damage to property and life may destroy the social, cultural and economic life of a community. Communities must be engaged in the various phases from prevention to recovery to build disaster resilient communities. In order to do this, there must be a disaster preparedness plan in place that involves multiple people in various roles.

In order to mitigate exposure to harmful substances, first responders are trained to be familiar with hazardous substance identification systems. These two systems are the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 704 system, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) HAZMAT identification system (Weekly reading; Unit 2: Hazardous Materials Identification Systems). Deadly threats exist in the aftermath of any terrorist attacks, so first responders should be aware of these systems, and the dangers they will face.

The terrorist attacks on September 11 changed America forever. The attacks led to President Bush creating the Department of Homeland Security which tried to centralize the federal response to all terrorist threats. However, local police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians will still be the first to arrive at the scene of an attack. These first responders face a unique and increasingly dangerous task when reacting to a terrorist attack on US soil.

When the airplanes flew into the Twin Towers on 9/11 in New York, there was chaos and confusion throughout New York and the entire country. The events following the Boston Marathon Bombing were full of confusion and stress. However, in both events, first responders were there to aid in whatever way they were able. First responders, like those that responded to 9/11 and the Boston Marathon Bombing, rely heavily on proper communication to do their job properly. While communication has advanced in the past years, there are always more ways for communication amongst first responders to be advanced. Response efforts need to flow smoothly and efficiently, and communication aids greatly in those efforts. The events following a terrorist attack,

military’s vast experience in responding to and managing casualties from IED and/or active shooter incidents and from its significant investment in combat casualty care research into the civilian first responder environment” (DHS, First Responder Guide. 2015). In order to improve safety in response to terror events, especially those classified as international terrorism it will require that first responders to further prepare for a vast variety of potential threats. The focus of this increased preparation should not only regard the safe and effective responses of first responders to all potential hazards caused by a terrorist event; but should also include the improvement of first responder’s connections to their communities, the gathering of intelligence, information sharing, and realizing their role in domestic defense of the United States of America.

The differing needs of a vulnerable population have to be addressed in order to alleviate issues that were noted after Katrina. In particular, the needs which are known prior to a disaster, such as evacuation for the infirmed, elderly, impoverished, and those who lack the means to evacuate. The Department of Homeland Security represented a solution to addressing these needs via a three phase response: “pre-event planning and preparation, the event, and recovery” (Dept. Homeland Security, 2008). It has been widely studied that residents of a vulnerable community may be impacted more severely and are disproportionately affected than those with means following a disaster. Assessing how to prepare for each of the phases represents an issue for emergency managers especially when it comes to those who lack the means to prepare for themselves. Quickly rebuilding homes in a devastated area won’t help a community when a disaster strikes again. Platt stated that “disasters offer a window of opportunity to strengthen communities”, via “construction and change land uses to prevent a recurrence of a disaster”. (Platt, 1998) It also can be argued that following a disastrous event, this is when a true opportunity arises, by providing an opportunity to work through solving the societal issues that are the basis for a vulnerable populous via comprehensive political reforms and

In the aftermath of a terrorist attack, local law enforcement is often the first responders on the scene. First responders have the most dangerous job of all since they can not always be sure that the threat is over when they enter a scene. These law enforcement officers, as first responders, have the responsibility of coordinating emergency services within the area and restoring the site. They do this by establishing an emergency command center in which they coordinate their efforts with local emergency personal such as paramedics and firefighters. They are responsible for anything that happens at the scene, including damage, until they have secured the scene (Maras, 2013).

Some of them didn't even have a choice, and even if they did they still would have chose to help out because it's the right thing to do. Some of them were the heroes of that day even though it's hard for them to feel like it. Nobody knows what they had to go through back then and even what they still have to go through everyday. Being in those circumstances is a very hard thought for most of us to think about. What the first responders went through nobody can fully understand, not even from hearing about it. You can listen to all of the stories but you won't be able to understand the pain they went through. Many of the first responders, if not all, have had to get help from a doctor over the years to be able to cope with it. Whenever the twin towers got hit it was a very tragic event for everyone that lives in the United States of America and even others from around the whole world. Everything changed after that. This first responders were there and witnessed it in person. It was hard enough for most to even watch it on the television or listen to it on the radio but seeing it happen and seeing all of the damage it done, is a whole other story. We will never know what they have had to go throughout. This day went down in history and will never be

First responder safety is imperative while working on the scene of a terrorist event. It is the responsibility of their employers to ensure that they have the protection and equipment needed to get them through their shifts safely. Some of this can be accomplished by being prepared for a terrorist attack to occur. Several ways to be prepared in advance are to have proper Personal Protective Equipment, any special equipment deemed necessary by the responders and the training on the equipment.

Assistance from the state, National Guard, organizations, and private entities provided to the city, simply are expected to give additional efforts to the affected areas in an organized and effective response to cover the cities insufficient resources. Their assistance will not replace reassurance provided by the cities departments. This emergency plan operations assigns each agency and department to specific duties during an emergency but each must be aware and understand terrorist tactics and thoughts. Be aware that terrorists generally target important infrastructures, public events, transportations, and individuals or groups. Their attacks generally include acts that involve shootings, bombings, or the use of chemicals or biological agents. Terrorist attacks can happen at multiple locations within a certain radius and explosives may be detonated again after emergency responders arrive to injure them as well. Having some knowledge on terrorists and their tactics will prevent more causalities to civilians and those assigned to specific duties during

There is only so much that government agencies can do to educate the public, and there comes a point where society must take ownership for their own emergency preparedness. However, it has been found that these public education initiatives have been surprisingly effective at encouraging people to prepare for disaster. FEMA has found that an awareness of vulnerabilities to natural disasters motivates people to prepare. People need to feel as though they themselves can be adversely affected by a disaster, and that disasters are not merely events which happen elsewhere. More importantly, FEMA has found that messaging should be targeted to specific hazards, since “all-hazard messaging may dilute critical differences in preparedness and response protocols.”

The goals of the city Emergency Management operations unit are “to save lives, protect property and the environment, stabilize the incident and provide for basic human needs” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2013). A well developed emergency mitigation plan for this community will help to reduce the impact of disasters and save life and property. This paper will explore how different social groups of people react to disaster and various ways people react to disasters. Some of the key points to highlights on this paper include the importance of mitigation, each mitigation strategy listed, special needs population considerations. The paper will also access the applicability of the five hazard mitigation strategies including; hazard source control, community protection works, land-use practices, building construction practices, and building contents protection to the community.

When volunteers are able to help, they can provide essential economic, social, and emotional support that encourages community resilience. However, their effectiveness depends upon proper coordination of volunteers, groups and volunteer organizations. Having large numbers of people and supplies can pose serious challenges for emergency management. Massive volunteer responses are typically part of the initial response phase following a disaster but, on some occasions volunteer efforts extend throughout the post-impact and recovery periods. In order for the volunteers to remain successful throughout the post-impact period, it is important for volunteers to coordinate with the agencies they represent to identify what type of aid they can

In preparation for a disaster, the community in Joplin embraced the Whole Community approach. In doing so, the community responded in large numbers. While a positive, there were some negative aspects to this level of response as well. On the positive side, the response of first responders quickly met the needs of survivors. Medical personnel and emergency medical services quickly established a field center for triage and treatment for those needing medical assistance after the tornado. Because FEMA’s Whole Community approach asks a community to look beyond what is considered traditional disaster management models, “the City of Joplin used social media to communicate emergency information to the public and conduct outreach to support long-term recovery” (FEMA, 2011). Because of the full commitment to the Whole Community approach, responding to this disaster in a positive manner was possible. That is not to say there were no negative aspects.

First responders around the United States risk their lives every day so that other Americans could live out their lives with some definition of safety, security, and harmony. However, in recent decades, it has been more apparent that first responders are involved in much more than the risks they take at their day to day shift-work jobs. Countering a terrorist attack involves man hours and resources that first responders often cannot provide in order to efficiently do their job. Some first responders even risk the chances of themselves and their family becoming a target from intelligence gathering on possible terrorist subjects. When terror strikes on United States soil, officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders put their lives on hold for those involved in the attack. At times, these first responders work 24 hours a day until they are ordered off the front lines by their superiors. The best way of reducing those risks taken by first responders is by studying what is on the forefront of issues