DIRA Case Study

Bellavita Christopher is the Director of Programs for the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Also, from 1998 to 2002, he was the planning coordinator for the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command. The author focuses on the fact that homeland security faces a variety of threats. Many factors such as the economy, weapons of mass destruction and a lack of moral compass pose potential challenges to homeland security (Bellavita, 2009). The terrorist attacks such as the one in Mumbai, the economic meltdown, the disaster on the borders remain potential malefactors to the U. S. homeland. And to no surprise, the threats are gradually transforming into a more complex tactics. Bellavita takes aim towards a realistic assessment

It attempts to achieve this goal by evolving and integrating nuclear and radiological detections systems across all levels of federal, state, and local government to prevent the importation or development of nuclear devices. This directive also aims to create a coordinated plan across federal, state, and local governments that will ensure a proper response at all levels should such an attack occur. HSPD-14 also created a Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DNDO was designed to bring together personnel from DHS, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of State (DOS), Department of Justice (DOJ), and any other agencies as necessary under the direction of the

Funding of an individual’s quest for DWD may be costly. Expenses to consider include the various physician consults in addition to the prescription barbiturate itself which may cost as much as $5000 (Death with Dignity, n.d.). The Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act (1997) bans the use of federal funding, such as Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, for any type of assisted suicide or euthanasia. Private insurance companies vary and may decide which doctor’s visits, prescriptions, and procedures they will cover and this varies by state. Life, health, or accident insurance policies are to be unaffected by PAS as indicated in the DWDA (1994).

All these activities seem like a step in the right direction; however, according to Baggett and Collins, there isn’t any overarching architecture to support such information sharing or to create and maintain relationships with those needing the information – specifically the private sector (2010). Basically, the system should incorporate processes and procedures for ensuring the appropriate entities receive information pertinent to them at the appropriate classification levels. Likewise, Werther suggests fusion center analysts, limited in number, are responsible for sifting through a ton of information that could slow down the process (Werther, 2010). I thought Collins idea to create “sector” specialists was a good concept but I believe they should be recruited from the state, local, tribal, and private sectors DHS is trying to reach in order to bring with them knowledge of what the entity is lacking and how their operations work. As for an RFI process, this is an age old process that would, in my opinion, delay the receipt of information. Just like all these other entities, state and local Law Enforcement have a need for intelligence that should be shared and could be done with dedicated analysts and automated systems designed to help filter out unnecessary information. The system should pull from other police databases and should be fed with intelligence that could assist in solving, predicting or preventing criminal

There are several large exercises simulating combined state and federal responses such as Vigilant Guard and Ardent Sentry. Lessons learned from the Hurricane Sandy response indicate the importance of exercises simulating a DSC response. These events provide critical training, however, they are resource intensive. Additionally, they are cyclical with the opportunity to participate only every few years. To augment large formal exercises, many states now conduct annual Title 10 synchronization meetings. In the Alabama version of this event, the DCO, DCE, Deputy DSC, JEC, state-based Title 10 installations and JFHQ representatives give formal information briefs on their functions. The event then transitions into a hurricane scenario table top exercise to ensure all the participants understand the expectations during a DSC-led response. This interaction between the state and Title 10 participants is critical. Additionally, the interaction between the Title 10 participants, which normally do not work together, greatly enhances the shared understanding of effective state-federal integration. Regardless of the scale of the exercise, conducting exercises together with state and Title 10 partners validates existing plans and strengthens

The Department of Homeland Securities 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) identifies six prevailing strategic challenges for the United States for the next several years. Those challenges are; the threat of terrorism, cyber threats, transnational criminal organizations, natural hazards, nuclear terrorism, and biological concerns. These threats represent challenges not only for the local communities, but the nation as a whole. There are a number of ways for states, local communities, and tribal organizations to prioritize and assess the greatest risks applicable to them, and the means in which to implement mitigating measures to reduce the risk from identified threats and hazards.

DHS's primary tasks are to foster the sharing of foreign and domestic intelligence information between federal, state, and local intelligence and law enforcement agencies and improve border security. This has important implications in terms of personal privacy.

The long-term implications for business owners and security professionals as it relates to the Aurora Colorado theater shooting comes down to preparedness for the threat of an active shooter. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin list some key considerations for business owners and security professionals when addressing the problem of the active shooter. The FBI reinforces that there is no one specific demographic for an active shooter. In fact, they may display preattack behavior, that when recognized can disrupt the threat. Special Agent Katherine Schweit, who serves as a special assistant to the executive assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, explains that “The pathway to targeted violence typically involves an unresolved real or perceived grievance and an ideation of a violent resolution that eventually moves from thought to research, planning, and preparation.” (Schweit, 2013) The FBI further explains that threat assessment needs to include

In 1995, Kevin Jack Riley and Bruce Hoffman published their study Domestic Terrorism: A National Assessment of State and Local Preparedness to examine the issues and problems state and local law enforcement agencies faced while dealing with the threat of terrorism in the United States. More specifically, researchers sought to identify how agencies at those two different levels perceived the terrorist threat in the United States, as well as learning how those agencies manage the threat of terrorism and plan and organize their response to actual incidents (Riley & Hoffman, 1995). In order to collect the data needed, the study was broken down into three separate research phases: (1) a national survey of state and local law enforcement agencies designed to assess how those law enforcement agencies perceive the threat of terrorism in the United States and to identify potential anti- and counter-terrorism programs currently used by those jurisdictions; (2) the selection of ten locations, chosen after completion of survey, as case studies to examine in detail how different jurisdictions have adapted to the threat of terrorism and to explain further the anti- and counter-terrorism programs used by those jurisdictions; and (3) the identification of programs used by state and local law enforcement agencies to counter potential future threats along with the development of a prospective future research agenda (Riley & Hoffman, 1995).

Immediate following the 9/11 attacks, rigorous security procedures were put in place at airports, government buildings, cultural center, and many other facilities. The FBI instructed state and local law enforcement to be on their highest level of alert and be prepared to response to any acts of terrorism. This caused surveillance to be used more than ever before.

American Policing agencies have significantly changed since September 11, 2001, in a new age of international terrorism. American police departments agencies at all levels are now required to train for an increased amount of time and resources for possible terrorist attacks and to gathering the intelligence necessary to keep with the ongoing threats. Several police agencies have dedicating resources officers prepared for terrorist attacks and who gather information to head off possible risks. Local police often have to prevent, plan, and respond to medical, evacuations and security events which they did not have to in the past. Policing is commonly used to secure community event and increase patrols in worship places and other landmarks that

As we move into a new era were a more robust and urgent homeland security program is needed, it is important to talk about how officials are managing all of the risk. There are a multitude of threats; from terrorism, where tactics are all the more unconventional an unpredictable, to climate change, with extreme weather conditions causing severe droughts or other catastrophic storms. The risk accepted by federal officials must be weighed and prioritized in a manner that is conducive to the longevity of the nation but also eliminates political or other personal agenda. To ensure a standardized approach the Department of Homeland Security adopted a risk management. The following will look at defining what risk management is as well as an example of how it is being incorporated within the homeland security enterprise and how doing so is of benefit.

8). Therefore, although the attacks of 9/11 generated alterations in our national defense strategies, it additionally adjusted law enforcement policies immensely (Brooks, B. E., 2010, p. 113). It is now more common to have squads of police officers, such as SWAT teams, with specialized training in preventing future terrorist attacks. With exceptions to some officers at the local level, many of these specially trained teams are made up of state and national law enforcement. There are several local law enforcement agencies throughout America that do participate in anti-terrorism training, but on a larger scale many of these local departments lack the necessary training needed to prevent such threats. Therefore, local police departments, who lack special training, depend on the departments that are qualified to aid them. Likewise, the training these lower level law enforcement officers obtain varies greatly than that of state and national law enforcement. Despite the quantity of officers in local law enforcement departments, it is essential that each individual officer undergoes the preparations that are essential to be well equipped for reacting to a threat of terrorism. These preparations are crucial in that local law enforcement officers are often the first responders to these attacks, therefore they should be familiar

The ability of the Department of Homeland Security to effectively manage risk is vital to national security. Risk in general, is something that is permanent but because this is known, strategies can be used to mitigate situations as they present themselves. Government managers must manage risk in a complex environment taking into consideration the diverse missions and multiple objectives of public agencies (Hardy, 2014). The role of risk management within the homeland security enterprise was managed by best and worst case scenario planning. This is something that is inevitable as we are faced within a definite variety of threats. One way to grade or rank threats is through worst-case analysis. As this analysis can be used for worst-case scenarios the federal government cannot leave out lower ranking situations (Roberts, 2007). Since the Department of Homeland Security is charged with managing risk within the enterprise, a basic equation is used to help figure out different variables and how they would be affected.

The Department of Homeland Security released the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review on June 18, 2014 as required by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and its amendments. This review outlined the current state of preparedness, as well as the future areas of concentration. It also determined six strategic challenges facing the nation: terrorist threat; growing cyber threats; biological concerns as a whole; nuclear terrorism; transnational criminal organizations; and natural hazards. The basic building block of emergency management in the U.S. is the local community. Each step begins here. Threat assessments are completed on the local level. Planning, mitigation, and response are all responsibilities of the local community to support the state and Federal practice using the guidance provided by both.