Homeland Security Assessment Paper

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.

The Quadrennial Homeland Security review suggest six strategic challenges that will drive the overall risk to the nation over the next five years. These six risks include: the terrorist threat; growing cyber threats; biological concerns; nuclear terrorism; transnational criminal organizations; and natural hazards (DHS, 2014). The terrorists threat is, arguably, the most publicized and popular of the six risks the DHS lists. The particular risk is unique in the fact that although it can be planned for and mitigated against by state and local governments, it is primarily a federal responsibility, or at least perceived so by most entities. The DHS itself was established due to the events of September 11th 2001 and it has since been a consistent

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

Under each question one should make notes to help “determine strengths, opportunities, and homeland security strategic planning issues” in the charts at the bottom of each page (Fisher, 2004, p. 30).

In any organization it is imperative that higher management assess progress from the start of a program to the current state and what can happen in the future. Many Americans can recall that Department of Homeland Security is one of the most significant changes in the federal government. It can be compared to the creation of the Department of Defense after the Second World War. The beginning of Homeland Security was a challenge due

To keep our great nation safe requires the combined effort of a multitude of agencies and groups nationwide. The US homeland is the physical region that includes the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, and surrounding 500 nautical miles of territorial waters and airspace (Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2013). The keep the countries boarders secure and over 324 million Americans safe is a massive task and this broad stroke program involves federal government including the military, federal, state, local, tribal areas and the private sector along with other governments with shared interests. According to The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) there are three key concepts that are the foundation of America’s homeland security strategy.

Since the September 11, 2001 events, the United States of America gravitated towards a more aggressive approach in its security. The result of the tragic events was the establishment of homeland security. The White House, the federal government and the Congress joined together to establish it. On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush issued an executive order 13228 to establish an Office of Homeland Security within the White House and assigning the Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge as its Director (Bullock, Haddow, & Coppola, 2013, p. 4). Ever since, the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security diversified and evolved the way it is today. The Homeland Defense was also integrated into Homeland Security to protect the U.S. soil and its territories. However, what are Homeland Security and Homeland Defense? This paper will address those question as well as covering their missions/goals, tasks, duties, and responsibilities. In addition, a section of this paper is the assessment of the critical infrastructure protection programs of the U.S. The assessment will also include the overall capability of the nation’s critical infrastructure protection program to ensure the survivability of its critical infrastructure.

Universal Protection Agency is a 20 person firm specializing in providing safety and security. Only 8 of the 20 employees will be working on Mr. Smith’s protection plan due to other clientele requiring the services of the other employees. Our staff consists of individuals with various skills and/or talents. Each of our employees have received Masters Degrees in their areas of expertise and have years of experience in providing protection to individuals, families, organizations, and communities. We provide Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) like security as many of our employees are former CIA agents or from other law enforcement agencies. Government officials, sports

The framework for managing and leading a security will lead efforts to achieve a safe, secure, and resilient homeland (Storm 1998). Homeland security encounters terrorism and enhances our security; secure and manage our borders; enforce and administer our immigration laws; protect cyber networks and critical infrastructure; and ensure resilience from disasters (Foxell 2009). Homeland Security will accomplish strengthening both the Department of Homeland Security and the homeland security enterprise.

The evolution of homeland security concept has been connected with several strategic documents. There are 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, 2010 National Security Strategy and the 2011 National Strategy for Counterterrorism. There are also strategic documents that provide specific guidance to DHS entities and include the 2010 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, the Bottom-Up Review, and the 2012 Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan. Prior to issuance of these documents, national and DHS homeland security strategic documents included the 2002 and 2007 National Strategies for Homeland Security and the 2008 Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan. All of these documents have varying definitions for “homeland security” and varying missions derived from these

The National Strategy for Homeland Security is tasked with guiding, unifying, and organizing America’s homeland security efforts. The National Strategy seeks to protect the Americans, the country’s infrastructure and major resources as well as prevent and thwart any terrorist attacks. It also responds to and ensures recovery from incidents and strengthens the foundation for long-term success. Such involves developing a preparedness culture among various partners across the country to make use of well-planned response, defensive approaches, and recovery measures.

After the events of September 11th 2001, the United States was left in a weakened state. What had happened? What had gone wrong? What did we miss? These questions are what faced a government scrambling to find a plan to ensure that these events did not have an encore. In the year following September 11th 2001 the United States government came together with selected delegates representing both parties of republicans and democrat and the 9/11 commission was erected. A new standard of security for the homeland had to be met and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. This brought about the question, what assets to we need to protected and how will we as government fund and protect the security of those assets?

In the wake of September 11, 2001 the United States opened its eyes to the need for new and improved policies that addressed terrorism and homeland security. Law enforcement experienced many changes in their operations and methods of response to such tragic events. The creation of The National Strategy for Homeland Security evoked a federal policy change that included the focus on many issues that were not visible prior to September 11, 2001. The

“These are security questions based on the Baldrige Criteria that are asked by the assessment team and should be asked to different levels of employees throughout the organization. These questions have been simplified and rewritten for the Homeland Security Organizational Assessment” (Fisher, 2004). “Zero-Based and World-Class, which involve homeland security initiatives that are labeled as Approach, Deployment, Learning, and Integration, are the fourth of the eight step process” (Fisher, 2004). This section is set up on a color coded basis as well as on a scaling system which ranges from 0-100. This section gathers the appropriate information needed to assist the team in determining how the organization scores in specific areas.

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.