Vulnerability and Threat Assessment of TVA Locations in North Alabama Region

A threat assessment is where all possible direct and indirect threats are identified and what

I certify that I have read the project of Hugh H. Scully II entitled instructions for the preparation of the Senior Research Project and that, in my opinion; it is satisfactory in scope and quality for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management at National University.

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 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.

It is essential to understand America’s critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) and National Infrastructure Protection Program (NIPP) to ensure survivability of its critical assets, while maintaining security for America. “The plans are carried out in practice by an integrated network of Federal departments and agencies, State and local government agencies, private sector entities, and a growing number of regional consortia (DHS, 2009, p. I).” Several agencies work together to mitigate attacks on CIKR to protect public safety and security of the nation. A terrorist may stop at nothing to carry out an attack on CIKR. If an attack or natural disaster does transpire, each agency working together to restore the damage must be timely. Additionally, NIPP helps to identify hazards associated with the various sectors, and provides necessary security measures to harden resources (DHS,

Managing these risks involves developing approaches that result in sound, scenario-based consequence and vulnerability estimates as well as assessments of the likelihood that the suggested threat will occur (“Executing A Critical”, n.d.). Risk is influenced by the nature and magnitude of a hazard or threat, the vulnerabilities to the threat or hazard, and possible consequences (“Executing A Critical”, n.d.). The threat landscape of the electric utility subsector includes physical attacks/theft, cyber-attack, natural disaster, and nuclear attacks (“Addressing Dynamic”, 2014). In addition to these threats and vulnerabilities, the subsector has identified other key issues and risks such as workforce capability and human errors, equipment failure and aging infrastructure, and evolving environmental, economic, and reliability regulatory requirements (“Energy Sector”, 2015). Electricity assets are numerous including residential homes, commercial offices, utility companies, transmission lines, etc. and their locations vary across the

SITUATION ANALYSIS – THREATS . . . . . . . . . . PG 9-10

I enjoyed reading your discussion question this week as you evaluated different elements of a Homeland Security Assessment plan that could be utilized to assess threats to a local, state, or federal government related to Infrastructure. We have seen over the past few weeks that there is a vital requirement to ensure that our governmental body in the United States provides that all public areas are not only safe and secure but also in a time of emergency they can easily be converted to a secondary purpose. This reserve of interstruchers will ensure that the needs of the Homeland Security Plan have the buildings, highways, and supplies readily available to put all aspects of the risk management plan into place (Fisher, 2004).

This threat of CBRN attacks on U.S. solid is an attack scenario that likely keeps those charged with risk mitigation up at night. There as so many different types of CBRN scenarios that, to compile a comprehensive list of what would be impacting or even devastating is a challenge in it self. Combine that task with attempt to now thwart ALL of these threats and you make for one busy section of the Homeland Security and Homeland Defense efforts.

This is a memo is in response the recent events at the San Onofre nuclear facility and the military’s capabilities in the region and potential responses to the problem. In the tri state area California, Nevada, Arizona. We have 29 military bases with several others in the surrounding states (Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon). This disaster is, depending on the wind, a serious threat to at least: southern California, central Arizona and northern Mexico. However we have reason to believe that this could affect southern Nevada and central California as well. It is for tis reason that our first and foremost priority should be evacuation and containment of contamination. For this task all four military branches and the coast guard are equipped and willing to asset in these two tasks; however some of the military bases in the region must be evacuated first so that they may return to help in the evacuation. This evacuation of military personal would also allow for military bases to be used as evacuation centers for a more smooth, coordinated and centralized evacuation. Mr. President, the military is at your complete disposal and is prepared to do what is necessary to help in the evacuation process.

For us as security managers to begin to dissect the threat we must go back to the Risk and threat assessment as stated in (Risk and Security management 2008) the threat assessment specifically defines the scope, nature and impacts of risk the company may face during the life span of the operation. It should be written in the context of both the risk environment and the company’s risk tolerences, as these will define what risks are considered noteworthy and which fall within acceptable ranges for a project or organization. The Security Director should not assume that the initial threat assessment will be read in conjunction with the intelligence review. Therefore the key elements from the intelligence review should be included (if) to clarify the environment in which the organization will operate. The threat assessment can be conducted in isolation of a site visit, although specific risks associated with the project will be difficult to ascertain without firsthand knowledge through an actual visit. Secondary threat assessment may be done concurrently with, or as part of the security survey to provide the final specifics for the organization itself, as opposed to the more overarching initial assessment.

Transportation security is more challenging than security at a nuclear facility in many ways. During transportation, movement through public areas is usually required, and the ability to limit access to the nuclear material is not always possible as it is in a permanently protected facility. Also, an attack can occur anywhere along a route, which may be up to several thousand miles, giving the adversary a wide choice of potential attack locations—one reason why transportation routes for nuclear material are not disclosed to unauthorized persons or organizations.

U.S. Dept. of State (n.d.). Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction. Retrieved October 30, 2017, from https://www.state.gov/t/isn/offices/c55411.htm

Nearly every community has some sort of community risk, threat, and assessment plan that takes into account one of the six potential risks that are of concern to homeland security. Though each of these plans will likely differ from one another, many communities will have the same types of information in their plans. This essay will look at the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Guide (THIRA), the Community Risk Reduction Planning Guide, as well as FEMA’s National Preparedness plan. Any combination of these guides are a good starting point for every community in America. At top of every communities list as well as the nation is the protection of the critical infrastructure. Loss of infrastructure regardless of how big or small the community is could have very crippling effects on that community.

One of the best guidance documents for these communities is the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201 (CPG201). In this guide, communities will complete the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. The THIRA has a detailed four-step process in developing a robust Risk Assessment to allow the community to develop its plans. The first step is to “identify the threats and hazards of concern” to the community. Some of the challenges described by the Department of Homeland Security may not be applicable to the community or may pose extremely limited threat. The second step in to “give the threats context” which states how