HOMELAND SECURITY OVERVIEW
Homeland Security Overview
MacKenzie Effler
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
Abstract
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HOMELAND SECURITY OVERVIEW
The emergency management cycle is used by federal, state, local, and tribal governments along
with the private sector to prepare for and respond to disasters. The emergency management cycle
has four key phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The first two phases need
to be conducted before the disease occurs and the last two phases are for after the incident has
happened. The Bible can offer a unique perspective on each of these phases. Many verses in the
Bible share similar themes with the emergency management cycle.
Homeland Security Overview
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HOMELAND SECURITY OVERVIEW
The primary mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to prevent and
respond to hazards and threats to the United States. While sometimes used interchangeably,
hazards and threats have different meanings when used in context with emergency management.
Hazards are acts of nature and do not have a political motive. The hazards that an individual may
experience can vary depending on time of year and location. Threats are generally man made and
have a motive such as causing political instability. Federal, state, local, tribal governments, and
the private sector use the emergency management cycle to prepare and respond when incidents
do occur. The emergency management has four key phases: mitigation, preparedness, response
and recovery (Nemeth, 2016). The Bible also offers a unique perspective on each of the
emergency management phases.
Mitigation
Mitigation efforts are actions that reduce long term risk to facilities and people. Effective
mitigation efforts not only protect people and structures, but also reduce the cost of response and
recovery in the event of an incident (Phases of emergency management, n.d.). A bible verse that
gives a perspective on mitigation is Psalm 61:3 “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower
against the enemy” (2011). Mitigation should occur before an incident happens and emergency
managers regularly revisit mitigation plans. The process of mitigation can be daunting, but by
breaking it down into four steps to make the process more manageable. The four steps of
mitigation are organizing resources, conducting a risk assessment, developing a mitigation plan,
and implementing the mitigation plan (Nemeth, 2016).
Organizing Resources
The first step in the mitigation process should be organizing resources. Resources is not a
term limited to the funds needed to complete any mitigation projects. Resources in this context
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encompasses finding technical expertise and identifying any key agencies or private
organizations that should also participate in the mitigation process. During this step the area
needs to be clearly defined and goals need to be discussed. If the planning process is being
overseen by the local or tribal government citizens of that jurisdiction need to be given
opportunities to offer input (Hazard Mitigation Planning Process, 2021).
Risk Assessment
Once the resources have been organized then it is time to conduct a risk assessment. Risk
is what could happen given a certain set of circumstances. Yet despite that simple definition, risk
is a concept that is hard for agencies to quantify. The DHS uses three different variables in their
risk assessment equation in order to give risk a numeric value. The three variables are value,
vulnerability, and threat rating. Each is given a numeric value then multiplied together to get a
quantitative value for risk. Additionally, the DHS uses this formula in two different ways: asset
value and geophysical impact (Nemeth, 2016).
Developing a Mitigation Plan
After the risk assessment is complete a mitigation plan can be developed. The risk
assessment will be used during this step to help set priorities. Depending on budgetary restraints,
mitigation efforts may be limited to hazards that pose the highest risk. A plan is then developed
to lessen the effects of disasters. The mitigation plan needs to include how the specific mitigation
actions are going to be implemented, overseen, and financed (Hazard Mitigation Planning
Process, 2021).
Implementing a Mitigation Plan
The final step in mitigation is the implementation of the mitigation plan. A few examples
of mitigation actions are zoning, having generators, or following social distancing guidelines.
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While this is the last step in mitigation it is important that mitigation is re-evaluated regularly.
This is to ensure that any mitigation actions stay relevant. The regular revisitation of mitigation
allows state and local governments to make sure the priorities that were set still address changing
risks (Hazard Mitigation Planning Process, 2021).
Terrorist Mitigation
Acts of terror require additional plans and practices for mitigation in order to supplement
the all-hazards approach (Bullock et al., 2005). An example of this is the creation of fusion
centers. Fusion centers were created after 9/11 to address the lack of information sharing
between the intelligence community and law enforcement. While these are state run institutions
the DHS was instrumental in providing the funding for fusion centers. Each state now has their
own fusion centers as well as many urban areas (Nemeth, 2016). Today, fusion centers are
largely responsible for the two way intelligence sharing that happens between the federal
government and state/local partners (Fusion Centers, 2019).
Preparedness
In terms of emergency management preparedness is best described as a state of readiness.
Preparedness can either be long term or short term. Long term preparedness is done pre disaster.
This includes education and training as well as forecasting and evacuation plans. Generally, long
term preparedness can be accomplished for hazards common to that geographical area. Short
term preparedness happens after a disaster has begun. While this type of preparation is not ideal
it is still important to prepare for the limited amount of time given. A good example of
preparedness in the Bible is 1 Thessalonians 5:6. It says, “So then let us not sleep, as others do,
but let us keep awake and be sober” (2011). Even though the majority of incidents will be
managed by local and state officials the DHS supports them by offering grants for training and
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equipment. The DHS also publishes federal plans to aid in preparation and response. Three
popular documents produced by the federal government to help with preparedness and response
are the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework
(NRF), and Incident Command System (ICS) (Nemeth, 2016).
The National Incident Management System
The NIMS is overseen by FEMA and was created due to the Homeland Security
Presidential Directive 5. The directive stated that the United States needed to produce a
document that provides a comprehensive approach to incident management (Nemeth, 2016). The
NIMS is a guide that is meant to be utilized by government agencies and nongovernmental
organizations so that they can work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and
recover from all types of hazards. The NIMS is divided into three main components which are
resource management, command and coordination, and communication and information
management. The core doctrine and concepts in each of these components are meant to be
implemented no matter the scope or type of incident (National Incident Management System,
2017).
The National Response Framework
The NRF is an all-hazards plan that was built off the template of the NIMS. While the
NIMS concepts are used for incident management to matter the type or size, the NRF “provides
the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy and operational direction for domestic
incident management” (National Response Framework (NRF), 2017). A benefit of the NRF is
that it was created to be adaptable and scalable. The NRF allows for selective implementation so
that federal, state, local and tribal governments can manipulate it to fit their needs (Nemeth,
2016).
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HOMELAND SECURITY OVERVIEW
The Incident Command System
The primary function of the ICS is to provide a standardized approach to the command,
control, and coordination of on-scene incident management that provides a common hierarchy
within which personnel from multiple organizations can be effective (ICS Review Document,
2018). Before the creation of the ICS each jurisdiction had its own way of incident management.
This would have been especially difficult if the incident requires multiple agencies and
jurisdictions to work together. The standardized chain of command outlined in the ICS has clear
communication channels meaning information can be disseminated more effectively (Nemeth,
2016). Furthermore, the ICS outlines using a Unified Command for incidents that do require
multi agency cooperation. The purpose of the Unified Command is to enable “jurisdictions and
those with authority or functional responsibility for the incident [...] to jointly manage and direct
incident activities through the establishment of a common set of incident objectives, strategies,
and a single IAP” (ICS Review Document, 2018). By using a Unified Command information
flow is optimized for the agencies involved and each have an understanding of the joint
objectives.
Recovery
Depending on the scope of the incident recovery can be the longest lasting phase in the
emergency management cycle. Additionally, it can also be the most costly phase of the cycle as
well. The recovery phase begins when the threat to human life is over. The recovery phase main
goal is to repair the community. The Bible gives the reader a biblical perspective on recovery in
Isaiah 41:17 “when the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched
with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (2011).The
actions that were taken in the mitigation phase can have a large impact on how long it takes to
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recover from a disaster (Nemeth, 2016). Yet, it is necessary that critical functions are able to
operate no matter the circumstance. Communities should have a Continuity of Operations Plan to
establish how critical function will continue throughout the recovery process. Typical this would
include an alternate location as well as having resources and personnel diverted (Continuity of
Operations Planning (COOP), n.d.).
National Disaster Recovery Framework
The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) is a document published by DHS
that “establishes a common platform and forum for how the whole community builds, sustains,
and coordinates delivery of recovery capabilities” (National Disaster Recovery Framework,
2016). While recovery happens after the incident the NDRF advocates for preparing for recovery
in advance. The NDRF is not limited to just the physical restoration of the affected area, it
emphasizes meeting providing services and support for affected community members. The
NDRF is guided by eight principles that are meant to address survivors' needs and build
resilience (2016).
Conclusion
The emergency management cycle has four phases that are used to prepare for and
respond to disasters. The four phases are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The
first two phases mitigation and preparedness are meant to occur before the disaster happens.
Depending on how well the first two phases are carried out dictates the time and money
necessary to complete response and recovery. The response phase consists of actions taken to
save lives. Once the threat to life is gone then the recovery phase can begin. Recovery focuses on
repairing the community back to the condition it was in before the incident. The phases of
emergency management are typically carried out by state and local governments. Yet, the DHS
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produces documents such as the NRF and NDRF to act as manuals for communities to use in
times of crisis.
References
Bullock, J., Haddow, G., Coppola, D., Ergin, E., Westerman, L. & Yeletaysi, S. (2005).
Introduction to Homeland Security. Boston: Elsevier.
Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP). (n.d.). Boston University.
Fusion Centers. (2019, September 19). Department of Homeland Security.
Hazard Mitigation Planning Process. (2021, January 15). FEMA.
Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Colorado Springs, CO: Biblica, Inc
National Disaster Recovery Framework. (2016). Department of Homeland Security.
National Incident Management System. (2017). FEMA.
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National Response Framework (NRF). (2017, August 30). Environmental Protection
Agency.
Nemeth, C. P. (2016). Homeland security an introduction to principles and practice (3rd
ed.). Taylor & Francis Group (CRC Press).
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