Discussion Board 6: Discovering Threats and Hazards Assessment Tools
Andrew J. Hall
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
HLSC 620
Dr. Isaacson
Explain what THIRA is.
THIRA stands for Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment, it is an annual
standardized organizational process, utilizing current mitigation techniques, within all levels of
government to systematically detect, evaluate, and concentrate on potential threats and hazards.
They are used to further develop plans and implement immediate actions to assist in mitigation
efforts and is mandated for FEMA preparedness grants (Islam & Ryan, 2016, p. 415).
THIRA is a four-step process used to establish capability target, overview gaps in their resources,
and ensures steps are taken to address these gaps and shortfalls (DHS, 2013, Islam & Ryan,
2016, p. 416) The four steps are as follows: 1. Identifications of threats and hazards.
2.Contextualizing and Describing Threats and Hazards. 3 Establish & Assess capability targets 4.
Estimate Resources required (Islam & Ryan, 2016, p. 416)
Explain and Discuss what CARVER is.
CARVER is a 6- step offensive risk/vulnerability assessment used within decision making for
emergency preparedness, among other organizations. It stands for Criticality, Accessibility,
Recuperabilty, Vulnerability, Effect, and Recognizability. It is often utilized in conjunction with
Carver + Shock (Clark & Philpott, 2011). It looks at different targets and assess them based on
the acronym to assess value.
