09/09/2017 Homeland

Assignment 1: First Responder Preparedness

During the terrorist attacks of 9/11, many agencies responded to help the innocent victims caught in the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Among the first responders were firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and the US military.

Critics of the response say that rescue efforts could have been better streamlined and coordinated. Some of the critics contend that if firefighters had the proper communication equipment and an incident command post (ICP) had been established quicker; perhaps some more lives could have been saved.

After the horrific events of 9/11, a report titled "The 9/11 Commission Report" also came out suggesting that 9/11 could have been prevented.

Refer to the Webliography for the complete report.

Tasks:

After reviewing the report and reflecting on the response by first responders during 9/11, by Saturday, September 9, 2017, in a minimum of 250 words, post to the Discussion Area, your responses to the following:

• What is an ICP and why is this important?
• Could the events of 9/11 have been prevented?
• Which agency do you think should lead the response to an event like 9/11? Why would you choose the agency for this task?

By Wednesday, September 13, 2017, respond to at least two of your classmates' posts by commenting on their discussions and explanations.

Discussion Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 40 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.