For this assignment, I will again examine my own department, the Knoxville Police Department (KPD). After September 11, 2001, the Knoxville Police Department had to look at its policies and make some changes. Knoxville does not have a Homeland Security Plan in itself, but does have an All Hazard Plan that covers the aspects of Homeland Security. The All Hazard Plan was last updated in 2013 and covers unusual occurrences that other General Orders and SOPs do not (KPD, 2013). The plan has an introduction and then moves on to cover the aspects of the Incident Command System or ICS (KPD, 2013). This is a very important part of any unusual occurrence, especially when other departments and jurisdictions are involved, as it establishes
HSPD-5 is shortened for Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5. This directive states that the United States should be able to operate under a singular national incident management system. Its’ objectives ensure “… that all levels of government have the capability to work effeciently and effectively together…coordination with private and non-governmental sectors for adequete planning, equipment, training, and exercise activitites and to promote partnerships…the gathering of appropriate information and providing it to the public, the private sector, State and local authorities, Federal departments and agencies…” ( Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, 2003).
The United States Marshal Service (USMS) is a part of the Department of Justice. The United States Marshal Service occupies ninety-four United States Marshals, all appointed by the president. One Marshal is appointed to each federal court district. The headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. This is the oldest and most versatile federal law enforcement service. Although this service is often overlooked, it is critical in maintaining order in law enforcement. This service arrests approximately 337 fugitives every day. In addition to having offices held in the United States, offices are also open overseas in Columbia, Jamaica, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The United States Marshal Service is responsible for detaining the most dangerous fugitives. This service provides many services which include managing prisoners, and sponsoring the Witness Security Program.
The CPP is inherently different from traditional models developed by federal entities in several ways, the most important being that it is a “bottom-up” planning method as dictated by one of the directives of the Act of 2007. FEMA was asked to partner with State, local and tribal governments, emergency responders, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in addition to other federal agencies typically involved with disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Most FEMA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) systems and methods in the past have been driven from the “top down”, such as the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) and have focused on the structure of command and control rather than coordinated partnerships (Ruback et al., 2010). Another significant directive of the Act of 2007 is the specific focus on preparedness for catastrophic events rather than disasters, which are more regional in scope.
Assessing threat is critical because it provides an understanding of what is likely to happen (May & Williams, 2012). Hence the organization prepares by determining the resource requirement. Also, evaluating a risk before it occurs, presents an organization with viable alternatives for managing the immediate and long-term effects of the situation. Planning ahead and being prepared is key to protecting public safety. Preparedness and planning are also essential for safeguarding the health of the
September 11th 2001 marks a day in US history that no one will ever forget. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center that occurred that day resulted in the biggest emergency service response ever in US history. Hundreds of police officers, EMS, and firefighters surrounded the area. However, according to a New York Times article, “The New York Police Department's response to the Sept. 11 attack was effective in many areas but suffered from lapses in leadership and coordination and a lack of proper planning and training, according to a draft report by an independent consultant for the department.” (Rashbaum, 2002)
Good evening Professor and Class. For this week’s forum we were tasked to review the attached excel incident command system forms and explain why having access to this tool and knowing how to use it will enhance our incident command system knowledge. First, let’s break down what was included within the Excel incident command system forms. The first form, the ICS-202 (Incident Objectives) is completed during the initial incident brief when the initial incident commander provides the ICS-201 (Incident Briefing). This is where the initial incident objectives are developed and the true start of the planning “P” (U.S. Coast Guard, 3-4). Next, we have the ICS-203 (Organization Assignment List). This form is completed during the initial incident
Inadequate Preparations: the Primary Threat to First Responders Responding to an international Terrorist Event on US Soil
The Department of Homeland Security has a prominent role in maintaining the safety, security and resilience of our nation. In a world where terrorism is an ever-increasing threat and where man-made and natural disasters have left people and areas in devastation, the Department of Homeland Security works diligently to prevent and protect the United States from the effects of such tragedy. In order to effectively protect our nation Department of Homeland Security must assess the risk associated with any terrorist, natural or man-made threat. The risk assessment method that the department uses takes into account certain variables that help the department determine the level of risk. Based on the assessed risk level Homeland Security uses risk management for strategic planning, operations, determining the allocation of resources and grant awards in an attempt to prepare for and mitigate any harm to our nation, critical infrastructure and its people in the event of a tragedy.
Local, State and Federal government have unique roles which would allow the flow of communication and resources to transition smoothly during each stage of progression. The local and state level (first responders) are the most important source as they can assess, coordinate and notify the next available resources of what is needed. State and local governments are the front runners of planning for and managing the consequences of a terrorist incident using available resources in the critical hours before Federal assistance can arrive (Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents, July 2002). A Terrorist Incident Appendix (TIA) was designed to mirror an Emergency Operations Plan in relations to terrorist incidents. The TIA consists of six phases: Initiation, Concept Development, Plan Development, Plan Review Development of supporting plans, procedures and materials and Validation of plans using tabletop, functional, and full scale exercises. The TIA should be compared to those plans of existing Emergency Operation Plans (EOP) in place at the local and state level. Comparing plans before and incident allows time for comparison and revision of the various functions which will prevent disconnects to ensure coordination and
Any problems, questions or equipment issues should be addressed as well as established procedures that may need correction. Emergency responders should also be evaluated to ensure proper practice and procedures were followed and to address any further training that may be needed. Use of ICS should be a focus of the evaluation because of its importance in responding to incidents. Two common mistakes for emergency responders are failure to implement ICS and failure to fully understand the concept and its application (Phoenix Police Department, n.d., slide 17). Proper use of ICS must be used and fully understood in order to reap the benefits of having an efficient, flexible and standardized incident management plan; otherwise tasks and responsibilities are likely to be overlooked during a response to any incident especially those involving the high stress of a terrorist
After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, it became clear that new procedures needed to be established for responding to incidents. As a result, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security created the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a guideline for communities in the areas of preparedness, communications and information management, resource management, command and management, as well as ongoing management and maintenance (Emergency, 2013). The components of NIMS allows the whole community “to work together more effectively and efficiently” when a disaster occurs (FEMA, 2004). Using NIMS when responding to a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) terrorist attack will allow for more lives to be saved.
At a local and state level, first responders have a considerable amount of risks responding to an international terrorist event on US soil. Depending on the magnitude of the terrorist threat, first responders must gather information of the threat to reduce the risks associated with that terrorist event. These risks could come in many forms that could disrupt the quality-of-life within communities and our nation.
The ICS is a management system that was developed to support critical incident response by effectively organizing and structuring the major command functions of command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance and administration. It is important that ICS is implemented under a unified command to insure interjurisdictional coordination of the response. MOUs and mutual aid agreements should be negotiated prior to a critical incident to create the structure for a unified command. MOUs are intergovernmental and organizational agreements that establish the frame work for shared strategies, cross-training, and coordination. Mutual aid agreements are contracts between agencies and organizations to provide personnel, equipment, and provisions during specified and predesignated
Every city and state has specific details in their emergency response plan, and in order ensure aid and support, “state and local governments must adopt the NIMS to receive federal preparedness assistance through grants, contracts, and other funding” (Sauter & Carafano, 2012, p. 245). Sauter and Carafano (2012) noted, “The NIMS attempts to ensure interoperability among federal, state, and local assets. It establishes procedures for managing operations; conducting training; and setting requirements standard terminology, and common procedures” (p. 245). The National Incident Management System (NIMS) model are applied and utilized for premeditated or unexpected incidents.
Just as it has for the United States as a whole, the world in which emergency first responders work has changed in fundamental ways since September 11, 2001. Members of professions already defined by their high levels of risk now face new, often unknown threats on the job, specifically when responding to a terrorist event. At a basic level, terrorist attacks throughout the world have forced emergency first responders to see the incidents they are asked to respond to in a new light. One distinction between responding to deliberate attacks and responding to natural or technological disasters is that a terrorist attack could become an intentional hostile environment for first responders. In order to exacerbate physical and psychological casualties, terrorists may deliberately target emergency response capabilities and first responders.