Department of homeland security (DHS) is the cabinet department of the US government that is responsible for public safety. Its functions include securing the borders, carrying anti-terrorism efforts, immigration and customs, cybersecurity, and disaster prevention and management. It plays a critical role in ensuring that the lives of citizens and their properties are safe. The department was created in response to the September 11 attacks that killed thousands of people. With a budget of more than 40 billion dollars and almost a quarter of a million employees, it is now the third-largest cabinet department.
To achieve its objectives of securing the lives of people and their properties, the department has to collaborate with other government agencies, and therefore, the department has established programs or policies that encourage intergovernmental cooperation. The first program is working with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, which promotes an integrated national approach to homeland security (Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, 2019). Through the office, the DHS can coordinate and advance federal and local government response to security incidents, making action swift and decisive in the case of a disaster or a terrorism-related event. Through the department, DHS coordinate with tribal governments to boost overall security.
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Another program under DHS is SAFECOM and National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC). The two programs were designed to enhance intergovernmental communication, making them interoperable so that emergency responders can work in a coordinated fashion (Resources, 2018). In a significant security case, various government agencies have to respond, they range from national agencies to local ones, and that requires a level of communication interoperability. The program seeks to achieve that objective to make communication systems and future networks multi-jurisdictional and intergovernmental.
References
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. (2019, June 26). Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/office-intergovernmental-affairs-1
Resources. (2018, August 22). Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/safecom/resources
