Homeland Security encompasses several agencies in the United States with the sole purpose of overseeing national security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a federal agency that was initiated to help counter terrorist attacks in their prime in the United States. The roles of this department are not just restricted in protecting citizens from terrorist attacks but extend to other tasks such as border control, cybersecurity, emergency response, and aviation security (Gaines & Kappeler, 2019). Furthermore, a vital responsibility of this department is enacting measures of preventing and managing disasters. A clear outline must be drafted to assess all potential risks and manage them before their occurrence. The department moves with precision and high proficiency to curb the anticipated and the unanticipated risks, in line with the stipulated out risk mitigation procedures.
Mitigation of Disasters
The Department of Homeland Security initiated an Integrated Risk Management (IRM) policy in May 2010. The mainstay basis behind this policy was for security patterns to work in a unified front in managing risks. The policy also prescribed a means of managing risks through the integration of various spheres of government and non-governmental agencies. The DHS would notably provide chief guidance towards the management of risks even after the combination of all these sections. The policy further advised that the only way to curb risks is through the formulation of doctrines and guidelines that will direct the whole process (Baggett, 2018). The DHS then formulated Risk Management Fundamentals that intensively explains all procedures from risk assessment to risk management.
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Risk assessment is a determinant of the quantitative and qualitative approximate of a risk that relates to a familiar threat or hazard. Different organizations construct different methods of assessing risks depending on the threats or hazards likely to affect them. Homeland Security faces a massive challenge in assessing risks due to the intricate and sometime unpredictable nature of the risks. These risks appear to be of dire consequence but, at the same time, pose high levels of uncertainty. The complexity of these risks only displays the advanced development of this institution.
Methods used to assess risks related to natural hazards are more convoluted than methods in assessing terrorism threats. Threats related to terrorism are also not facile as the terrorists work with high levels of intelligence, making it challenging to draft a trajectory of their heinous plans. According to Homeland Security, the purpose of a risk assessment strategy is to evaluate the identified risks and analyze the results of these evaluations (Sylves, 2019). Risk assessment is divided into several tasks described in the subsequent paragraphs. The tasks do not follow a linear trajectory, but they constitute a back and forth movement.
The first task of DHS is determining a risk assessment methodology that should restrictively fall within the capabilities of the organization. In Homeland Security, there are previous methodologies that might be applied in assessing new risks (Sylves, 2019). However, certain unprecedented risks may demand novel methods for assessments. When analyzing risks, previous methods may act as a good starting point in offering references. However, these methods should not be used as the only reliant tool. The prime factor in selecting methodologies should be a proper decision that informs a particular assessment.
Collecting data to occupy the assessment is the second task of DHS risk mitigation. Several sources can be used to collect information about risks. Some of the sources used by Homeland Security include models, historical records, simulations, and consultations of experts in particular risks (Lewis, 2019). There is no accurate record of many data pieces. Data on certain risks could be mere estimates which might or might not be close to the actual truth. When collecting such kind of data, the DHS insists on recording their uncertainties with a corresponding analysis of how the output is affected. Uncertainties in some data are a sensitive factor in the assessment of risks. After the data is gathered, the chosen methodology should be executed. Validation and verification of the collected data is imperative. Throughout the process of risk assessment, the gathered data should be compared to previous data, as well as the results. This juxtaposition is what will help validate and verify the collected data. The decision-maker will not just be satisfied by the outputs of risk alone, but by interesting features of the data. Finally, the output is analyzed from the pieces of evidence of the collected data. It is also vital that alternative methods of risk management be incorporated during the early stages of risk assessment.
Homeland Security utilizes intelligence to pinpoint potential risks with regard to previous occurrences. This framework should then guide in enforcing measures in the isolated risks that may have a significant effect on security. It is similar to observing the pattern of previous criminal activities in apprehending suspected criminals before they strike. Artificial intelligence machines could be employed in recognizing similar patterns between crimes and so on.
In mitigating risks, Homeland Security outlines a clear-cut strategy with four definite methods. The first is risk acceptance, which prescribes that careless actions that would only aggravate a risk should not be taken. The second is risk avoidance that recommends a measure that would protect the organization from any vulnerability to the risk. The third is risk control, which proposes measures to quell the intensity of the threat or maintain it at a repressible level. The fourth is Risk Transfer, which moves the risk to a different geographical location or entity. Homeland Security also proposes the use of a well-defined Risk Communication channel to help in preventing hazards. This channel will educate the general public on potential external and internal risks (Radvanovsky & McDougall, 2018). The public is then mandated to report any suspected criminal cases to the department to prevent it appropriately.
Emergency Preparedness of Homeland Security
On its official website, Homeland Security notes that the United States can never be entirely impermeable to potential threats and disasters. Therefore, for near-complete preparedness, every stakeholder from state agencies, non-governmental agencies, private sector, and local community members must take part in providing this immunity. Some threat cases might be beyond local citizens; thus, it is the responsibility of the state to be well prepared in curbing them. The Homeland Security Act enabled the formulation of different strategies in sealing its preparedness towards potential threats.
The National Response Framework was initiated in 2002 in line with the Homeland Security Act as well as a Presidential directive. The NRF provides a sole comprehensive mechanism in managing domestic incidences. The primary role of the NRF is to prepare, prevent, and respond to any occurring terrorist attacks or mitigate significant disasters and emergencies (Sylves, 2019). The NRF will mostly be used when there is a potential threat, or when mostly responding to an emergency requiring the intervention of the Federal government.
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides an organized dynamic method to guide different departments and agencies in both government and non-governmental spheres to work coherently in mitigating risks. The guiding principle for NIMS is a proactive system that directs on prevention, response, and mitigation of potential threats. NIMS provides the structure in managing incidences as opposed to NRF, which provides the template in managing incidences. However, the two institutions work hand in hand.
The Incident Command System (ICS) has a systemized approach in commanding, controlling, and coordinating the response to emergencies. The ICS also outlines a standard hierarchy that will be used by responders from all agencies to ensure effective control (Canton, 2019). The ICS is a component of NIMS that deals with all forms of hazards and emergencies. With its well-established approach, ICS is a vital instrument for Homeland Security in preparing for potential threats. The ICS provides a unified command and control for multiple agencies in line with its stipulated hierarchy.
Biblical Perspectives on Emergency Management
The four phases of emergency management are preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Preparation involves cementing an organization's emergency management ability beforehand in managing potential risks. It involves formulating plans, training those plans, and practicing the plans to test their effectiveness. Preparation is in the Bible, just like the story of Noah. When God saw how sin had inundated the world, he instructed Noah to build an ark in preparation for floods. In this case, preparation is through building an ark, and the disaster is the floods.
Risk response is an activity carried out by responders who work to save lives and alleviate the alarming situation and prevent any further injuries. They get any victim out of harm's way and move towards commencing the recovery process. Borrowing from John 3:16, God himself responded to the sin in the world by sending his Son, Jesus, to save humanity. By sending his son, he was relieving the crisis of sin in the world.
Recovery involves returning things to normal. This process could be through rebuilding a bridge that had initially collapsed. Certain recovery processes are immediate, while others tend to take a lot of time. The book of Jeremiah 30:17 talks about God healing and restoring the health for those who call upon him. This example relates to a crisis on how responders attend to a disaster and work their way towards restoring normalcy. Mitigation mostly occurs before a catastrophe or just on the verge of it. Mitigation works to lessen the effect of a disaster anticipated to occur. It is as simple as postponing the outcomes of a catastrophe. In the Bible, the book of Proverbs 27:12, the wise are urged to prepare in advance, whereas it is the fool who dives into the future without taking precautions.
Conclusion
Risks and disasters could easily be managed when there are comprehensive structures and strategies for doing so. The Department of Homeland Security, through its Risk Management Fundamentals publication, legibly displays what it takes to mitigate risks. Any risk must be identified before it occurs, and viable means of preventing it be formulated. Any institution that is waiting to curb a disaster when it happens is bound to fail. Therefore, risk management departments must be created in all organizations to guide in attenuating all potential risks.
References
Baggett, R. K. (2018). Risk Management for Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Homeland Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection, 124.
Lewis, T. G. (2019). Critical infrastructure protection in homeland security: defending a networked nation. John Wiley & Sons.
Radvanovsky, R. S., & McDougall, A. (2018). Critical infrastructure: homeland security and emergency preparedness. crc press.
Sylves, R. T. (2019). Disaster policy and politics: Emergency management and homeland security. CQ Press.
Canton, L. G. (2019). Emergency management: Concepts and strategies for effective programs. John Wiley & Sons.
Gaines, L. K., &Kappeler, V. E. (2019). Homeland Security and Terrorism. Pearson.
Bible, H., & Version, N. K. J. (1982). Nashville. TN: Thomas Nelson .
