Task one

Scope of Homeland Security

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas:

• In your opinion, what is homeland security? Should it include national security or national defense?
  • If not, how are they related?
• Who are the stakeholders of homeland security?
  • Who are the primary stakeholders and who have more of a peripheral role?
• Who is responsible for homeland security? Is this a federal effort that should be led by a single department or a national effort jointly led by a mosaic of local, state and federal stakeholders? Explain.
• Should homeland security include natural disasters in its definition and discipline scoping? Why or why not?
• The contemporary discipline of emergency management is more than 30 years old. Its mission areas include Preparedness (including Mitigation and Prevention); Response; and Recovery. Homeland Security’s mission areas have been labeled: Prevent; Protect; Respond; and Recover. Prior to 9/11 (and since), emergency management has considered terrorism within the risk profile of incidents it needs to plan to prepare for, respond to and recover from. What is the difference between emergency management and homeland security? Are both required?

Task Two

The purpose of this assignment is to explore how homeland security is defined, constructed, and delivered in your local jurisdiction at a strategic level. Create a policy memo of 750–1,000 words that summarizes the major topics listed below. Your memo should outline your research findings on the major topic areas and research questions. You may consider your local jurisdiction as a town or city, county, or state of your choice. You are encouraged to interview local homeland security practitioners, either in person or via e-mail to complete this assignment.

Assignment Guidelines

• Address the following in 750–1,000 words:
• What jurisdiction did you choose for this assignment?
  • How is homeland security defined by your jurisdiction?
    • Is there a written definition or strategy?
    • Is this document public? If not, why not?
      • If there is not a written definition at the local level, consider the findings of your research in the context of the definitions and environment outlined in resources provided (e.g., the National Strategy for Homeland Security).
  • How does your local strategy differ from the national strategy?
    • How is it similar?
    • Are these differences appropriate?
  • What is the scope of the strategy? Explain.
    • Does it define the key participating agencies and disciplines?
  • Does the local strategy include participation by the private sector? Does it include nongovernmental organizations?
  • How are the state and federal government incorporated into the strategy? Explain.
    • If they are not, should they be?
  • Who (what agency) wrote the strategy?
  • What agency provides primary HS leadership? Is there more than one?
  • What are the platforms for interagency coordination of HS strategic issues (e.g., meetings, conference calls, and task forces)?
  • Has the focus on HS as a metadiscipline, wavered in the years since 9/11 in your jurisdiction?
  • Is the level of strategic focus on HS at the local level appropriate for the HS environment that the nation and your jurisdiction find themselves in today?
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.
• Compile your answers into a final Word document, and submit it to your instructor.

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