Homeland Security - Essay Example

As an assistant to a state-level director of Homeland Security, I would ensure that the state security is not taken for granted and that all security personnel maintain a smooth communication process. This paper discuses how National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) model can benefit the state-level Homeland Security procedures. One of the major challenges that affect the security systems at the state-level is lack of coordination between different departments responding agencies especially during emergencies.

This implies that for the security personnel to have the ability to deal with the security situations there is need to streamline communication between the agencies involved. Having been established in 2004, National Incident Management System aims at incorporating best practices into a comprehensive national approach to security measures. The concept of Incident Command System (ICS) was established in 1970 after the wildfire that hit California resulting to loss of 16 lives and huge destruction of the properties and burning of over one-half million acres burned (National Incident Management System, 2012). . disasters response personnel and the agencies that are involved in the operations may be working in a different frameworks and team leaders as they are used to, NIMS and ICS model will be appropriate to improve coordination.

Additionally, the model provides a formal command structure that allocates each of the tasks to a particular individual. This implies that as different agencies and units arrive at the scene of disaster or terrorism, they are aware of their duties an aspect that will make the homeland security achieve its objectives of offering maximum security. After the establishment of ICS, the leaders of Homeland Security led by Tom Ridge and Secretary Brown realized that police department, fire departments and most of the cities were effectively using it.

However, some departments such as public works, law enforcement and public health were hesitant in adopting the ICS. This led to the adoption of NIMS as a way of ending such discrepancies. A notable importance of NIMS and ICS model that can benefit the state-level Homeland Security procedures is that it provides intelligence function that is aims at gathering and sharing related information and technology. For example, agencies involved during an incident can easily access intelligence that relates to classified information and national security.

Additionally, the model allows sharing of information and proper communication on the matters relating to risk assessment, medical intelligence, structural designs of the buildings, weather information and toxic situation of the materials in the incident locations. One of the key aspect that makes ICS model to effectively deal with the security measures at the state level is the use of proven management tools that are offered by DHS during the ICS training programs.