An Innovative Model for the National Level Security Team - Essay Example

Abstract: The top national security environment demands complex skills to handle national missions like counterterrorism and human trafficking. The Directorate of Strategic operational planning (DSOP) has provided an innovative model for the national level security team that can manage complex security matters. For instance, the cybersecurity teams should be able to plan how to respond to unforeseen cyber attacks and cooperate with other security agents in the long term assessments of the cyber attacks. Some skills and traits of emergency managers include mitigation planning skills, coordination and risk assessment skills. In the future, emergency managers will need to develop a region-wide approach to emergency management, implement interoperable GIS technologies and protect key infrastructure in the communities. Introduction Effective emergency managers need some skills and traits to effectively manage the unforeseen disaster. Some of the skills include risk assessment skills, mitigation planning, and the ability to work with the communities in preparedness through periodic drills. According to Drabek’s study of 1987, effective emergency managers should have salient traits such as anticipating disasters, an exhibition of professionalism, being community mentors, reconciliatory traits, the knowledge of extending of authority and ordinance based powers and doing anything possible to protect and preserve the safety of the community. Question one The National Academy of Sciences study of emergency management concluded that efficient emergency managers need critical future skills such as grasp of the public administration and budgeting skills. It also made it clear that understanding of HAZUS software and improvement warnings and communications was essential for emergency managers. The study concluded that emergency managers should improve the use of social media and acquire higher education on risk assessment and preparedness skills (Langberg, 2010). The study also suggested that emergency managers should be more regionally focused and share best practices in emergency management to enhance the response capabilities of the first responders. The National Academy of Sciences study also proposed the better use of GIS and other software technologies in identifying and responding to emergencies. On the other hand, the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) recently announced that the emergency managers should be compressive, risk-driven, progressive, inclusive, collaborative, professional, coordinated and flexible in response to emergencies (Howitt & Leonard, 2009). The future requirements of emergency managers will require uneven distribution of the disaster preparedness resources in rural and urban areas. Some of the potential effects on emergency managers' duties include the extent of legal responsibility assigned to emergency managers and the use of advanced GIS and other software networking technologies (Langberg, 2010). The future will require the emergency managers to advocate for disaster-related regulations and laws and develop a budget for emergency preparedness. The future will also require emergency managers to develop skills in negotiating mutual aid agreements and relief contracts (Howitt & Leonard, 2009). The managers will also be required to devise emergency excise and drills programs and exercise personal judgment in deciding whether a personal property can be seized, relocated or destroyed during a disaster. The emergency managers will also be required to plan for the special needs of the populations, utilize more scientific methods of risk and hazards analysis, promote public awareness of the emergencies, create a bona fide long-lasting public-private partnerships. Other future requirements will include managing mass casualty events due to large scale disasters and controlling disasters in vulnerable large cities with high populations. The emergency managers will need higher formal education and training to improve information sharing capabilities with local governments (Hite, 2003). The skills and traits of emergency managers require interoperable communication mechanisms like GIS and legal framework to support the enforcement of public security. Through budgeting skills, the emergency managers will be capable of procuring items and technologies in a more effective manner rather than vendors who are interested in marketing the products. Stewardship responsibilities will ensure emergency managers acquire systems with low operating costs and share information across the state and local governments. Multiagency cooperation between the police, the fire department and other emergency response agencies will ensure the training of cohesive teams to respond to emergencies (Howitt & Leonard, 2009). Generally, the enumerated emergency management objectives of the future include strategies to deal with special populations, interoperable communication capabilities, smart procurement of technologies and items, regional focus on emergency management, the need for racial, cultural and ethnic diversity in the communities, need to adequately protect critical infrastructure like airports, and need to spend adequate time on homeland security like countering human trafficking (Hite, 2003). In conclusion, the current emergency managers are not adequately prepared to deal with future emergencies and disasters. There is a lack of regional wide cooperation and information sharing among the emergency agencies. The emergency managers are not adequately trained on GIS and other communication technologies or hazard analysis software. More training, cooperation and risk-driven approach to emergency management are needed to meet the future requirements. Question two There are various enumerated objectives for future emergency managers. Some of the objectives include multiagency cooperation, strategies of dealing with a special population, integrated communication technologies implementation and smart procurement of technologies (Fagel, 2011). The enumerated emergency management objectives can be ranked from the most important to the least important objective. In my view, I believe that maintaining the all-hazards approach and building productive relationships within the federal system at both State and federal agencies is the most important. This will enable the emergency managers to foresee any terrorism and associated vulnerabilities like sovereign enemies and implement measures of responding to any disaster. The second most important objective is multiagency coordination with the benefits of a pooled common EOC (Fagel, 2011). A common center will allow different emergency response agencies such as utility companies, fire departments, and police to share information and establish cohesive and highly trained teams for emergency response. The third most important objective is the more regional and statewide implementation of emergency management functions. Disaster can either occur at rural or urban centers thus the emergency managers need to foster region-wide emergency prevention across the country. The fourth important objective is interoperable communication. Poor communication with rural communities may hinder disaster response efforts and prevention. However, through the use of integrated GIS technologies, emergency managers can easily share information across States and respond to any potential threats (Hite, 2003). The fifth important objective is using advanced simulation games and technologies. The emergency managers should be able to predict disasters through simulations through training on complex disaster scenarios and changing terrorism patterns (Fagel, 2011). The sixth important enumerated objective for future emergency managers is to spend 15 percent or more on issues affecting homeland security. The emergency manager should have skills in homeland security awareness like skills in combating human trafficking and cyberspace security threats. This will ensure that the national security system is well coordinated along with the military, law enforcement, and intelligence to adequately guaranteed homeland security and disaster response (Fagel, 2011). The emergency managers will have to deal with local problems such as drug trafficking, organized criminal gangs and proliferation of weapons since this poses a greater danger to the national security system (Fagel, 2011). The seventh important enumerated objective will be to display a passion for and skills in protecting the critical infrastructures in the communities (Hite, 2003). The emergency managers must keep vigilant on key infrastructures that are vulnerable to massive casualties or catastrophic accidents. Some of the infrastructures include airports, seaports and large buildings in the communities that are vulnerable to terrorist attacks or other natural disasters (Fagel, 2011). Conclusion Emergency managers must display some skills and traits such as professionalism, the ability to anticipate disasters and reconciliatory abilities with the communities. The emergency managers must understand their legal responsibilities, understand the authority chain and display competence while interacting with the communities. The emergency managers must adequately conduct risk assessments, respond to disasters on time and guard key infrastructure. Some enumerated objectives of future emergency managers include multiagency cooperation, implementation of GIS technologies, the ability to ensure homeland security and keep vigilant of key infrastructure in the communities. The emergency managers should also understand the needs of special populations and encourage both cultural and racial diversity in communities. References: Fagel, M.J. (2011). Principles of emergency management and emergency operations centers (EOC). Boca Raton. CRC Press. Hite, M. C. (2003). Workshop summary from the Disasters Roundtable: The Emergency Manager of the Future. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. Howitt, A. M., & Leonard, H. B. (Eds.). (2009). Managing crises: Responses to large-scale emergencies. Washington DC: CQ Press. Langberg, D. R. (2010). “Organizational innovations in counterterrorism: Lessons for cyber- security, human trafficking, and other complex national missions”. Homeland Security Affairs, 6(Art.1). Available from http://www.hsaj.org/?article=6.3.1. Read More