Planning for coordination with federal entities regarding homeland security - Essay Example

Introduction In the fast changing social paradigms of uncertainties, the preparedness of the various disaster management imperatives needs to be well defined. The fire department especially, has a major role to play in the event of crisis. In the emerging new trends of extreme aggressive behavior, in the form of terrorists’ threat or in the cases where low tolerance often results in violent events, coordination with various federal agencies becomes extremely important for homeland security. The various federal entities that need to be coordinated at the time of crisis for effective recovery are detailed as follows.

Department of Homeland SecurityThe Department of Homeland Security is the central agencies that to provide effective management resource within federal, state and local governments on security issues. Its primary responsibility as a security authority is to anticipate, preempt, detect and deter threats to the homeland and its people from terrorist attacks, natural disasters or any other emergency. Its goal is to coordinate different agencies and programs into a single agency for fast and efficient response to the crisis.

Larry Ness states, ‘the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is still consolidating most of the more than 40 federal entities’ (Ness, 2006, p. 49). Its security responsibilities are varied and related to the governmental jurisdictions at federal, state, and local level and acts as a complementary system that connects all levels of government.Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) It is an independent agency reporting to the President and tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disaster.

Its role has become all the more important after 9/11 and works with a vision of ‘A Nation Prepared’. The National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response SystemIt works under FEMA and forms integrated disaster response task forces, comprising of emergency service personnel, equipped with necessary skills, techniques and tools that can be deployed for rescuing victims of structural collapse.Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) Its aim is to protect civilians and prevent the loss of property from natural hazards.

It acts as an emergency management to protect lives and property through partnerships with governments at the State and local levels as well as the private sector.United States Fire Administration (USFA) Its man function is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination and support. Federal Protective Service (FPS) It helps to promulgate interior security of the nation and the reduction of crimes and potential threats to federal facilities throughout the nation, and require close coordination and intelligence sharing with the investigative functions within Immigration and custom enforcement (ICE).

FPS is a full service agency with a comprehensive HAZMAT, WMD, Canine, and emergency response program as well as state-of-the-art communication and dispatch Mega centers. The key infrastructure sectors and federal facilities being agriculture; energy; water; public health; defense; information and telecommunication; transportation; and banking and finance (dhs.gov).ReferenceNess, L. (2006). Securing utility and energy infrastructures. John Wiley and Sons.National Strategy for Homeland Security.

Available from: [Acccessed 20 June, 2009].