Homeland Security - The New Town High School - Assignment Example

?The New Town High School The school is in Baltimore County, MD, and offers grades 9-12. The school has a relatively equal number of boys and girls with the ratio of boys to girls being 52:48 and making a total of 951 students and 71 teachers. Students are evenly distributed in the four grades ranging from 210-250 students in each grade. The school has the highest number of black students in the state with 93% of the students being black, followed by a 4% white, then Hispanic and Asian respectively. Parents’ income in the school is high compared to that of most people in the county ranging between $50-125,000 per annum. I chose to study the New Town High School because this is the school that my daughter attends. She is involved in a number of the school activities, both curricular and co-curricular ones. Besides, this school is in my community and my neighbors’ children attend the same school. For these reasons, any security threat to the school is also a threat to our community; hence it is our responsibility to oversee the security of the school Interviews I interviewed the school principal, a teacher, a parent from the parent teachers’ committee, my daughter, and a junior student. The school principal has a good knowledge of security issues that the school faces, and takes part in formulation of policies that are instituted to address the issues. The teacher has been a member of staff for four years now and his interaction with both the students and administration enables him to access information from the two sides. The parent from the parent teachers’ committee has been a member of the committee for three years now. She interacts with students through her daughter who is a student in the school, and with teachers and faculty in the board. Being a parent in the school, she is concerned about the security issue of the school and lives in the same community the school is in and will give valuable information. My daughter is currently a senior in the school having attended it for the past four years. She actively participates in the school functions such as drills enabling her to interact with other students in an informal capacity, thus being able to pick up any useful information. Lastly, I will interview one junior student who, just like my daughter, participates in a number of activities in the school. The names of the two interviewees are withheld for obvious security reasons. Interviewer: Mr. Principal, could you please tell us the greatest challenges to security and safety of students and staff in the school. Principal: The greatest security challenges are the manmade threats such as terrorist threats, arson, computer malware, and unprofessional conduct. This is because while we are able to predict and control or prevent natural disasters, we are not able to easily detect and prevent manmade threats because of their malicious intents. The school’s intelligence services are not so sophisticated to get hold of malicious plans beforehand, thus prevention is difficult. Interviewer: What measures has the administration put in place to keep the school safe from natural disasters. Principal: When constructing the premises, we ensured that they were away from fault lines that could lead to earthquakes. We are in constant touch with the meteorological department for any updates on looming disasters. With the break of avian and swine flu, we increased the stock in our clinic with sufficient equipment to detect and treat such pandemics. Besides, our hygiene standards are good with qualified personnel to keep such sanitation outbreaks away. Interviewer: Your school comprises a majority of black students. How are you able to ascertain that they are not a security threat, especially with respect to drug and gang activities. Principal: We are in the process of instituting a full time intelligence service with the help of the Department of Homeland Security. So far, we just look out for any strange activity among the students and investigate. Interviewer: What has the teaching staff done to aid the efforts of the faculty in ensuring security in the school? Teacher: We implement the awareness and preparedness circular by teaching the students on how to tackle such disasters. We also conduct research on better and recent possible attacks and their prevention to keep the students updated. Interviewer: What obstacles do you encounter in these efforts? Teacher: There are not sufficient funds for the disaster department to undertake full research on the new techniques and prevention methods. Time allocated for the update classes is little and sparse; they are held once in every three months. Interviewer: What do you think should be done to increase the security level in the school? Teacher: The faculty should allocate more funds and time to the research and awareness program. Networking facilities in the school need to be more secured and allow restricted access to protect crucial students and staff information. Parents need to partner up with the school in reporting any mischievous behavior in their children. Interviewer: What are parents doing in an effort to ensure the safety of the school and their children? Parent: We encourage one another to pay keen attention to our children and their friends so as to detect any strange behavior or plans. If we suspect any student or their family and background, we report to the school principal to authorize further investigations by the Sherriff. Interviewer: What are some of the common complaints by your children about their safety in the school? Parent: We have registered complaints about fraud activities in the school, especially in the finance department, about the safety condition of the school laboratory with claims that access is not restricted, frequent power outages especially during bad weather, and unresponsiveness by the administration on some student issues such as food and school trips. Interviewer: Do you think your children are safe in this school? Parent: We think they are safe from natural harm as the school has taken all measures possible to keep natural hazards such as storms at bay and in the event that they happen, it has mechanisms in place to reduce harm. We are particularly concerned with the manmade threats with the increase in terrorist threat and drug use among the students. Other schools have experienced these threats, so we are just on the lookout. Interviewer: Who do you think is to blame for insecurity and the presence of threats in your school? Daughter: The administration is to blame to the extent that it has failed to implement policies that can curb miscreant gang activities and the wide racial gap between the majority blacks and other races. This has led to hate and discrimination among the students. The administration has also failed in teaching the students effective disaster awareness and preparedness, updating their knowledge on preventive strategies now and again because of the constant evolution of strategies used. Some services such as the school bus and power system are poor with frequent breakdowns and outages. The student body has also failed by taking part in some of the threats such as terrorist activities, riots, racist activities, and withholding valuable information they gather from their colleagues that can help prevent the disasters. Interviewer: What are some of the miscreant activities students take part in? Daughter: We have had cases of planned arson; there are those who use drugs and abuse other substances; we’ve had unreported rape cases especially between dating couples, and gang theft while at home. There are rumors of planned terrorist activities and this intelligence has been passed to the administration for investigation. Interviewer: Do you think that the community has a positive or negative influence on the school security? Daughter: There are many vices in the community that have been passed on to the school, such as gang activities, drugs, prostitution, thefts, terrorist threats, and government facilities that could cause disaster in the school. Interviewer: Do the senior students influence upon the junior students’ any bad behavior. Student: This school is built on traditions and a culture that is passed on. When we join, we observe and learn what goes on and we pick up the traits. A number of my classmates have been introduced to drugs by the senior students and some into more serious gangs that operate in the community. Interviewer: Does the administration give you sufficient attention to the security issue. Student: We are given first priority during awareness sessions and the administration tries all ways possible to discourage interactions with the senior students that go beyond class work and normal school activities. Interviewer: On whom do you feel lays the greatest challenge in ensuring the security of the school? Student: The greatest challenge lies with the students as it is they who largely engage in such threats. They get bad influence from others and the community and pass it on to others in the school. The administration needs to put measures in place to detect such activities and bring them to investigation. Upon interviewing the five, they identified the following threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences listed below as the ones most likely to affect the school’s operations, strategy and mission, information systems, financial stability, reputation and legal position. Table1. Disasters/Catastrophes Threats Vulnerabilities Consequences Hurricane 1. Lack of emergency exits and outlets for students and teachers. 2. Lack of formal training on how to handle the disaster. 1. Destruction of school facilities. 2. Destruction of students’ homes. 3. Injury or death to students and teachers and students’ parents Storm 1. Lack of or ineffective thunder arrestors. 2. Lack of back up plans for students and teachers. 1. Can cause fire. 2. Injury to students and teachers and other times death. External Community. 3. Accidents in nearby chemical and nuclear plants. 4. Government and military facilities during war or conflict. 5. Flooding rivers or nearby water sources. 6. Transport sites such as railroads, air ports, pipelines, gas pipes, that can damage and cause hazards. 1. Injury or death during accidents or war. 2. Destruction of premises during natural disasters such as flooding and storms. 3. Contamination in the events of damages such as pipelines and rivers. Fires 1. Use of highly inflammable material in construction of school buildings. 2. Students not formally trained on how to use the fire extinguishers available. 3. Lack of sufficient first aid skills. 4. Lack of gas masks and alternative ventilation to prevent harm from smoke. 1. Destruction of school premises and facilities. 2. Injury and/or death to students and staff. Terrorist threat 1. Lack of security searches. 2. Lack of policies to investigate backgrounds of students. 3. Lack of sufficient intelligence on student and staff activities. 4. Lack of backup plans for students and teachers to evacuate in such an event. 5. Loose restrictions on entry to chemical laboratories. 6. Lack of awareness and preparedness among students of how to handle such disasters. 1. Killing of students and/or teachers by shooting. 2. Destruction of school property and loss of life through bombs and grenade attacks. 3. Cause riots and reactionary attacks targeting specific persons of specific races or religion that are suspected to be masterminds. 4. Racial segregation and discrimination. pandemics 1. Lack of massive screening facilities for initial identification. 2. Lack of awareness among students of initial symptoms, preventive measures and containment for those infected. 3. Presence of harmful organisms in processed foods, such as salmonella in peanut. 1. Loss of life. 2. Absenteeism from school for treatment of quarantine. Structural collapse 1. Weak structural materials in construction of the school’s facilities. 2. Lack of awareness among students to identify initial signs of collapse such as lines of weaknesses or shaky structures. 1. Destruction of school premises and facilities. 2. Destruction of power lines, telephone lines, leading to power outages causing ineffective learning environment. 3. Loss of life and injury to students and staff. Transport accidents 1. Careless and reckless driving. 2. Poor weather such as storms and fog. 3. Irresponsible behavior by students during transport. 1. Legal suits. 2. Loss of lives and/or injury to students. 3. Additional expenditure in repairs and treatment. 4. Poor reputation of the institution. Culture of school and community. 1. Use and trafficking of drugs and other substances. 2. Sexual misconduct. 3. Major and minor crimes such as homicides, bullying, truancy, theft. 1. Poor performance. 2. Incarceration and punishments. 3. Crimes such as murder and rape out of influence of drugs. 4. Poor reputation. 5. Legal suits. Hazardous material 1. Poor storage. 2. Close proximity of student facilities to laboratories. 3. Lack of awareness of handling laboratory material. 1. Loss of lives and or death. 2. Cause destructive fires. Civil unrest/riots 1. Lack of clear policies and disciplinary measures regulating student riots and ways of airing their grievances. 2. Unresponsive administration to the needs of the students and teachers. 1. Disrupt learning activities. 2. Can turn violent leading to injury, loss of lives, and destruction of school premises. 3. Create poor reputation for institution. 4. Legal suits. Earthquake 1. Lack of preparedness and awareness of safety precautions. 2. Use of weak materials in construction/lack of structural hardening. 3. Furniture and movables not properly placed. 4. Location of the school premises near a fault line. 1. Destruction of school premises and facilities and loss of lives or injury. Table 2. Disruptive Business/Management Crises Threat Vulnerabilities Consequences Power outage/ disruptions 1. Poor structural material 2. Irregular use or overuse that leads to power surge. 3. Bad weather conditions. 4. Inefficiency of distributing company. 5. Lack of generators to back up the supply. 1. Loss of computer data 2. Incapacitates learning activities. Ageing work force. 1. HR department not open to progressive reform. 2. Rigid and unresponsive policies. 1. Loss of institutional knowledge. 2. Lack of enough staff due to retirement. Teacher/subordinate staff strike 1. Poor payment and terms of service. 2. Unresponsiveness by administration and poor channels of communication. 3. Lack of motivation. 1. Bad reputation. 2. Legal processes. 3. Disrupts learning activities. 4. Additional cost of hiring outside services. Financial cutbacks in support and spending. 1. National inflation and economic flaws. 2. Withdrawal of state aid 3. Corrupt activities by administration. 4. Unplanned or emergence projects that spill into the school budget. 1. Poor and inadequate services for students, such as laboratory equipment. 2. Students and staff strike. 3. Poor academic performance. 4. Eventual closedown of the school in the event of lack of funds. Poor hygiene/sanitation 1. Poor performance by cleaning agents. 2. Poor structure for sanitation sewers and disposal facilities. 1. Outbreak of diseases. 2. Poor reputation. 3. Legal suits. Fraud. 1. Unqualified and incompetent professionals such as accountants and auditors. 2. Culture of not speaking up about problems by workers. 1. Legal suits. 2. Poor reputation. 3. Poor academic performance. 4. Misappropriation of funds/financial loss. Network insecurity 1. Unsecure passwords and networking channels. 2. Access by untrustworthy persons to network facilities. 1. Hacking and loss of valuable data. 2. Distortion of information. 3. Legal suits. 4. Poor reputation. Management/power wrangles 1. Unclear lines of leadership, responsibility specifications, and succession procedures. 1. Legal suits. 2. Poor reputation. 3. Poor academic performance. Analysis Patterns in the vulnerabilities and consequences There is a clear pattern in the vulnerabilities and consequences incurred. The consequence is as a result of an available vulnerability that paves the way for a particular threat to happen, leading to the consequences (Lee, 2008). Consequences from natural disasters are as a direct result of natural vulnerabilities and manmade vulnerabilities such as ignorance and irresponsibility on the side of experts to determine potential threats and mitigate them. Manmade disasters infer consequences that are direct results of manmade vulnerabilities such as malice or ill will. Knowing the weaknesses a particular threat is likely to take advantage of can enable one to know the kind of consequences to expect in a school where there is limited communication channels among students, teachers, and the administration and where students’ needs are not met, there is a high probability that riots or staff going slowly will be likely to take place (Alexander, 2002). If the same school admits students from foreign countries, especially those with intolerant or anti-American beliefs such as those in the Middle East, it should expect such consequences as terrorist threats or activities. The origin and nature of vulnerabilities can determine the nature of consequences to be expected. The all-hazards management approach. This is the recommended approach to tackling the issue of security and combating threats. This approach takes into account all information related to the threat. All potential sources, both physical and intangible, with a wide enterprise scope and all possible participants should be taken into account in managing threats. This ensures that all vulnerabilities are sealed off, providing no loophole for any threat to take place (Bassham & Polk, 1994). Those vulnerabilities that have a natural recourse, such as probable sites for earthquakes in such a form that they are beyond human control, should be evacuated and avoided so that no harm reaches the human population or property is not destroyed. This approach also requires that for hazards to be effectively managed, they should be assessed holistically so that resources can be allocated relative to the magnitude of the risk. Such is the approach the Department of Homeland Security has taken in its efforts to curb the terrorism threat so that the facilities that are most vulnerable, such as airports, receive the largest portion of resources to fight terrorism. Recognizing and Mitigating Disasters and Crises Despite the vast technology that enables experts to identify initial disasters and crises even before they occur, it is still not easy for authorities and organizations to recognize potential disasters and crises and take actions in order to mitigate them before they happen (Wisner, Cannon, & Davis, 2004). Many people fail to recognize potential disasters and crises out of ignorance or inability to critically assess a situation to realize the magnitude of vulnerability. Some assess a situation within a narrow scope without including all factors involved, thus making an ill informed judgment that does not visualize the potential threat and its consequences. Administrations of most organizations simply choose to overlook potential disasters for the fear of spending in order to avert the pending disaster. Some are to blame for the vulnerabilities that could be leading to potential threats and just ignore them for fear of reprimand. Some think that they will just go away or that they may not get to happen like prediction on earthquakes. Insights gained From this assignment, I have learned that a threat is facilitated by vulnerabilities, factors that offer an opportunity for the threat to occur. While tackling a threat, we should assess the entirety of vulnerabilities and the various consequences that come out of it for effective mitigation (Mitnick & Simon, 2002). These insights will be applied in practical disaster awareness and mitigation in various institutions. With this knowledge, one will be able to assess a situation wholly to seal off any vulnerability that will give opportunity for the disaster and predict outcomes so as to avert them beforehand. References Alexander, D. (2002). Principles of emergency planning and management. Harpended: Terra Publishers. Bassham, L. E., & Polk, T. W. (1994). Threat assessment of malicious code and human threats. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Computer Security Division. Retrieved from http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir/threats. Lee, D. (2008). Natural Disasters. NY: Publishers. Mitnick, K., & Simon, W. L. (2002). The art of deception. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing. Wisner, B., Cannon, B., & Davis, I. (2004). At risk-natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge. Read More