Unit 4 assignment
Task one
Your local community is expecting a visit by the president of the United States (POTUS) in 2 weeks. As is customary, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) has sent an agent from the nearest field office to plan the advance. The agent has requested that you, as local emergency manager, arrange a meeting with key public safety leaders to review local capabilities, discuss protocol, and outline the incident management structure that will be employed for this event.
Per the USSS agent, the event is set at the local high school. The president will arrive at the nearest international airport, transfer to Marine One, and fly to the sports field nearest the school’s gymnasium. He will speak to a capacity crowd for approximately 45 minutes on the topic of illegal immigration. He is expected to make a major policy announcement during this speech. Although the details of the policy are unknown, the president and his staff have been indicating that they are seeking to impose tough new entry screening practices specifically targeting persons from nations that are known to be home to terrorist organizations. The anticipated policy is being widely decried across the Middle East and is receiving considerable air time on news organizations worldwide.
Following the speech, it is possible that the president will work the “rope line” prior to departure. He will then ride in his motorcade to the local hospital to wish patients injured in a recent fire a swift recovery. The president will then be taken via his motorcade back to the airport and depart immediately for Andrews Air Force Base in the national capital region.
Your task this week is to engage in tactical planning for this event. Please complete FEMA’s online course, Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS 100 Level. Following the completion of the course, review the other resources provided as well. Click on the following link to take the FEMA Independent Study course ICS 100.
Based upon the scenario provided, write a 3-page incident plan summary intended solely for the interagency leadership team you assemble. Develop and include an ICS organizational chart that demonstrates the incident management construct you will employ, ensuring the engagement of local, state, and federal public safety participants. This chart does not need to reflect every activity or person assigned to the incident, but it should include at least the general staff and several branch section chiefs.
Your narrative, which should be based on what you have learned from the FEMA ICS 100 Course, the course materials, and your own research, should address the following research topics:
Assignment Guidelines
- Address the following in 750–1,000 words:
- Who should be invited to the initial planning meeting? What agencies and what level of organizational participation should be included?
- Who will serve as the incident commander for this event? Does the incident management structure you establish share leadership and oversight, or is a single person placed in charge? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the model you create?
- What other public and private-sector entities did you not include in the initial planning meeting of principals but will have a role either in planning for or coordinating/participating in the event? How will you incorporate them into your management structure?
- Given that local, state, and federal agencies all have statutory authority and responsibility to respond to any untoward incident occurring during this event, how have you reconciled overlapping authorities and responsibilities?
- What planning structure will you employ in preparation (e.g., meetings or conference calls)? Will they include all participants or be subdivided by subject area?
- Despite the inherent threats faced by the president at all times, does the nature of this event pose any specific, unique, or enhanced risks? How does that factor into your planning process or incident management structure?
- How will you achieve intelligence sharing, particularly given your role in emergency management rather than law enforcement, for participating entities during the time leading up to the event? Define the scope of threat information that the planning and incident management teams will need. Is it the same for all participants (thus reducing the specificity and classification level available), or can it be compartmentalized?
- Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.
- Compile your answers to the above questions into a final Word document, and submit it to your instructor.
Task two
The 9/11 Commission Report concluded that the failure of the intelligence community (IC) to share information between agencies and levels of government lead to significant gaps in situational awareness. The terrorists exploited those gaps to plan and execute their attacks. Over the years since 9/11, in an effort to improve the nation’s ability to share information and intelligence, more than 70 fusion centers have been created at the local, regional, and state levels. These efforts have not been without considerable cost and concerns, such as privacy. The recession of 2008–09 and lack of major terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11 resulted in local and state leaders having to rethink their ability to provide ongoing investments in these centers. Your local leadership has requested your assistance in assessing the situation.
Your assignment is to write a strategy memo of 850–1,100 words that addresses the major research questions listed below. You should utilize the course materials, Web resources, and the course articles provided as well as conduct your own research, including interviews if possible. Your final document should include an overview of the fusion center nearest to your place of residence. If you are unable to research your local fusion center, you should explore the information-sharing environment between agencies at your local level (again, local is defined at your discretion).
Your conclusion should outline your recommendations for your fusion center based upon the resources provided, your research, and the answers to the questions below.
Assignment Guidelines
- Address the following in 850–1,100 words:
- What local jurisdiction did you choose for this assignment?
- Does your local jurisdiction have or participate in a regional (e.g., major urban area or state-level) fusion center? If so, in what way? If not, what platforms (e.g., meetings, conference calls, or software/hardware solutions) are utilized by local HS practitioners to achieve information and intelligence sharing?
- What is the mission scope of your local fusion center (e.g., terrorism, all crimes, or all hazards)? How does the fusion center achieve that mission scope? How did it select their scope?
- Operationally, who is the lead agency for the fusion center? What other agencies provide direct support (e.g., funding and full- and part-time staff)? What disciplines are present? Is it operational (staffed) at all times?
- What are the funding sources for the fusion center?
- How are non-law enforcement agencies provided with information and intelligence?
- Does the fusion center have a written privacy policy?
- What types of products are produced, and to whom are they distributed?
- How are information and intelligence entered into the fusion center? How does the public enter information? How is the public made aware of its ability to report suspicious activity?
- Is the private sector engaged in any of the fusion center activities?
- What is the role of the fusion center during the response phase of an incident? What role would the fusion center play in support of a jurisdiction’s response operations following a terrorist attack and during a natural disaster?
- Are the investments made by the communities involved in supporting and managing the fusion center justified by your community’s risk/threat profile?
- Should the sustainment of the fusion center be a priority for local elected officials? If your community does not have its own fusion center but participates in or supports a regional or state fusion center, does it need its own?
- Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.
- Compile your answers to the above questions into a final Word document and submit it to your instructor.
