INFORMATION IS POWER

Center for Homeland Defense and Security

The CHDA

Altering the Mission Statement: The Training of Firefighters as Intelligence Gatherers

Blatus, Richard John (M.A. in Security Studies); Sep 2008 (cohort 0701-0702).

This NPS thesis investigates the role of firefighters as intelligence gatherers in the War on Terrorism. "The fire service is one of the premier emergency response agencies in the United States. As our nation strives to expand and enhance its homeland security efforts, firefighters have been recognized as an underutilized asset. The opportunity for firefighters to act as 'first preventers' in the war on terrorism is unmatched by any other emergency response agency. This, coupled with the warrantless search provisions afforded firefighters by the Constitution, makes firefighters the logical choice for training and inclusion into an expanded terrorism awareness initiative. Expansion of the intelligence-gathering capabilities of first responders, specifically firefighters, will not be without difficulty. The lack of training and educational opportunities afforded firefighters in this area, the changes in firefighting culture, the status of firefighters as an integral part of the community, are all obstacles that must be addressed. Firefighters respond to homes and businesses with unprecedented frequency. A multi-faceted approach involving training, community involvement, and operational awareness will streamline the utilization of firefighters in the area of threat recognition. Trained firefighters will help shoulder some of the burden placed on law enforcement while the utilization of a current asset will put forth a new best practice for the safety of our communities.
» Read full thesis https://www.hsdl.org/homesec/docs/theses/08Sep_Blatus.pdf&code=4da51a6a58d46a1a3463ddbe42f045e8

Citizen Preparedness Campaign: Information Campaigns Increasing Citizen Preparedness to Support Creating a 'Culture of Preparedness'

Bloom, Paula S (M.A. in Security Studies); Mar 2007 (cohort 0503-0504).

Citizen preparedness has been a requirement since the events of September 11, 2001 and was reinforced as a necessity after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August 2005. Although National Strategy documents outline the requirement for citizen participation in national preparedness the requirement is through volunteerism using the Citizen Corps. There are currently readiness programs being conducted through the Citizen Corps, Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency but they are not coordinated across the federal state and local or proactive in nature. Proactive Information Campaigns using core and supporting elements can be one methodology to increase citizen preparedness to support the creation of a 'Culture of Preparedness', which includes citizen participation along with the all levels of government and the private sector. Homeland Security stakeholders can use the Information Campaign Model developed to formulate proactive information campaigns to increase citizen preparedness.
» Read full thesis https://www.hsdl.org/homesec/docs/theses/08Sep_Blatus.pdf&code=4da51a6a58d46a1a3463ddbe42f045e8