HLSS603 250 APUS Preparedness and Resiliency in Homeland Security Discussion

Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions. You may challenge, support or supplement another student’s answer using the terms, concepts and theories from the required readings. Also, do not be afraid to respectfully disagree where you feel appropriate; as this should be part of your analysis process at this academic level.
Respond to:
Resilience is a critical aspect of recovering from the effects of a disaster, whether that event was perpetrated by nature or man. At its core, resilience is the product of planning for disaster or adversity, and then putting that plan into action prior to, during, or after an event has taken place. Resilience is more than just an individual ability to survive in the wake of a disaster, though survival is obviously a central component. In the context of national security, resilience is not only the ability to overcome adversity to survive a disaster; resilience is also a yardstick measurement for the speed and strength with which a person, business, or organization can make the transition from a state of inoperability to a degree of relative normalcy. Planning breeds resiliency and preparedness, and although a modicum of luck and circumstances may play key roles in recovering from a disaster, luck and “hope” are not viable (or predictable) planning methods.
The concept of homeland security is based on myriad organizations and agencies working in concert toward the same ultimate goal, though there will be separate specific agendas in place by each entity which determine why and how that goal is achieved. This is the very definition of synergy, in that two or more organizations are working toward the same common goal, and the resulting outcome of that partnership has a theoretical larger meaning or purpose than any singular organization could hope to achieve on its own.
An example of a synergistic outcome is the partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center. Through collaboration, these organizations have worked toward the development of the research project Composite of Post-Event Well-being or COPEWELL (Center for Preparedness and Response, 2018, para 1-2). This project is working toward development of a mathematical model to determine a community’s level of resilience, and in doing so, COPEWELL also works with the Division of Community Preparedness from FEMA.
Toward the goal of preparedness and resiliency at the national level, Presidential Policy Directive-8 (PPD-8) was designed as the kick-off point for today’s National Preparedness System (NPS) (Obama, 2011, pg 2). The directive lays out preliminary roles and responsibilities, goals, directs a National Preparedness Report, as well as the development of the NPS. Along the way PPD-8 points out that preparedness and resiliency are much more effective when the responsibilities are shared between the public and private sectors, and that continued interaction and planning are crucial elements of homeland security.
Although the public sector may be overtly responsible for the framework of national preparedness and its implementation throughout the nation, this action cannot be completed without assistance from the private and non-profit sectors. Just like an Infantry platoon is composed of several squads and fire teams which are completing separate and individual tasks, and these tasks may not appear related on the surface, they are all working toward the same common goal. The homeland security mechanism in the United States is doing the same thing, though scaled up to a much larger group of smaller organizations. Admittedly, there will be times when agendas, budgets, and personalities may get in the way of cross-working fluidity; this is simply the nature of humanity. Overall they are all working with the same outcome in mind: a more prepared and resilient America.
References
Center for Preparedness and Response (2018). Understanding Community Resilience and Recovery after Disasters. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/whyitmatters/RecoveryAfterDisaster2018.htm.
Obama, B. (2011). Presidential Policy Directive/ PPD-8. The White House. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/presidential-policy-directive-8-national-preparedness.pdf.

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