Department of Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Department of Homeland Security - Essay Example And a final review shows the successes and failures for the past, present and future of the DHS. Keywords: DHS, OIG, CRS, ACE, GAO. Department of Homeland Security Its Establishment, The Organization, Then and Now 2002 – 2013 Introduction: â€Å"Our nation is stronger than it was on 9/11, more prepared to confront evolving threats, and more resilient in the face of our continued challenges.† (Napolitano, 2011). It has been a decade since the attacks on September 11, 2001. Our nation lost nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children as well as citizens from more than 90 countries. In the wake of the attack, America has become even stronger and resilient; however, threats still persist. We have overcome challenges in the past decade, but more strides need to be made to guard our nation against other large attacks or natural disasters on our own soil.(DHS.gov, 2012). We have come to realize that it is not only the responsibility of our government to maintain security but it is a shared responsibility of each American. The Federal government has partnered with government, the public and private sectors in communities across our country and other nations to strengthen the DHS’s infrastructure. This large security endeavor works to defend against threats, minimize risks, and maximize our response so that we may recover quickly from any attacks or differing disasters. (DHS.gov, 2012). The vision, â€Å"Preserving our freedoms, protecting America..we secure our homeland.† (Napolitano, 2013). Establishment, Breakdown and Purpose: Immediately after the 9/11 attacks President Bush took authoritative action to assure protection for America. In the document of June 2002 he established the White House Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council to assure that our federal response and protective actions would be effective in the future. He appointed Tom Ridge as Homeland Security Advisor to study the federal government and determ ine if what we have now would be sufficient to deal with a current threat. He was also instructed to evaluate the system as far as future threats and anything unknown. (Bush, 2002). The study determined that since 9/11 information learned about the enemy while fighting a war required more unification in the homeland security division. (Bush, 2002). The organization would focus on four specific and efficient divisions. 1. Border and transportation security would cover borders, transportation systems and territorial waters. Responsibilities of the Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration, Border Patrol, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture would all be under this division. The newly formed Transportation Security Administration would cover all entries into the United States. This security measure assured that border control and visas were held in a central information-sharing database. (Bush, 2002). 2. Emergency preparedness and response focused on training for domestic disaster preparedness of first responders and communication with the government disaster response efforts. FEMA would become a central division of the DHS.