Homeland Security


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Homeland Security


HLS308 - Homeland Security
Homeland Security
Ed Piper, MS, BA, AA - Vita

Course Description:

This introductory course provides educators, students, and practitioners with a comprehensive account of past and current Homeland Security practices, policies and programs in relation to the government restructuring. It also examines the relationship of state, local governments and the private sector in Homeland Security.

Objectives:
  1. To develop a better understanding of the current organizational structure and responsibilities of the new the Department of Homeland Security.
  2. To examine recent and past terrorism attacks in the US.
  3. To analyze the U.S. strategies to prevent, react and respond to domestic terrorist attacks.
Required Book(s) –   Online Bookstore

Introduction to Homeland Security, Jane Bullock, George D. Haddow, Elsevier Buttwerworth Heinemann, ISBN: 00750677872, 2004

Websites or PDF Files to Visit or Read: N/A

Written Assignments:
This introductory course requires extensive reading of a large Homeland Security textbook. For that reason, assignments will be limited to answering weekly questions and emailing your responses to the instructor at the end of each week. Your responses must include page numbers from the text that support your answer. The responses each week are valued at 10 points each.

2 points will be subtracted for each incident of: sloppiness, poor grammar, poor spelling and poor punctuation. Late papers receive a grade of zero.

TOTAL FOR COURSE: 100 POINTS

I will determine your final grade based on the total number of points you have accumulated at the end of the semester. I do not award letter grades for each paper or exam. Your grade will be determined as follows:

95-100 points A
90-94 points A-
85-89 points B+
80-84 points B
75-79 points B-
70-74 points C+
65-69 points C
60-64 points C-
55-59 points D
below 55 points F


STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS/ACTIVITIES:

Assignments: Read the assigned readings and email your answers to the instructor each week.

Week 1: Read Chapter One. Why did the National Governors Association and its members push the federal government to create FEMA? Why was DHS established?

Week 2: Read Chapter two. What are the principal functions of the Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Act and Homeland Security Presidential Directive Five?

Week 3: Read Chapter Three. Discuss the two major differences between traditional hazards and the new hazards associated with terrorism.

Week 4: Read Chapter Four. What is the principal role of emergency management in Homeland Security? Identify the other major players and their roles and Homeland Security.

Week 5: Read Chapter Five. What are the key intelligence agencies in United States? Briefly comment on their roles in terms of Homeland security.

Week 6: Read Chapter Six. What mitigation/preparedness role does the private sector have in terms of Homeland Security? Do you believe the private sector learned lessons from 911 terrorist attacks?

Week 7: Read Chapter Seven. The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security is seen by some scholars and experts as a militarization of the emergency management field. Do you agree with this view? Explain why or why not.

Week 8: Read Chapter Eight. Discuss the role of the mass media in risk and crisis communications.

Week 9: Read Chapter Nine. Identify 10 specific areas of research the DHS encompasses that were previously not included in FEMA or any other existing laboratories research centers.

Week 10: Read Chapter 10. Compare and contrast the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the National Security Act of 1947.

About Your Instructor:
Ed Piper has over 30 years of experience in intelligence, law enforcement, security, education, training and consulting. He designed the first college credit course in terrorism in Washington D.C. back in 1984 and has taught security at George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University (active), Webster University Graduate School, Norwich University and a number of other colleges. He serves as President and CEO of Homeland Security Consultants, Inc.