Take your Homeland Security Transportation Field Project course online today for continuing education credits or as part of the degree program!
Home / FAQs / Online Degrees / Certificate Courses / Admission Policies / Class Rooms / Request Info.

Canyon College

online Homeland Security Transportation Field Project course at Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Homeland Security Transportation Field Project


Course Title: HLS498 - Homeland Security Transportation Field Project
Department: Homeland Security
Instructor: Ed Piper, MS, BA, AA - - Vita

Course Description:

Course Description: This final course provides the student with the opportunity to examine homeland security transportation changes since the 911 Commission by reviewing Dr. Stephen Flynn's 2007 book entitled: The Edge of Disaster. It also enables the student to examine transportation security in their own community by reviewing the infrastructure vulnerabilities and hazards in their area. It encourages students to review open-source information pertaining to transportation security issues in their region. Finally, it strongly encourages students to interview homeland security/emergency management leaders in their immediate area.

Objectives:
  1. To provide students with the most updated information pertaining to disaster management vulnerabilities, infrastructure weaknesses and potential terrorist and all hazard scenarios currently facing the United States.
  2. To re-examine the homeland security concept that has developed since 911.
  3. To develop a new appreciation for the term resiliency as described by Stephen Flynn.
  4. To apply security assessment and emergency management concepts towards areas of concern in the student’s own community.
Required Book(s) N/A:

The Edge of Disaster, by Stephen Flynn. Random House (2007). ISBN13: 9781400065516

Written Assignments:

The first part of this course will require you to read The Edge of Disaster, Stephen Flynn, Random House, 2007. Each week, you will answer the following questions and email your measures to me. Each answer must be at least one page double spaced. Each week’s responses are worth 5 points.

Week 1: What is the major premise of Dr. Flynn's book?

Week 2: What is Dr. Flynn recommend intelligence community do with information pertaining to the destruction of the infrastructure of the United States and its population? How does this differ from before 911? What is the Achilles heel repeatedly mentioned by Dr. Flynn?

Week 3: Are we better prepared to deal with disasters than we were in the last century? Defend your answer.

Week 4: Part of the all hazards approach towards emergency management deals with floods. What is your opinion of Dr. Flynn's assessment of our readiness to deal with this hazard? Should we be concerned? Why? Why not?

Week 5: What are the ailing foundations? What did we learn from TOPOFF 3?

Week 6: What is your opinion of Admiral William Crowe's opinion of the real danger facing United States regarding terrorism? Is the war in Iraq preparing terrorists to attack us here in the United States?

Week 7: How should BRAC be applied to homeland security priorities?

Week 8: Is it possible to make a case for the private sector to make a substantial investment in security as long as it is tied its long-term financial interest?

Week 9: Should our lack of preparedness for all hazards be made public? Can the American population safely process this information or will there be a panic?

Week 10: How can we become a more resilient society?

Special Assignments: 50 Points

Each student will prepare a 10 page double spaced paper. It is due on Week 9.

The paper will focus on the infrastructure concerns within your own community?

What are the most important transportation security issues within your own community? (Airport, seaport, railways-all of these) What are the most likely hazards facing these systems? How prepared are your emergency management/public safety agencies to deal with these hazards? What is the most dangerous scenario facing your community in terms of terrorism or natural disaster? Have there been any exercises focused on the scenario? If so, what did the hot wash or lessons learned indicate.

Grades: 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


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.