25 Sep American public was painfully reminded of the fact that improvised explosive devices

After the 2013 Patriots’ Day Boston Marathon bombing, the American public was painfully reminded of the fact that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continue to be the terrorist’s weapon of choice. Thus, the DHS issued the written grant application guidance which indicates that each state should spend 25 percent of their total funding to strengthen their IED-related capabilities and preparedness planning.

Although some states welcome this grant condition to increase their bomb squads, other states and localities argue that this grant requirement is not the best use of limited resources and taxpayers’ money given the limited intelligence indicating any large-scale IED threats domestically.

Before you begin this discussion, be sure to complete the following readings, also listed on the Learning and Assessment Activities page:

• Bullock, J. A., Haddow, G. D., & Coppola, D. P. (2016). Introduction to homeland security: Principles of all-hazards risk management (5th ed.). Waltham, MA: Elsevier.

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2013). Written testimony of FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino for a senate committee on homeland security and governmental affairs hearing titled “Lessons learned from the Boston Marathon bombings: Preparing for and responding to the attack.” (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/news/2013/07/10/written-testimony-fema-senate-committee-homeland-security-and-governmental-affairs

After reviewing the assignments, lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and readings, you have a better understanding of the issues surrounding preparing for terrorist attacks and the appropriate need and use of grant applications to assist the states’ bomb squads. For this discussion, address the following question:

• Is the grant requirement wise within the context of the new types of terrorist hazards domestically, or is it simply a waste of taxpayers’ money, especially when there are so many other hazards, particularly natural disaster relief, that could use this earmarked money?

The homeland security mission operates within a bureaucratic fog between the federal, state, and local governments with regards to appropriation of funds, confusing mission guidance, competing allocation priorities, threat perceptions, and simple politics. All of this creates what some critics posit as serious preparedness, prevention, and response vulnerabilities. They also argue that moving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) into the DHS has greatly diminished FEMA’s mission, programs, reporting structure, and effectiveness in responding to natural disasters—such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy–and many more commonly occurring hazards and disasters, over and above terrorism threats.

Before you begin this discussion, be sure to complete the following readings, also listed on the Learning and Assessment Activities page:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. (2009). FEMA: In or out? (Links to an external site.) [PDF file size 344 KB]. Retrieved from http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/OIG_09-25_Feb09.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Bullock, J. A., Haddow, G. D., & Coppola, D. P. (2016). Introduction to homeland security: Principles of all-hazards risk management (5th ed.). Waltham, MA: Elsevier.

Painter, W. L. (2013). CRS report for Congress: Issues in homeland security policy for the 113th Congress (Links to an external site.) [PDF file size 768 KB]. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R42985.pdf (Links to an external site.)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2012). Implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations: Progress report 2011 (Links to an external site.)[PDF file size 261 KB]. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/implementing-9-11-commission-report-progress-2011.pdf

After reviewing the assignments, lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and readings, you will be prepared to discuss the reorganization issues that some say hinder the DHS. For this discussion, respond to the following:

Discuss the pros and cons of removing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from within the DHS organization, and to have it remain an independent executive branch agency reporting directly to the president.