National Homeland Security Mission Areasand Theoretical Foundations

  In 2002, the Bush administration published the original "National Strategy for Homeland Security" document. This foundational document not only defined homeland security, but also provided overall strategic guidance for the implementation and management of the overall national homeland security system. Intended as an all-hazards strategy for all man-made and natural disasters, the document (Homeland Security Council, 2007) was inspired by the 9/11 attacks and thus retained a strong focus on the threat of terrorism. Since the publication of this document, there have been several revisions, some of which were prompted by changes in the administration. There are still, however, primary homeland security mission areas, also called goals or pillars, that organizations and agencies must achieve. Depending on one’s perspective, the mission areas duplicate, supersede, or update the more traditional emergency management phases of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. In the readings this week, you become familiar with the current homeland security mission areas and how they relate to the traditional emergency management phases. You also examine some of the theoretical foundations of the national homeland security system in terms of how it is organized.