Local Government Homeland Security Information Systems

2010 ◽  
pp. 136-150
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Reddick
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Security Information ◽  
State And Local

This chapter examines homeland security information systems (HSIS) with a focus on local governments. Local governments are typically the first at the scene when responding to an emergency or a terrorist attack. The most notable incidents are Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In both of these incidents the first responders were the local governments, which faced dual issues of communication and information sharing. It is important to understand the current level of preparedness and use of HSIS in local governments. This chapter tries to discern the relative priority of HSIS compared to other priorities of local governments in the realm of homeland security. This chapter first outlines some background information on local governments with respect to their organizational structure and level of homeland security preparedness. The second section outlines the stages of e-government adoption, which is commonly discussed in the local e-government literature. Third, there is a discussion of homeland security information sharing between the federal, state, and local governments. There is some evidence presented from existing surveys of the impact of HSIS on local governments. Finally, there is survey results presented from a study conducted by the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA) on homeland security preparedness. This survey information is used to determine where HSIS fits into local priorities on homeland security.

Conclusion

2010 ◽  
pp. 204-211
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Reddick
Keyword(s):  
Homeland Security ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Security Information ◽  
State And Local

This book examined Homeland Security Information Systems (HSIS) and how this technology has influenced IT at all levels of government. The first part of the book provided background information on homeland security preparedness, e-government, and collaboration. The second part examined the impact of HSIS on federal, state, and local governments in the United States. The final part of this book examined some emerging issues in HSIS of citizens and their interaction with homeland security, information security, and online emergency management information. This chapter summarizes the key findings of the book and provides future research recommendations. The results in this book show that there is a need for homeland security preparedness and planning at all levels of government and HSIS are one critical component of planning efforts. The results demonstrate that top management support is critical for effective planning in order to ensure that these managers are fully on board with HSIS. Scarce resources at all levels of governments means that there is a priority setting process taking place, when choosing which HSIS should be incorporated. Citizen involvement is a key component to HSIS since citizens are normally the first on the disaster scene and their use of technology can help response efforts.

How the next President of the United States can fix FEMA

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane A. Bullock, BA ◽  
George D. Haddow, MURP
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Current System ◽  
Hazard Mitigation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Department Of Homeland Security ◽  
State And Local

Our nation continues to experience increased frequency and severity of weather disasters. All of these risks demand that we look at the current system and assess if this system, which is predicated on strong Federal leadership in partnership with State and local governments and which failed so visibly in Hurricane Katrina, needs to be rebuilt on a new model. We are suggesting a plan of action that, we believe, is practical, achievable, and will reduce the costs in lives, property, environmental and economic damage from future disasters. The next President is the only person who can make this happen.We suggest that the next President undertake the following steps: (1) move FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security; (2) appoint a FEMA Director, who is a trusted adviser to the President; (3) include the appointment of the FEMA Director in the first round of Presidential appointees to the Cabinet; (4) rebuild the Federal Response Plan; (5) remove the hazard mitigation and long-term recovery functions from FEMA; (6) invest $2.5 billion annually in hazard mitigation; (7) support community disaster resiliency efforts. The next President will have the opportunity to build the new partnership of Federal, State and local governments, voluntary agencies, nonprofits and the private sector that is needed to make our nation resilient. The question is will the next President take advantage of this opportunity?

Policing for Homeland Security

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willard M. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Homeland Security ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Institutional Response ◽  
Local Police ◽  
State And Local

Since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, Federal, State and local governments have increasingly moved toward establishing Homeland Security as an institutional response to not only the threat of future terrorist attacks, but as a means of preparing and responding to natural disasters. Every plan at every level has stated that a critical element to any Homeland Security program is the local police and sheriff's departments. What specifically the police are to do under the concepts of Homeland Security has been unclear and poorly communicated and departments across the country have responded very differently from one another. To date, research in the area of Policing and Homeland Security has been lacking. This article addresses that deficiency, introduces the collection of research articles contained within this special issue of Criminal Justice Policy Review, and establishes an agenda for future research.

Addressing Challenges to Homeland Security Information Sharing in American Policing: Using Kotter’s Leading Change Model

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1250-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
The United States ◽  
Change Model ◽  
Leading Change ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Agency Issues ◽  
Security Information ◽  
State And Local

The sharing of homeland security information is a crucial aspect of modern policing in the United States. This article outlines some of the obstacles to information sharing at the state and local levels, including interagency and intra-agency issues that arise for police agencies. It explores the complexities of information sharing across a highly decentralized policing system. Many police departments lack a formal intelligence function that limits their ability to share information. This article offers an organizational change model using John Kotter’s Leading Change principles that police agencies of any size can follow. It outlines Kotter’s eight-stage process from establishing a sense of urgency through anchoring new approaches in the culture to create a framework for police departments to integrate homeland security information sharing. Its intent is to provide a framework for police agencies to incrementally implement some of the recommendations of the various strategic documents that guide information sharing.

Federal Government Homeland Security Information Systems

2010 ◽  
pp. 93-111
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Reddick
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Department Of Homeland Security ◽  
Security Information ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter focuses on Homeland Security Information Systems (HSIS) in the federal government. One definition of HSIS, in the federal government, is the application of information technology to homeland security with the aim of detecting fragmented clues, assembling them as a puzzle, then using the information to stop a terrorist attack (Nunn, 2005). Nunn’s definition focuses on the use of information for data mining for deducing possible terrorist attacks and responses to these incidents. This chapter recognizes the importance of data analysis, but uses a broader definition of federal HSIS being the use of information systems to prepare for and respond to a terrorist attack or significant national emergency. This definition of HSIS covers the importance of data mining to discover how information fits together as pieces of the puzzle, but it also incorporates other elements of information technology (IT) that are used to respond and prepare for a national incident. This chapter will first examine the Department of Homeland Security which has a tremendous influence over homeland security policy and information systems in the United States. There is an examination in this chapter of the environmental context of HSIS in the federal government, demonstrating some of the important pieces of legislation that have an influence in this area. This chapter discusses the roles and responsibilities of federal government Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to discern the scope of their responsibilities. A section of this chapter examines some principles of effective IT management in federal agencies. The final part of this chapter provides the results of a survey of CIOs in federal government departments/agencies to determine the influence of HSIS on their organizations.

scholarly journals Intelligence Fusion Centers for Homeland Security

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Federal Agencies ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Organizational Relationships ◽  
Fusion Centers ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Federal Agents ◽  
Local Agencies

This exploratory case study evaluates how effectively federal agencies share terrorism intelligence with fusion centers through interviews with senior leaders, federal agents deployed to fusion centers, and intelligence analysts working in fusion centers. Findings indicated that information sharing was hindered by both technology and inter-organizational relationships between the fusion centers and federal agencies. This study recommends enhanced information sharing approaches in order to alleviate the tension between federal and local agencies and remove obstacles, particularly related to classified intelligence related to counterterrorism. Doing so can improve the dynamics between federal and local agencies, thereby allowing critical information to be shared with state and local governments in a proactive manner that may better protect communities from catastrophic terrorist attacks.

Whose money matters in public education: A “public” good that parents purchase

2021 ◽  
pp. 147821032110343
Author(s):  
Eunju Kang
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Public Education ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
New York State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Education Funding ◽  
Funding Policy ◽  
State And Local

Instead of asking whether money matters, this paper questions whose money matters in public education. Previous literature on education funding uses an aggregate expenditure per pupil to measure the relationship between education funding and academic performance. Federalism creates mainly three levels of funding sources: federal, state, and local governments. Examining New York State school districts, most equitably funded across school districts among the 50 states, this paper shows that neither federal nor state funds are positively correlated with graduation rates. Only local revenues for school districts indicate a strong positive impact. Parents’ money matters. This finding contributes to a contentious discourse on education funding policy in the governments, courts, and academia with respect to education funding and inequality in American public schools.

scholarly journals A Framework for Rigorous Qualitative Research as a Component of Mixed Method Rapid-Cycle Evaluation

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Skillman ◽  
Caitlin Cross-Barnet ◽  
Rachel Friedman Singer ◽  
Christina Rotondo ◽  
Sarah Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Annual Reporting ◽  
Multiple Cycles ◽  
State And Local

As federal, state, and local governments continue to test innovative approaches to health care delivery, the ability to produce timely and reliable evidence of what works and why it works is crucial. There is limited literature on methodological approaches to rapid-cycle qualitative research. The purpose of this article is to describe the advantages and limitations of a broadly applicable framework for in-depth qualitative analysis placed within a larger rapid-cycle, multisite, mixed-method evaluation. This evaluation included multiple cycles of primary qualitative data collection and quarterly and annual reporting. Several strategies allowed us to be adaptable while remaining rigorous; these included planning for multiple waves of qualitative coding, a hybrid inductive/deductive approach informed by a cross-program evaluation framework, and use of a large team with specific program expertise. Lessons from this evaluation can inform researchers and evaluators functioning in rapid assessment or rapid-cycle evaluation contexts.

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