Terrorism Awareness Guide

The overarching National Preparedness Goal for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is "to engage Federal, State, local, and tribal entities, their private and non-governmental partners, and the general public to achieve and sustain risk-based target levels of capability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from major events in order to minimize the impact on lives, property, and the economy." DHS issued the Goal on March 31, 2005.
Prevent, protect, respond, and recover are considered mission areas. Each mission area includes a collection of capabilities that require the integration of multiple disciplines, processes, and procedures.

The target capabilities list identifies 37 national preparedness capabilities, provides a description of each capability, and presents guidance on the levels of capability that federal, state, local, and tribal entities will be expected to develop and maintain. These capabilities underpin seven National Priorities, three of which are overarching and four of which are capability specific:

Overarching Priorities:

• Implement the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and The National Response Plan (NRP)
• Expanded regional collaboration
• Implement the Interim National Infrastructure Protection Plan

Capability Specific Priorities:

• Strengthen information sharing and collaboration capabilities
• Strengthen interoperable communications capabilities
• Strengthen CBRNE detection, response, and decontamination capabilities
• Strengthen medical surge and mass prophylaxis capabilities

The NIMS was developed to provide a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, local, and tribal governments to work together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents.

The NRP uses the framework provided by the NIMS and provides the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy and operational direction for federal support to state, local, and tribal incident managers and for exercising direct federal authorities and responsibilities.

Grants

Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Justice
Office for Justice Programs
Office for Victims of Crime
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/pdftxt/antiterrorapplication.pdf

This program is designed to provide timely assistance to jurisdictions to address victim needs in the aftermath of an act of terrorism or mass violence.

FY 2006 Homeland Security Grant Program
Department of Homeland Security
Preparedness Directorate
Office of Grants and Training
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/fy2006hsgp.pdf

This program integrates the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP), the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS), and the Citizen Corps Program (CCP).

SHSP provides funds to build capabilities at the state and local levels through planning, equipment, training, and exercise activities and to implement the goals and objectives included in the Homeland Security Strategies. SHSP is primarily focused on enhancing capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, or recover from chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE), agriculture, and cyber terrorism incidents. In light of new national planning priorities, which address such issues as pandemic influenza and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the allowable scope of SHSP activities include catastrophic events, provided that these activities also build capabilities that relate to terrorism.

UASI provides financial assistance to address the unique multi-discipline planning, operations, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and to assist them in building and sustaining capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from threats or acts of terrorism. UASI is primarily focused on enhancing capabilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, or recover from chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE), agriculture, and cyber terrorism incidents. In light of new national planning priorities, which address such issues as pandemic influenza and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the allowable scope of UASI activities include catastrophic events, provided that these activities also build capabilities that relate to terrorism.

MMRS provides funding to designated localities to assist in writing plans, developing training, purchasing equipment and pharmaceuticals, and conducting exercises to achieve the Target Capabilities necessary to respond to a mass casualty event, whether caused by a WMD terrorist act, epidemic disease outbreak, natural disaster, or HAZMAT accident, during the crucial first hours of a response until significant external assistance can arrive and become operational. MMRS establishes linkages among emergency responders, medical treatment resources, public health officials, emergency management offices, volunteer organizations and other local elements working together to reduce mortality and morbidity that would result form a catastrophic incident.

CCP funds will be used to support Citizen Corps Councils with efforts to engage citizens in all-hazards prevention, protection, response, and recovery. These efforts include planning and evaluation, public education and emergency communications, training, exercises, volunteer programs and activities to support emergency responders, surge capacity roles and responsibilities, and providing proper equipment to citizen volunteers.

FY 2006 Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program
Department of Homeland Security
Preparedness Directorate
Office of Grants and Training
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/TAProgramGuidance_JAN2006.pdf

This program is a capabilities-based program that is structured to build and sustain state and local capacity in priority preparedness activities. HSPTAP provides direct assistance to state, regional, local, and tribal jurisdictions to improve their ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from major events, including threats or acts of terrorism. A primary objective of the program is to enhance the capacity of state and local jurisdictions to develop, plan, and implement effective strategies for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) event preparedness.

2006 Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG)
Department of Homeland Security
Preparedness Directorate
Office of Grants and Training
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/FY06EMPGProgramGuidance.pdf

States can use EMPG funds to engage in pre-incident planning for catastrophic events, structure individual emergency management programs based on identified needs and priorities, and develop intrastate and interstate emergency management systems that encourage the building of partnerships to include government, business, volunteer, and community organizations.

Training and Learning Resources

Compendium of Federal Terrorism Training For State and Local Audiences FEMA manages this site, which includes a searchable database of federal terrorism training courses for State and local audiences. Courses can also be organized by the federal department that offers them, the function that they cover, or alphabetically.

 

Comprehensive Haz-Mat Emergency Response Capability Assessment Program (CHER-CAP) This program is offered by FEMA and is designed to give communities and tribal governments a better understanding of hazardous materials risks.

The Emergency Management Institute The Emergency Management Institute (EMI), which is within FEMA, provides emergency management training to minimize the impact of disasters on the American public.

 

Noble Training Center Through the Noble Training Center, EMI offers emergency management training through background presentations, planning sessions, and exercise simulations to enhance the national response to all-hazards disasters.

The National Fire Academy The U.S. Fire Administration operates the National Fire Academy, which provides on-site and distance courses and programs to fire and other emergency services professionals that teach them how to deal more effectively with fire and related emergencies.

National Incident Management System Integration Center The National Incident Management System (NIMS) was developed to provide a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, local, and tribal governments to work together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents. This site contains information, guidance, and resources to assist in adopting and implementing the NIMS.

National Incident Management System (NIMS) Online Training This course provides an introduction to the purpose, principles, key components and benefits of NIMS and takes approximately three hours to complete.

ODP Training and National Domestic Preparedness Consortium The Office for Domestic Preparedness provides training to states and local jurisdictions to prepare for incidents involving weapons of mass destruction.

Preparedness Network (Formerly Emergency Education Network) Government agencies, including the U.S. Fire Administration, use the Preparedness Network to deliver distance learning to the public on a variety of terrorism-related topics.

SAFECOM The Office of Interoperability and Compatibility's SAFECOM Program is a communications program that provides research, development, testing and evaluation, guidance and assistance for local, tribal, state, and federal public safety agencies working to improve public safety response through more effective and efficient interoperable wireless communications.

Informational Tools

DisasterHelp.gov A consolidated Web source of information and services with links to federal agencies that play some role in federal disaster relief.

National Fire Department Census Data Operated by USFA, the National Fire Department Census Database (NFDCD) allows users to search for fire department(s) based on a variety of criteria, including name, address, department type (career, volunteer, etc.), or organization type. Fire departments can also register to be listed in the NFDCD.

State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Directory Provides contact info for various state agencies involved in homeland security activities.

U.S. Fire Administration Publications Free publications for emergency responders, including manuals, reports, and incident reports.

Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER) Provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances encountered in hazardous material incidents.

DHS Standards & Guidelines

Equipment standards Guidelines adopted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate for personal protective gear for first responders, radiation and nuclear detection equipment, incident management, and biometrics.

Interagency Board for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability (IAB) An inter-agency group designed to establish and coordinate local, state, and federal standardization, interoperability, and responder safety to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from any incident by identifying requirements for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives (CBRNE) incident response equipment.