VOICES LEFT BEHIND: AN INTERVIEW p.110
SPOTLIGHT: CHAPLAIN JESUS HUERTAS p.16
Homeland Volume 11, Issue 1 Winter 2012/Spring 2013
INSIDE
The land of the free because of the brave
SECURITY ®
Double Issue
FOR THE p.52
BIG GAME?
CA DEPT. OF p.38 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
PREPARES FOR
DISASTERS
MISSION COMPLETED ABCHS RECEIVES p.07
NCCA/ICE
ACCREDITATION
FOR ITS CHS-V PROGRAM
BE SAFE & HAVE A PLAN p.26
$6.50 U.S./$9.50 CAN
INTERVIEW WITH ADAM MONTELLA FROM THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S THE COLONY
ABCHS: AMERICA’S LARGEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION
Cover Photo: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Home of Super Bowl XLVII.
SUPER BOWL SECURITY HOW DO EXPERTS PREPARE
The American Board for
CERTIFICATION IN
HOMELAND SECURITY American Board for Certification in Homeland Security (ABCHS) and its sub-boards sponsor certification programs in various homeland security-related areas. The goal of each program is to validate the professional knowledge and skills of certified individuals in a particular area related to homeland security. This is no small task. The Association employs intricate processes for establishing certification program policy, enforcing ethics, developing tests, and operating continuing education programs. These processes align with industry standards (such as those set forth by the American National Standards Institute and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies) and are driven by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). In this way, those who hold certifications from ABCHS can be confident that their credentials are credible and relevant to their area of homeland security. Join today, along with the thousands who currently carry the ABCHS credential. Together we can protect what matters most—our families, communities, country, and way of life.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
® APPLY NOW!
2 www.abchs.com 877.219.2519 Homeland Security® Winter at 2012/Spring 2013 Call the Chief Inside Executive Officer 877.219.2519 or visit us online at www.abchs.com
®
CEO’S SIGN Greetings from ABCHS/CEO January 31, 2013
Inside Homeland Security® ISSN 2167-2261 (Print) ISSN 2167-227X (Online) is a publication of the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security, CHS®, 2013. ABCHS is dedicated to the credentialing, networking, and continuing education of homeland security professionals. The opinions and views expressed by the authors, publishers, or interviewees are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the ABCHS program, nor does the ABCHS program adopt such opinions or views as its own. The ABCHS program disclaims and does not assume any responsibility of liability with respect to the opinions, views, and factual statements of such authors, publishers, or interviewees, nor with respect to any actions, qualifications, or representations of its members’ or subscribers’ efforts in connection with the application or use of any information, suggestions, or recommendations made by the ABCHS program or any of its boards, committees, publications, resources, or activities thereof. For more information call toll-free 877.219.2519.
BUSINESS OFFICE 2750 East Sunshine Street Springfield, MO 65804 Toll-Free 877.219.2519 Fax: 417.881.1865
As we enter into a new year and approach the tenth anniversary of ABCHS, I would like to thank all of our members for their commitment to the program. ABCHS grows and makes significant advances each year. We couldn’t have done it without you and your continued dedication! You have made ABCHS what it is today. We started the New Year off with a bang with news that CHS-V has been accredited by ICE/NCCA! This is a huge accomplishment for the CHS program. We are hoping that soon all of the certifications we offer will be approved through ICE/ NCCA. A big thanks goes to all of the ABCHS board members, both current and past, for their dedication in accomplishing this endeavor. This past year’s Executive Summit (2012) proved to be very exciting. Instead of individual presenters, we decided to try something new; key speakers and panel discussions were a huge success, with nothing but great reviews! We had outstanding panelists, and audience participation was excellent. Everyone enjoyed both the panelists and key speakers. We are currently reviewing feedback to determine the best time to hold our next conference. It will also include panel discussions along with various key speakers. If you have a particular discussion that you feel would hold great interest, please send me your ideas. Be watching for more details of dates and locations. This conference is sure to be the biggest one yet! I would also like to take this time to announce a new group that has recently joined ABCHS, CSX Transportation, a subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers. The company’s rail and intermodal businesses provide rail-based transportation services, including traditional rail service and the transport of intermodal containers and trailers. Welcome all CSX employees! As the year progresses, be watching for new happenings within ABCHS! Many of the ABCHS Sub-boards are moving along at great speed creating brand new certifications. This will be a great plus within the homeland security arena. I also have a reminder to members: If you are interested in submitting articles or columns for the Inside Homeland Security® publication, please visit us online at http://www.abchs. com/ihs/ihs_submission.php. Please send all questions and submissions to editor@ abchs.com. Again, thank you for a great ten years. I look forward to the next ten!
Chief Executive Officer Marianne Schmid ceo@abchs.com
EDITORIAL OFFICE Senior Editor Julie Brooks
Graphic Designer Stephanie Lindberg
Editor Megan Turner
Graphic Designer Brandon Alms
Editor Cheryl Barnett
Web Designer Justin Casey
Contributing Editor Ed Peaco
Advertising Julie Brooks
editor@abchs.com
megan.turner@abchs.com
cheryl.barnett@abchs.com
877.219.2519
stephanie@abchs.com
brandon@abchs.com
justin@abchs.com
julie.brooks@abchs.com
www.abchs.com
Regards, Marianne Schmid Chief Executive Officer, ABCHS
MEMBER NEWS WANTED: Homeland Security Manuscripts Inside Homeland Security® is looking for original, unpublished, wellresearched manuscripts from experts within the field. Please review the publication’s submission guidelines at http://www.abchs.com/ihs/ihs_ submission.php. For questions, contact the editor at editor@abchs.com or call 877.219.2519, ext. 122.
Send Your Comments and Letters to Countersign E-mail IHS at editor@abchs.com or address mail to: IHS, Countersign, 2750 E. Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65804. Letters become the property of the journal, and it owns all rights to their use. IHS may edit letters for content and length.
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Inside Homeland Security®
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CONTENTS
NEWS RELEASE ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
ABCHS RECEIVES
ARTICLES
NCCA/ICE ACCREDITATION
42 Protecting the Criticality of our Infrastructure
by James W. Crissinger
72 The Importance Of Policies & Procedures
in Improving Security Awareness
by David G. Patterson
18
Decision Making Amid Crisis by Irwin C. Harrington and Danielle Narkaus
92 Non-Traditional Counterintelligence Threats
by Michael Chesbro
104 The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Government and National Security System
by Michael A. Torres
72
92
T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F
POLICIES &
PROCEDURES 4
Inside Homeland Security®
Winter 2012/Spring 2013
42 www.abchs.com
877.219.2519
Volume 11, Issue 1
Winter 2012/Spring 2013
SUPER BOWL SECURITY
52 COLUMNS 34 The Hardest Thing
Chaplain’s Column by David J. Fair
36 Information Overload
Emergency Management by Michael J. Fagel
IN EVERY ISSUE 03 CEO Sign 06 Board Members
48 Information Collection
FEATURES 10 New ABCHS President
Plans to Build on Accreditation by Ed Peaco
26 Be Safe & Have a Plan
by Senior Editor Julie Brooks
33 Success Files 63 Conference Recap 114 New Members 116 Newly Credentialed
by Billy Long
68 Sustainability: Chimerical or Reality? by Bill Powers
90 What to do when school gets an…F
Food Security by Ed Peaco
52 Security Teams Expand Rosters for Super Bowls by Ed Peaco
Executive Level Education by Dave McIntyre
98 Stand Your Ground Laws
Legal Column
84 Rough and Ready:
2012 Best in the West
110 Q&A with Dr. Marilyn Gilbert
by Senior Editor Julie Brooks www.abchs.com
62 Intelligence Leaks
Organization Matters
38 Interview with Norma Schroeder
by Mark Withrow
877.219.2519
by Shawn J. VanDiver
Homeland Security Committee
14 Homeland Security News Interview with Adam Montella 16 Member Spotlight
Infrastructure Protection
by Joshua K. Roberts
102 Motivations & Inducements of Homegrown Terrorists: Part 1 of 2 Counterterrorism
by Richard J. Hughbank
Winter 2012/Spring 2013
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AMERICAN BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION IN HOMELAND SECURITY, CHS®
EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
John Joseph Sullivan, Jr., PhD, CHS-V Dr. Sullivan is the Executive Liaison to the Homeland Security Bureau in the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO). He oversees the Executive Council and the Ten Critical Infrastructure Councils that comprise the Sheriff’s Business Partners Against Terrorism (B-PAT) Program, and serves as the Faculty Chair for Public Safety in Capella University’s undergraduate program managing online faculty. Dr. Sullivan has dedicated his entire professional career to public safety. His earned academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Lynn University, a Master of Science degree in Management from National Louis University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Organization and Management from Capella University. As a career law enforcement practitioner and educator, Dr. Sullivan remains active in both the law enforcement and higher education communities, most recently having joined the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) in 2008 as the continuation of an extensive career in both law enforcement and higher education.
American Board for Certification in Infrastructure Protection, ABCIP CHAIR: Steven G. King, MS, MBA, CHS-V, CPP VICE CHAIR: Shawn J. VanDiver, E6, MS, CMAS, CHS-V, CAS-PSM, SSI, CTT+ Dale W. Cillian, DABCHS, CHS-V Sherman E. Copeland, Jr., CHS-V, SSI Robert J. Coullahan, CHS-V, CEM Patrick N. Cowan, MBCDRP, CHS-V, SSI, CDP-I, ATM W.D. Fitzgerald, CHS-III, CPP Marc E. Glasser, MS, CHS-V, CPP, CEM Kurt J. Klingenberger, CHS-V Peter A. Petch, CHS-V, RPIH, CIPS, CIMT Paul E. Purcell, CHS-V Debra M. Russell, PhD, CHS-V, CMI-V Terry L. Street Cecelia Wright Brown, DEng, MS, BA, CHS-V American Board for Certification in Dignitary and Executive Protection, ABCDEP CHAIR: David L. Johnson, DABCHS, CHS-V VICE CHAIR: Edward Bailor, AA, BS, CHS-III SECRETARY: Michael S. LoFaso, CHS-I Vern J. Abila, CHS-III Gerald A. Cavis, CHS-III Robert Eric Colliver, CHS-III Dennis C. D’Alessio, CHS-III Jim Floyd, CDP-I, CHS-III Mark E. Garver, CHS-V Marc E. Glasser, MS, CHS-V, CPP, CEM Jerrfey D. Guidry, CHS-III Clint Hilbert, CHS-III Michael E. Nossaman, CHS-III Tony J. Scotti, CHS-III Howard L. Weisman, CIPM, CHS-V, CIPM, CMAS
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Inside Homeland Security®
Thomas Givens, DABCHS, CHS-V, CMI
SECRETARY William H. Cummins, BA, CHS-V, CDP-I
MEMBERS Jessica M. Cummins, DABCHS, CHS-V David A. Goldschmitt, MD, FACEP, DABCHS, CHS-V Jeffrey S. Hatchew, JD Henry L. Homrighaus, Jr., DABCHS, CHS-V, PSNA, FABCHS Cathi Marx, DABCHS, CHS-V Wayne M. Morris, DBA, MA, CHS-V, CPP, PSP Brendalyn Val Bilotti, RN, BS, CHS-V
American Board for Certified Master Chaplains, ABCMC CHAIR: David Joel Fair, PhD, CHS-V, SSI, CMC VICE CHAIR: Leatha Warden, PhD, LPC, ACC-I, CMC SECRETARY: Don Howe, PhD, CMC James H. Ballard, DMin, CHS-I, CMC Mary Dobbs, CMC Rev. Robert F. Fountain, CMC Glenn George Jesus M. Huertas, PhD Joseph J. Prudhomme, PhD, ThD, CHS-II, CMC Charles V. Singletary, CHS-I, CMC Bruce D. Wright, PhD, CMC American Board of Intelligence Analysts, ABIA Chair: John W. A. Didden, CHS-III Vice Chair: James C. Sartori, CHS-V, CNTA, IAC John P. Andrews, CHS-I Michael E. Chesbro, CHS-III, CPO, CSS, CAS, CCIA, IAC, SSI, CFC Nestor L. Colls-Senaha, M.S., CHS-V Mark E. Garver, CHS-V Marquis L. Laude, CPP, CHS-V Peter Probst Michael L. Qualls, CHS-V Anthony A. Saputo, CHS-V, MBA Janet Schwartz, PhD, FACFEI, DABCHS, CHS-V, CDP-I
Winter 2012/Spring 2013
American Board of Information Security and Computer Forensics, ABISCF CHAIR: Andrew Neal, CHS-III, CISM, CIFI, CSC/I VICE CHAIR: Margaret Bond, MBA, CISM, CHS-V James Arcara, CHS-III Shayne P. Bates, DABCHS, CHS-V, CPP Rocco Delcarmine, CHS-III J. Clay Fielding, MCP, MCT, CHFE, RFC, GLFI, CEH, CPS, MSCIS, CHS-I Jim Kennedy, PhD, MRP, MBCI, CBRM, CHS-IV Gabriela Rosu, BS, MS, CHS-V Eric Svetcov, CISSP, CISA, CHS-III American Board of Law Enforcement Experts, ABLEE CHAIR: Sean Kinney, CHS-V, CMI-III, CFC VICE CHAIR: Stephen Russell, BS, DABLEE, CMI-II, CHS-III David G Arnold, CHS-III, CDP-I Oscar A. Baez, Sgt. (Ret.) CHS-III Kelli Callahan, CHS-III John Cruise, CHS-V Donald Durbin, CHS-V Henry C. Grayson, II, CHS-III, CMI-III Walter Kimble, CHS-V William R. Kushner, MS, CHS-IV Marquis L. Laude, CPP, CHS-V Jonathan D. Rose, MD, CHS-V, CFP Debra M. Russell, PhD, CHS-V, CMI-V Warren L. Shepard, CAPT. SSI, CDP-I, CRC, CHS-V James L. Smith, PhD, JD, EdD, CHS-III Patrick E. Spoerry, PhD, CHS-V, CFC Bret H. Swanson, CHS-V Michelle L. Williams, CMI
www.abchs.com
877.219.2519
NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Marianne Schmid Chief Executive Officer (800) 592-0960
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 2, 2013
THE AMERICAN BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION IN HOMELAND SECURITY® RECEIVES ACCREDITATION OF ITS CERTIFIED IN HOMELAND SECURITY, CHS-V PROGRAM FROM THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CERTIFYING AGENCIES (NCCA)
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯ WASHINGTON (January 2, 2013)—The NCCA accredited the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security® CHS-V, for a five-year period, expiring December 31, 2017 during its recent meeting. Founded in April 2003, ABCHS is a professional certification organization acting in the public interest by establishing and enforcing education, examination, experience and ethics requirements for certification. Currently, at the present time we have over 400 homeland security professionals that are certified to use the CHS-V designation. The American Board for Certification in Homeland Security®, CHS-V, received NCCA accreditation of its Certification in Homeland Security®, CHS-V program by submitting an application demonstrating the program’s compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance). Since 1977, the NCCA has been accrediting certifying programs based on the highest quality standards in professional certification to ensure the programs adhere to modern standards of practice in the certification industry. To
view the standards visit http://www.credentialingexcellence. org/ncca. There are 254 NCCA accredited programs that certify individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations including nurses, financial professionals, respiratory therapists, counselors, emergency technicians, crane operators and more. Of ICE’s more than 330 organizational members, 119 of them have accredited programs. ICE’s mission is to advance credentialing through education, standards, research, and advocacy to ensure competence across professions and occupations. NCCA was founded as a commission whose mission is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs that assess professional competence. NCCA uses a peer review process to: establish accreditation standards; evaluate compliance with these standards; recognize programs which demonstrate compliance; and serve as a resource on quality certification. ICE and NCCA are located at 2025 M Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036-3309; telephone 202/367-1165; facsimile 202/367-2165; website www.credentialingexcellence.org.
National Commission for Certifying Agencies The Accreditation Body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence
2025 M Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036-3309 PH. (202) 367-1165 FAX (202) 367-2165
OFFICIAL NCCA ACCREDITATION STATEMENT On December 31, 2012 the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted CHS-V, accreditation to the The American Board for Certification in Homeland Security®, for demonstrating compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance). The NCCA Standards were created in 1977 and updated in 2003 to ensure certification programs adhere to modern standards of practice for the certification industry. ABCHS joins an elite group of more than 100 organizations representing over 250 programs that have received and maintained NCCA accreditation. More information on the NCCA is available online at www.credentialingexcellence.org/ncca or by calling 202/367-1165.
VIEW THE ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE ON PAGE 9 877.219.2519
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877.219.2519 • WWW.ABCHS.COM The American Board for Certification in
HOMELAND SECURITY HOMELAND SECURITY AS A FIELD The field of homeland security arose in the wake of the incidents on the morning of September 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks on America that day gave rise to a shared understanding that our nation needed increased security to protect our homeland, and many functional areas essential to providing this security were identified soon thereafter. Today the field of homeland security is very broad, encompassing such areas as the more obvious Emergency Management and Transportation Security to those that might not instantly come to mind, like Agriculture and Environmental Science.
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
WHY GET CERTIFIED? POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO THE FIELD:
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS:
• Standardizes practices and/or standards within an industry
• Improves customer satisfaction
• Advances the specialty/field
• Increases competence level of employees
• Increases cooperation between organizations in the same discipline
• Helps make employment decisions
• Provides a means for an industry to self-regulate POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO THOSE WITH CURRENT CERTIFICATION: • Grants recognition of knowledge and skills by a third party • Enhances professional reputation • Provides personal accomplishment • Supports continued professional development • Demonstrates a high level of commitment to the field of practice • Demonstrates a specific level of knowledge and skill • Increases opportunities for career advancement and/or increased earnings • Validates skills and knowledge • Serves as a differentiator in a competitive job market • Meets employer or governmental requirements
Inside Homeland Security®
• Enhances knowledge and skills • Increases confidence in employees’ abilities • Demonstrates employers’ commitment to competence • Provides means to establish and enforce an ethical code • Provides compliance with industry regulation/ government requirements • Increases safety POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO THE PUBLIC: • Provides means to establish and enforce an ethical code • Standardizes practice and/or standards within an industry • Advances the specialty/field and increases cooperation between organizations in the same discipline • Helps in identifying qualified service providers
• Communicates credibility
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• Provides professional development opportunities for employees
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• Increases confidence in service providers • Provides disciplinary process to follow in case of complaints
www.abchs.com
877.219.2519
ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE
ABCHS OFFERS THE FOLLOWING TESTING CENTERS: Tests delivered via FastTEST Web (private sector) Pearson Vue (Military)
ABCHS RECERTIFICATION GUIDELINES The ABCHS Recertification Program supports the ongoing professional development of ABCHS certificants and the maintenance of ABCHS certification by: • requiring reasonable and appropriate continuing educational and professional activities; • enhancing the ongoing professional development of certificants; • encouraging and recognizing individualized learning opportunities; • and providing a standardized, objective, and straightforward process for attaining and recording continuing educational and professional activities.
RECERTIFICATION CYCLE The ABCHS Recertification Program requires that certificants accrue the requisite number of Certification Maintenance Units (CMU), within a three-year interval. This cycle ensures that certificants demonstrate currency in knowledge, skills, and abilities within an appropriate period. This recertification period also ensures the relevancy of certificants’ certification since they cannot receive recertification more than once in a single Job Task Analysis cycle (which is five years). The three-year recertification cycle will follow the calendar year. Upon completing the ABCHS Recertification Program, certificants will be given a certification certificate with an updated expiration date.
CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE UNIT (CMU) REQUIREMENTS
CERTIFICATION VISION STATEMENT:
Certificants must accrue thirty (30) CMU during each recertification interval, which is a three-year period. Please see the ABCHS website or contact ABCHS for additional information concerning CMU requirements.
Our vision is to bridge the gap between government and non-government organizations (NGOs) in facilitation of common standards of knowledge in coordinating various scale responses to homeland security and national disaster events.
RECERTIFICATION INTERVAL
CERTIFICATION MISSION STATEMENT:
Each certificant is subject to a three-year recertification interval. The reporting period begins with the first January after awarding the credential. For example, if CHS Level IV is awarded on July 1, 2012; the 3 year reporting period begins on Jan. 1, 2013 to be due on December 31, 2016.
Our mission is to provide homeland security professionals from government and non-government organizations (NGOs) with certification to assess their knowledge of the current prescribed response frameworks.
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New ABCHS President
PLANS TO BUILD ON ACCREDITATION Leadership
BY ED PEACO For Inside Homeland Security
Dr. Sullivan outlined three areas where he plans to contribute to the association.
As ABCHS moves toward more accreditation for its programs from nationally recognized bodies, a new association president takes the helm with plans to build on this fresh foundation. Accreditation signifies that the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security is moving toward higher levels of professionalism, said association President John J. Sullivan, Jr., PhD, CNTA, CHS-V, a career law-enforcement professional. He is Executive Liaison to the Homeland Security Bureau of the Palm Beach County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office. He also has experience in higher education, holding the Faculty Chair for Public Safety in Capella University’s undergraduate program. “Accreditation brings value to the organization so that any outsider looking to it can say, ‘it meets a specific set of standards that I respect,’” Dr. Sullivan said. “And from the consumer’s standpoint, those of us who seek certification can say, ‘I feel comfortable aligning myself with the organization because it values professional development, and they’ve gone the extra mile to seek outside peer-review certification.’” The association just completed the process of receiving recognition from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) for the Certified in Homeland Security Level Five (CHS-V) program. Accreditation will enhance opportunities for ABCHS to extend the reach of its educational and certification programs to government agencies and academic institutions. The federal government recognizes ICE accreditation for its educational programs, and these stamps of approval for ABCHS standards will go a long way toward satisfying the need for transparency among taxpayers and agency decision makers who vet organizations and their programs, Dr. Sullivan said. Officials considering ABCHS programs will have outside, independent assurance from those vetting organizations, he said: “And that—in and of itself—offers strong benefit to increasing the size of the membership. Because now we will be attracting the best and the brightest from various disciplines across the spectrum who can contribute to the body of knowledge that comes out of these types of associations.”
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By example: The first area is personal—his accomplishments as an adult learner. He went to school later in his career to acquire three degrees, bachelor (behavioral science), master (management), and doctorate (organization and management). The 11-year investment in studying paid off by validating an already successful career and, more importantly, stimulating a further thirst for learning about the intricacies of his specialties, including fraud, truth verification, and child sexual exploitation. “It just increased my interest in human behavior, both from a criminal aspect—what motivates people to commit crimes, and what motivates them to commit some horrific crimes—and on the other hand, it also motivated me to learn more about what makes us tick,” psychologically, behaviorally, and scientifically. In this way, Dr. Sullivan said he wants his example to serve as motivation for others who aspire to higher development, training, certification, and education. “That’s just one little sliver of what I hope to bring to the table,” he said. “More importantly, what I hope to bring is a closer alliance between our organization and institutions of higher learning, in such a way that it will feed to the first sliver.” Alliances: Dr. Sullivan said he’ll seek relationships with a few universities so that association members may take ABCHS courses and receive academic credit. In addition, the academic institution would extend a tuition scholarship in recognition of members’ service to their communities in the various disciplines of the homeland security field, he said. Through these higher-education alliances, those who may be contemplating career development will have compelling opportunities to follow through.
“Accreditation brings value to the organization so that any outsider looking to it can say, ‘it meets a specific set of standards that I respect,’ ” Dr. Sullivan said. www.abchs.com
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N A LI V 11
Professional portfolios: In addition to his personal example and the plan for alliances with institutions of higher education, Dr. Sullivan said he wants to provide members with the means to build what he calls professional portfolios. Completion of course work and certifications will lead to a set of credentials similar to a portfolio for an artist or writer. “Yet homeland security professionals, so frequently because they stay within one agency, don’t necessarily take the time for professional portfolio building,” he said. “They may be very entrenched where they are, they may enjoy it very well, they may say they have no plans to go elsewhere. But at the same time, to any individual who says ‘I’m fine where I am,’ my challenge would be: What if it were to change tomorrow?” In the homeland security field, this question is crucial, as a job or a career can change drastically in the face of a catastrophic natural or manmade disaster. But short of that magnitude of change, professionals need credentials to document their capabilities for those who will decide whether they will advance, Dr. Sullivan said. “So what I want to occur is that ABCHS serves in a capacity of helping men and women who are professionals in our field create a portfolio that will be recognized by others within their field, whatever their subset expertise may be—like-minded professionals will recognize those credentials.
“What I like about ABCHS is we look at the diversity within the field of homeland security and evaluate each of the groups and ask, ‘what do you bring to the table?’”
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Experience
In his role at the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Department, Dr. Sullivan has been instrumental in developing partnerships with the business community, local organizations, and citizens to raise awareness and safeguard the county against terrorism and suspicious activity. Business partners: Five years ago, Dr. Sullivan was asked to help develop Business Partners Against Terrorism (BPAT). The vision came from Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who saw the need to build personal relationships with key private-sector decision makers so they could serve as a pool of potential subject matter experts in the event of emergencies or disasters. “The common thinking at the time was that if we developed these personal relationships, and we maintained them, then in a time of need, we don’t have to scurry,” Dr. Sullivan said. First, officials performed an inventory of critical infrastructure in the county, using the 18 categories identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Of those, Palm Beach County had 11 categories, including communications, information technology, banking and finance, chemical, transportation systems, and food and agriculture. Next, Dr. Sullivan’s job was to recruit, train, and vet the experts. The county gathered a total of 130 business people for the initiative. Upon completing background checks, they began receiving law-enforcement-sensitive information through a secure website. The Sheriff ’s Department set up a training program so that members could learn more about their counterparts in other sectors. The Department scheduled monthly tours of critical infrastructure facilities, such as an agriculture fertilizer plant and a pharmaceutical distribution center. “As a result, we created a knowledge base of subject-matter experts who not only understood and could serve as experts of their infrastructure, but they also served as understanding agents of other infrastructures, so that in a time of crisis we’ve now built a team that knows one another personally,” Dr. Sullivan said. The participants are able to see trends developing and become aware of potential threats. Once the program proved to be successful, the Sheriff ’s Department applied for best practices recognition from DHS. In 2010, the program was entered into the Lessons Learned Information Sharing network (LLIS.gov). Other communities now have access to the Sheriff ’s Department handbook for creating a BPAT. Community partners: To reach more people in Palm Beach County, the Sheriff ’s Department started a new program, Community Partners Against Terrorism (CPAT). It is crafted to serve the beach resorts, condominium complexes, homeowner associations, and other residential communities in the county. Based on the DHS campaign, If You See Something, Say Something™, CPAT provides groups and individuals with training and tools for recognizing suspicious activity and reporting it. Materials include pamphlets, 30-minute training programs, and smartphone apps.
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“If they see something suspicious, they can take a picture of it with their iPhone or Android phone, and within 3 seconds send it to a secure website here at the Sheriff’s Office. It immediately goes into our fusion center, and we can act upon it,” Dr. Sullivan said. Through the efforts of road deputies and crime-prevention officers, CPAT reaches neighborhood groups, with short training programs consisting of a 10-minute video followed by Q&A sessions. The Sheriff ’s Department educates 40,000 to 50,000 people per year on suspicious activity, Dr. Sullivan said.
John J. Sullivan, Jr., PhD, CNTA, CHS-V
Safe Citizen Coalition (SCC): This new program’s purpose is to raise awareness about suspicious activity for any community element that wants to hear about it. The Sheriff ’s Department explains how it processes information from citizens, and it provides citizens with Web and smartphone tools for reporting suspicious activity. The SCC program is helping to solve other kinds of crimes as well. These programs, which have their origin in the heightened awareness since 9/11, are administered with that sense of urgency, Dr. Sullivan said. “One thing we have in common with 9/11 here in Palm Beach County is 19 of the 21 individuals involved in the hijackings and the bombings took up residence here and were training,” Dr. Sullivan said. “And so it hits home so that people are not jaded and saying ‘no, it can never happen here.’ Quite to the contrary, we use our location here to remind people that it can happen anywhere.” Dr. Sullivan credits Sheriff Bradshaw for the local emphasis on homeland security.
• PhD in Organization and Management from Capella University
TV show: Dr. Sullivan is serving as the on-air host of an educational television program, Mission Critical, which covers homeland security topics. The show is in development by producer Capitol Media Group. The pilot episode, which examines technology and emergency management, includes guest Stephen G. King, DHS Geospatial Portfolio Manager and ABCHS member. The project is awaiting sponsors before it proceeds with monthly broadcasts worldwide on Law Enforcement Training Network (LETN) and Government Employee Training Network (GETN). One of the largest consumers of those networks is the U.S. military.
Perspective
Dr. Sullivan said he hopes that within a few years, with the positive effects of the ICE accreditation, that the ABCHS brand will signify dedication to the highest standards of professionalism: “What I like about ABCHS is we look at the diversity within the field of homeland security and evaluate each of the groups and ask, ‘what do you bring to the table? How do you help the homeland security community at large?’ And then as a result of that, ‘what professional standards do you want to see in your specific subset?’ And then we assist those members in further developing the professional development standards within their subset or their field of expertise. “And that’s what makes us unique.”
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EDUCATION • BS in Behavioral Science from Lynn University • MS in Management from National Louis University
CURRENTLY Executive Liaison to the Homeland Security Bureau of the Palm Beach County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office: Oversees Business Partners Against Terrorism (BPAT), an interdisciplinary, volunteer- and community-based anti-terrorism program; instrumental in developing two outreach programs to enhance safety and security: Community Partners Against Terrorism (CPAT) and the Safe Citizen Coalition (SCC). Faculty Chair for Public Safety in Capella University’s undergraduate program: managing online faculty, contributing to the institution’s educational marketing strategy to public safety professionals, and overseeing specializations in Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, and Homeland Security, including curriculum design and refinement and updating course content.
LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • 25 years as a federal criminal investigator. • Senior law enforcement posts: U.S. Customs (now ICE) Agent in Charge for the Palm Beaches (1993-1996) and Fort Lauderdale (1989-1993). Agent-in-Charge for the federally funded Money Laundering Task Force in Palm Beach County. • Led the team that designed, organized and established the U.S. Customs Child Pornography Enforcement Program worldwide and its first program director. • Served as the principal spokesperson for the U.S. Customs Service on child sexual exploitation, and as a Departmental Advisor to the National Obscenity Enforcement Unit and former Attorney General Edwin Meese’s staff at the Justice Department. • Worked at the National Headquarters Section Chief for General Smuggling where he authored some of the earliest threat assessments on terrorism in the 1980s.
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NEWS HOMELAND SECURITY
CENTRAL FLORIDA ICE TEAMS ARREST
11 SEX OFFENDERS, CRIMINAL ALIENS DURING
OPERATION SOAR
TAMPA, Fla., October 29, 2012 – Eleven convicted alien sex offenders and other criminal aliens were arrested as part of a four-day operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). The goal of this operation, dubbed “SOAR” (Sex Offender Alien Removal), was to identify, locate and arrest aliens who have convictions for sex crimes, especially sex crimes against children. This operation was coordinated with ERO’s fugitive operations teams throughout central Florida. ERO’s Operation SOAR began Tuesday and ended Friday. “This operation was specifically designed to target and arrest criminal aliens who have been convicted of sex crimes,” said Marc J. Moore, field office director of ERO Miami. “By removing these criminal aliens from our streets and our country, ICE is continuing our commitment to improving public safety in these communities as a whole and for our nation’s children in particular.” Arrests took place in the following counties: Manatee, Hillsborough, Hernando and Orange. The arrested individuals are from the following countries: Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba and Ecuador.
Photo Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Criminal summaries of three individuals arrested during this operation include: • A 21-year-old man from Jamaica was arrested by ERO officers Thursday in Orange County. He was convicted of felony child abuse, and that conviction related to sex with a child. • A 57-year-old man from Haiti was arrested by ERO officers Tuesday in Hillsborough County. He was convicted of sexual battery and burglary of a structure. • A 47-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers Wednesday in Manatee County. He was convicted of false imprisonment/kidnapping of a minor, along with cocaine possession and domestic battery.
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These arrests were coordinated with ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program, which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives…who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by federal immigration courts. ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders. ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country. Source: http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1210/121029tampa.htm www.abchs.com
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Donna Norris, the mother of Amber Hagerman, poses with pictures of her daughter, who was abducted and killed nearly 10 years ago. Her abduction and death led to the creation of the Amber Alert system in Hurst, Texas, January 11, 2006. (Michael Ainsworth/Dallas Morning News/MCT)
November 5th, 2012
Google Joins the Amber Alert Network
L
ast week the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) welcomed Google into the AMBER alert network. This innovative and exciting new partnership will provide real-time AMBER Alert updates to users of Google Map and Google Search features. Because we know a child’s chances for a safe recovery are greater when resources are mobilized quickly, Google Public Alerts will help to ensure a rapid response in the first critical hours after a child goes missing. As most people know, AMBER alert is a notification system for abducted children. It began in 1996 in response to the abduction and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Texas named Amber Hagerman. So AMBER is eponymous, but it’s also an acronym – it stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. To date, 591 abducted children have been recovered and brought safely home through AMBER Alerts. AMBER Alert started as a partnership among law enforcement, broadcasters, and transportation agencies and later expanded to include other groups in what we call a “secondary distribution network,” which allows us to target AMBER Alerts to specific areas and to reach citizens directly. Radio and TV, lottery and highway signs, airports and truck stops, Yahoo, Facebook and AOL, are all part of the AMBER Alert system of getting information about a missing child to people in the very locality in which she was abducted or last seen. Federal part877.219.2519
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ners such as the FBI, US Marshals Service, ICE and others are part of the team too. Now Google, through its Crisis Response/ Disaster Relief projects becomes another critical ingredient in our mission to keep our children safe. What’s so exciting – and innovative – about secondary distribution is that it relies on partnerships between public and private entities. The collaboration with Google builds on that work, and is particularly encouraging in the case of abducted children because we know the safety of our children is an issue we all care about. Our partnership with Google is a premier example of the great ventures that result when public and private groups pool their resources and ideas. I have the privilege of serving as the National AMBER Alert Coordinator, and OJP, through our Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, is the lead federal office responsible for supporting AMBER activities with our public safety partners. I am tremendously excited about this effort – and about the opportunities this creates for citizens to assist law enforcement in their recovery efforts. We are deeply grateful to Google for their commitment, to NCMEC for their partnership and for all our work together securing the safety of America’s children. Source: http://blogs.justice.gov/main/archives/2541
Courtesy of Mary Lou Leary, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Winter 2012/Spring 2013
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Jesus Manuel
HUERTAS D DBS, DMin, CMC
I think what we do through ABCHS and the Certified Master Chaplain program is that we give an opportunity to our clergy who are actually doing a wonderful job, who are committed to what they do.
r. Jesus Manuel Huertas entered the ministry in 1984. His
distinguished career has included two national awards
by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and one by the Aleph
Institute. Chaplain Huertas was part of the Crisis Support Team
during the Timothy McVeigh Execution, and he also assisted during hurricanes Andrew and Rita. He retired from the position of Chaplaincy Administrator for the Mid Atlantic Region of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in June 2012. Chaplain Huertas currently provides consulting in the areas of chaplaincy, human communication, emotional intelligence, life coaching, and management strategies. He currently resides with his wife in Puerto Rico.
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Q: Tell me about your background. A: I am an Anglican clergyman in transition now to the Lutheran church. I’ve been in ministry for close to 30 years. Out of those 30 years, I’ve spent 20 years working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a chaplain. In that capacity I went from being a staff chaplain to being a regional chaplain, and several positions in between. In the midst of that experience in life, I achieved several national awards: 1997 Chaplain of the Year, 2006 National Administrative Position Award, and Chaplain of the Year in 2009 by the Aleph Institute, which is a Jewish organization. I have graduate degrees in public communication, mass media, and also theology and counseling. I have two grown children and three grandchildren.
recently I have talked to people in the border patrol who have an interest to improve their standard, and because some people know me, they have contacted me. So there is a lot that CMC and ABCHS can certainly do to improve the quality of chaplaincy in this country, not to mention even in the world. Q: Is there anything else you would like to mention about the chaplain’s program?
A: Well, I would like to certainly see this program expand. I think we have a jewel, something really valuable. A lot of people are what we typically call lay-chaplains—they are not clergymen or clergy people and they don’t want to be. They do want to serve in chaplaincy positions in hospitals, prisons, and firefighting departQ: What was it like working in the federal prison system? ments. I think those people are also a community we can reach out to with programs, if not the CMC then maybe a program A: Well, working for the federal prison was quite an exciting time. tailor-made for them. I would like to see this program expand It really was. It was very rewarding, always challenging. The agen- to its capacity, because in my opinion we are just beginning to cy was very, very thorough in the training of their staff. Every staff scratch the surface. member is considered a correctional worker first. Because of that, we all have to go through training in the National Academy for Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. Q: How are you enjoying the Executive Summit so far? So we always had to keep a balance of our particular professional component, so if you were a chaplain or psychologist or teacher A: This is great. I’m just going to be honest with you. I arrived or doctor you also had to keep track of your correctional duties. here and I was a little cautious I guess. Guarded and skeptical to It was always challenging, always interesting, always creative, and a certain degree. Again, I come from an agency where everything sometimes dangerous. that was done was quality work and every speaker was top notch, so I didn’t know what to expect. But my goodness, I have been impressed. It has been outstanding. Everything. I mean, everyQ: How do you think the Certified Master Chaplain, CMC thing from the body language training that was excellent, very, certification can help train new chaplains who want to work very practical, very hands on. Then the opportunity to branch out in the prison system? to the other components that we have—American Association of Integrative Medicine—and to get knowledge there that was apA: Wow. Not to sound cliché, but really the sky is the limit. I plicable to at least what I do. think after being in the agency for this long and getting out of the agency and being a civilian for the last four months or so, When disasters or other emergencies occur, there is an I’m coming to realize that we don’t have—in the general comincreased need for religious and psychological support to munity—the same professional standards for chaplains. I think help people and communities recover. CERTIFIED MASTER what we do through ABCHS and the Certified Master Chaplain CHAPLAIN, CMC® is designed to help survivors navigate the program is that we give an opportunity to our clergy who are acemotional stages of processing events, working with victims, tually doing a wonderful job, who are committed to what they do. survivors, team members, and others with the transition to They are beginning to achieve a professional standard as chaplains the Incident Command System. For more information visit and serve their community better, more effectively, and be able to www.abchs.com or call 877.219.2519. be a part of this greater component that is the Federal Emergency Management Program and of course homeland security. Here 877.219.2519
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CE ARTICLE: 1 CE CREDIT
BY IRWIN C. HARRINGTON, PHD, CHS-I, CDP-I AND DANIELLE NARKAUS, PSYM, NJCSP
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INTRODUCTION The August 26, 2009, Station Wildfire north of Los Angeles, in which two firefighters died, serves as a prime example of the need for sound decision making to efficiently mitigate life-threatening risks amid crises.
Check out the CERTIFIED IN HOMELAND SECURITY, CHSﾂｮ LEVELS I THOUGH III (CHS-I窶的II). Take an in-depth look at how the protection of our nation and its citizens has evolved since 9/11. Enroll online at www.abchs.com or call 877.219.2519 for more information.
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At the onset of man-made and natural crises, the course of response by Incident Commanders (ICs) will determine the mitigation of risk to civilians. The August 26, 2009, Station Wildfire north of Los Angeles, in which two firefighters died, serves as a prime example of the need for sound decision making to efficiently mitigate life-threatening risks amid crises. An examination of this incident revealed two major flaws in the standard operating procedures of the United States Forestry Service (USFS). First, the USFS failed to properly frame the incident in advance and consider the strength of the fire, which led the IC to scale back essential resources that could have prevented the spread of flames. Second, with the on-scene IC prohibiting helicopter night flights, valuable fire-suppression time was lost when the intensity of the flames was at its lowest. More recently, a 5.8 earthquake rattled the East Coast from Northern Virginia to Rhode Island on August 23, 2011. This unexpected quake caught more than 75 million people by surprise, thus strengthening the argument that critical incidents requiring sound decision making could occur when least expected. The rare occurrence of the earthquake virtually paralyzed first responders along the coast who typically would never respond to an incident of this magnitude. In Maryland, a firefighter was overheard saying that he was in so much disbelief as to what happened when the earthquake struck at 1:59 p.m. that he froze when civilians asked him whether they should evacuate a building. The above events highlight the need for sound decision making amid crises. In an uncertain world comprised of multiple crises dating back to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, senior officials in the public safety industry and homeland security community must learn to make rational decisions that would efficiently mitigate risks in society. A review of recent incidents suggests that amid crisis, ICs lack the mental capacity to optimize resource allocation in complex environments. In theory, a crisis is an unexpected event that challenges the capability of an organization to mitigate a situation efficiently. In regards to public safety, crises could occur in the form of man-made and natural critical incidents as witnessed during the 2009 Station Fire that investigators identified as a malicious fire, and the 2011 East Coast earthquake that paralyzed first responders who never experienced a quake. Notably, what made the above events crises in nature is the fact that they were both unexpected and presented mitigation challenges to first responders. Winter 2012/Spring 2013
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ABSTRACT History would suggest that the efficient mitigation of critical incidents both natural and man-made requires rapid and sound decisions by individuals in positions of authority to reduce citizen fatalities. The occurrence of unexpected events in the form of crises is something that no form of preplanning could ever prevent. A review of recent events throughout the world highlights the need for Incident Commanders (ICs) to be vigilant in developing a skill set that would allow them to make rational decisions for efficient crisis resolution. The 5.8 Richter scale earthquake that caught millions by surprise along the eastern seaboard of the United States on August 23, 2011, validates the need for public safety professionals to develop essential skills to make sound decisions amid crisis when the lives of their constituents are at risk.
The 5.8 Richter scale earthquake that caught millions by surprise...validates the need for public safety professionals to develop essentials skills to make sound decisions amid crisis...
To get credit and complete the article, please go to http://www. abchs.com/IHSSP0113 and look for course code IHSSP0113 to take the exam and complete the evaluation. If you have special needs that prevent you from taking the exam online, please contact the registrar at 800.423.9737. This article is approved by the following for 1 continuing education credit: The American Board for Certification in Homeland Security, CHS® provides this continuing education opportunity for those individuals Certified in Homeland Security, who are required to obtain 30 Certification Maintenance Unit’s (CMU) per 3-year recertification cycle.
TARGETED AUDIENCE: The targeted audience is comprised of members from fire, police, emergency medical services, and the homeland security community as well as mental health professionals.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1.
Identify why it is important for an Incident Commander to make sound-rational decisions amid crises to efficiently mitigate risks to citizens.
2.
Discuss the rationale of why improved decisionmaking skills for Incident Commanders could help first responders efficiently minimize fatalities during critical incidents.
3.
Identify proper decision making procedures that would assure an optimal resolution to a critical incident for onscene Incident Commanders.
4.
Assist mental health professionals in the understanding and provision of services to first responders after crisis.
PROGRAM LEVEL: Intermediate PREREQUISITES: None KEYWORDS: Critical Incident; Crisis Decision-Making; Disaster Response; Emergency Response; Crisis Response; Mental Health Crisis Workers; Psychological Response to Crisis.
FOCUS OF STUDY This article is an examination of a problem that is more than 60 years old. Past studies of crises illustrate that during moments of on-scene confusion, the ability of public safety personnel to decide the best course of action to optimize resource allocation is often skewed. An IC’s decision that seemed right at the time could easily impede the overall efficiency of the emergency operation. In most cases, ICs choose to resolve critical incidents through the application of internal instincts (gut feelings) fueled by past experiences. ICs use past experiences to resolve crises under the notion that if certain processes worked once, the same process will work again. Yet amid major incidents that have never occurred before, there will be no experience for ICs to use to measure their current 20
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approach. Therefore, the application of rational decisions to optimize resource allocation is essential for the efficient mitigation of casualties. Typically, amid crises the information that ICs receive from on-scene first responders is inarticulate, insufficient, fragmented, and too diverse (to say the least) for them to make rational decisions that would maximize resources. Variables such as the IC’s location and engineering factors play into the haphazard exchange of information. From a proactive standpoint, the problem may lie in the inability of ICs to effectively decipher and rationalize the information they receive from the scene. This impediment clouds decisions about resource allocation and puts citizens and first responders at greater risk. www.abchs.com
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RATIONALE FOR IMPROVED DECISION MAKING
ek Friedrich A. Hay
In his 1945 article, “The Use of Knowledge in Society,” Friedrich is imperative for ICs to improve their decision-making abilities A. Hayek argued that people lack the mental capacity to make to assure that when an unexpected event does occur they will sound decisions in complex environments when the information know what to do under stressful conditions. Even when a pothey garner from others is incomplete. He asserted: “The fact that tential critical incident is expected, the manner in which county the knowledge of the circumstances of which we must make use executives and ICs choose to respond will dictate the efficiency of never exist in concentrated or integrated form but solely as the the first responders. For example, although Hurricane Irene was dispersed bits of incomplete and frequently contradictory knowl- well anticipated by first responders along the East Coast, it still edge which all the separate individuals possess” (Hayek, 1945, provided some challenges to senior officials who, in their opinion, p.5). Subsequently, if what Hayek suggests is true about complex made the right choice at the time: In New York City, for the first environments, the challenge is even greater for public safety pro- time in the history of the city’s transit system, all buses and rail fessionals operating amid crises to make sound decisions utilizing services were suspended until after the hurricane passed. the rational economic actor model, as critical incidents evolve to An examination of the New York City Office of Emergency the point where the information received by ICs becomes more Management’s precautionary measures for Hurricane Irene profragmented and diverse. vides a testimony of the need for ICs and county executives to Since Hayek first resolved that humankind’s limited mental ca- develop sound decision-making skills. Mayor Bloomberg’s decipacity impedes the ability of people to make rational decisions in sion to shut down the city’s transit system in advance was wise. Yet, complex environments, few have sought to identify appropriate emergency managers who study this incident should be conscious measures to rectify the issue. Typically, ICs with a limited capacity of the fact that a greater challenge might have presented itself if to rationalize would assume a heuristic approach to resolve criti- the transit system would have been needed to conduct a mass cal incidents. Clearly, the problem with this approach is that it is evacuation. Typically, it takes several hours for trains to restart only worthwhile when an incident occurs that responding public once they have been shut down for an extended period. Furthersafety officials have experienced in the past. When new incidents more, with the discontinuation of bus lines, the majority of the arise, such as the events of 9/11 and the August 2011 eastern drivers would not have been readily available to transport those seaboard earthquake, relying on experience to efficiently resolve in need of care or evacuation if matters worsened. Understandan emergency offers no guarantees. ably, amid crises, the approach ICs choose to mitigate the impact Several gaps need to be filled by the public safety and homeland on citizens is determined by the availability of their organizations’ security communities as the nation prepares for the next cata- human capital and resources. However, we cannot overlook the strophic event. A great degree of confusion exists among these fact that, regardless of the resources or lack thereof, an emergency officials as to what constitutes a crisis and how sound decision service organization allocates toward mitigating the expansion of making is the cornerstone for efficient resolution. Currently only a crisis. In a crisis, there are no guarantees that the impact on a few articles have been published that expound on the impor- citizens and communities will be lessened if the person in charge tance of effective decisions to mitigate risks amid crises. has made the wrong decision beforehand. Confusion remains over basic concepts, such as crisis, crisis management and routine emergency, emergency management, The fact that the knowledge of the circumstances and emergency preparedness. Only a few research publications have of which we must make use never exist in clarified the differences between concentrated or integrated form but solely as disasters and catastrophe and the the dispersed bits of incomplete and frequently differences among normal response contradictory knowledge which all the separate and routine emergency and crisis (Peng, 2008, p.1). individuals possess. Clearly, it is time for those serving as ICs to enhance their decisionmaking skills before the next disaster or INCREMENTAL DECISION MAKING terrorist attack occurs. Considered a rare occurrence, the August 23, 2011, earthquake Amid crises, the limited amount of data that public safety profescan easily be regarded as a wakeup call for Americans residing sionals possess hinders their efficiency. The incremental approach on the East Coast. Like most natural incidents where little to to decision making adheres to the notion that no one has comno warning is provided, the brave men and women who first re- plete knowledge of every possible outcome to a problem. Under sponded to this incident were in as much of a daze as the citizens this approach, decisions for crisis resolution are made by taking they served. Despite their prior training or skill level, no form small, incremental steps to arrive at a logical solution to a probof preplanning could ever prepare first responders for an inci- lem. Based on his study of government institutions in the United dent that had not occurred in over 52 years. For this reason, it States, Charles Lindblom stated that the decision making process 877.219.2519
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is so fragmented and complex, incorporating the interaction of of the heuristic approach would not guarantee ICs an efficient various institutions, political entities, pressure groups, and indi- resolution to an emergency. To assure first-responder perforvidual biases, that rationality can only have a marginal effect: mance optimization amid infrequent crises, a rational approach toward decision-making that takes into consideration all possible The police administrator faces a set of limiting political outcomes to a given situation would better serve Incident Comfactors (such as the mayor’s wish to be reelected) that manders than a response fueled by emotions. prevent the decision-making process from being truly rational. For elected sheriffs, the political agendas may LIMITED RATIONAL DECISION MAKING be so strong that purely rational decision-making is prohibited (as cited in Swanson et al., 2005, pp. 649-650). Empirical studies into the mode of response used by seasoned public safety professionals indicate that, during infrequent inciTherefore, in an uncertain world, it is more feasible for ICs to dents, this group reacts to crises through the application of learned approach complex situations incrementally than attempt to choose protocols that are supported by their intuition. However, surprise among alternatives. Considering the multitude of variables associ- occurrences of environmental and man-made challenges raise the ated with resolving crises, any attempt to maximize every possible stakes for decision makers in the public safety arena who seek to outcome would be a daunting task for even the most seasoned IC. do the right thing for citizens but lack the essential skills to make sound decisions amid crises. Essentially, the concept of rationality suggests that, once decision makers have critically analyzed several HEURISTIC DECISION MAKING alternative approaches to resolve a situation, they will select the Empirical data would suggest that relative to the need to respond alternative that will maximize organizational goals. spontaneously to save lives amid crises, first responders (fire and The concept of rationality is viable as a means of decision police) would apply a heuristic approach to decision making in making under normal circumstances. That is, when there is no conjunction with the need to react to a situation without haste. The confusion. However, at the onset of a crisis, the human nature apparent value of the heuristic model for this group of professionals of decision makers overrides any sense of rationality that would is that it allows them to make decisions based on past experiences steer them to choose alternative approaches to resolve the crisis. rather than rationalize their actions under pressure. Whether the In addition, decision makers do not have the mental capacity to outcome of a particular experience was good or bad, the application know the statistical probability of every possible outcome that of the heuristic approach is rooted on the premise of individuals op- a particular alternative may or may not produce. Subsequently, erating in their comfort zones to address challenging circumstances. decisions made utilizing the rational approach of decision makAll things considered, the approach Incident Commanders ing are useful only in small-scale environments where there are use to manage crises will set the tone of the response and recov- no overt complications, not in large, complex, and ill-structured ery phases of emergency management. Notably, when Incident environments. Commanders approach critical incidents in a calm and confiDue to their complex roles, public safety personnel, including dent manner, their first responders are likely to be more relaxed police and fire department officials, often find themselves operand strictly adhere to established operating procedures. Howev- ating without immediate supervision. Therefore, being able to er, as critical incidents begin to escalate into crises, the rush of respond to a crisis following one’s intuition is a valuable trait that adrenaline that soars through the veins of ICs quickly changes is difficult to replace. everything. At this point, ICs and first responders alike would For Gore, decision-making is basically an emotional, non-ratiodiscard the settled approach of crisis resolution that is dictated by nal, highly personalized, and subjective process. Therefore, the facts departmental procedures and rely on their intuition. This meth- validating a decision are internal to the personality of the individual od of resolving crises through the use of internal mechanisms is instead of external to it. The key word in this statement is validating regarded as the heuristic approach of decision making, whereby (Swanson et al., 2005, p. 650). individuals use their gut feelings to make difficult choices based The ability to make split-second decisions without haste often on past experiences. “In another opposing concept to rational- means the difference between life and death, not only for civilian ity and logic, Gore identifies the crucial element of humanism constituents, but also for the safety officials amid crisis. Yet, we in decision making. He presents a heuristic model appropriately must not forget that what might have worked during one incident referred to as ‘the gut level approach’ when considering the police will not always work under different circumstances. organization” (as cited in Swanson et al., 2005, p. 650). Crises do not occur in a vacuum whereby a single approach As a vehicle for applying basic instincts, the heuristic approach will suffice during an all-hazard approach, as some suggest. In of decision making directly opposes the logical sequence of cri- our technologically advanced society, the efficiency of response sis resolution that is dictated by standard operating procedures to crises for public safety professionals will be measured by their created to address low-intensity incidents. Amid low-intensity, ability to critically analyze the progression of incidents. Humansmall-scale emergencies in which the IC maintains relative con- kind’s limited ability to make rational decisions is what hurt trol of the scene, a heuristic approach to incident resolution might public safety professionals more than 60 years ago and continues prove worthy in response to critical incidents that have occurred to hinder their effectiveness today. The effectiveness of any crisisbefore. However, in response to infrequent incidents such as the management plan is dependent on the inclusion of three essential 2011 East Coast earthquake and Hurricane Irene, the application measures: crisis recognition, assessment, and evaluation. 22
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A village near the coast of Sumatra lays in ruin after the Tsunami that struck South East Asia. (Philip A. McDaniel/ U.S. Navy)
DECISION MAKING AMID CRITICAL INCIDENTS The horrific events on the morning of September 11, 2001, the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina had one common characteristic that no IC could deny: Namely, no form of preplanning could have helped first responders address disasters of this magnitude. These events, as well as the 2010 East Coast earthquake, paralyzed the immediate response of public safety professionals. Notably, such events could be viewed as a clarion call for ICs and community executives alike to improve their decision-making skills in an effort to become more flexible during major incidents. Additionally, planners should decide before an event how to prepare for the worst and the best way to safeguard emergency responders from environmental elements that will be emitted into the atmosphere. “Ongoing preparedness efforts need to implement joint planning and exercises that embrace practical and rational strategies for worker/responder safety and health” (Reissman & Howard, 2008, p.140). Overall, the responsibility of ICs to make decisions amid crises involves many variables that should not be taken for granted. In every situation the decisions made by emergency managers should incorporate a sense of logic that takes into account the uncertainty of expected events to minimize the occurrence of uncontrollable surprises. Unsurprisingly, a review of departmental records of local emergency organizations indicated that no form of protocols or preplanning were in place to assist responding emergency crews in dealing with the degree of devastation associated with these events. “Adequately functioning emergency plans were found to exist nowhere. Even when warnings were issued, the standing response plans and drills meant little, because they had not been practiced” (Tolentino, 2007, p.147). What sense does it 877.219.2519
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make to have emergency plans if they are never put into practice? No form of sound decision making to assure an optimal response and recovery could evolve from this lackadaisical approach of crisis management. In the case of the tsunami of 2004, the world responded by developing early warning mechanisms to assure that this type of crisis never happens again. The world’s response in the wake of the tsunami seems so far to have evolved around recognition of the need for early warning systems linking countries and regions that are likely to be affected by the same tsunami or a similar event (Tolentino, p.147). The tsunami awakened the world to the fact that a natural disaster capable of claiming thousands of lives in multiple countries can happen at any time. Perhaps the world will be prepared for the next tsunami. As a Chinese proverb states, “a calamity is a time of opportunity.” The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami served as a wake-up call and has provided the will—however fleeting it might prove to be—to radically improve disaster planning and management. It showed that there is an urgent need to develop a disaster management system for natural disaster-prone developing and less-developed nations (Tolentino, p.153). Research of past crises disclosed that it usually takes a major incident to occur before new policies and modes of pre-incident planning are implemented into safety organizations. The response to the 2004 tsunami, a catastrophe requiring the services of emergency managers and decision makers on every level of government, could be applied to a study of how the United States addresses issues of decision making amid a crisis. Winter 2012/Spring 2013
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Taken at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand, during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Thailand. (David Rydevik/Wikipedia)
HUMANKIND’S MENTAL STABILITY AMID CRISIS In October 2007, the Homeland Security Presidential Directive/ HSPD21 identified a need for increased attention to restoring mental health after disasters (Hughes, Derrickson, Dominguez, & Schreiber, 2010). In addition, more consideration was to be placed on the public health, medical preparedness, and behavioral health in emergency response. In regard to the individual crisis and disaster victims, it has become commonplace that these individuals require mental health assistance (Morris, 2011). The psychological damages that are predicted to follow these negative events are posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. Many of those in mental health professions have reported to various places to offer their services after major crises (Morris, 2011). When considering the topic of crisis, it is important to understand that people face negative events on a daily basis. Consequently, it is necessary to make sense of the interconnection of negative events and the process of human decision making to predict and improve people’s responses. According to the Crisis Decision Theory, people go through a three-stage process when facing negative life events (Sweeny, 2008). The
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first stage involves the individual assessing the severity of the negative event in terms of cause, comparative information, and consequences. The second stage is focused on determining response options to the event, which are affected by variables such as feasibility and controllability. Lastly, people evaluate the response options by considering the pros and cons as well as choosing the response option. Individuals may not proceed through the stages in a linear motion and may also get stuck at different stages (Sweeny, 2008). Although all living things have the capacity to respond to the environment, humans are unique in the sense that they have the ability to override their responses and change how they act (Baumeister, 2002). In this instance, the capacity to override thoughts, emotions, and actions is referred to as self-regulation. The downside to this is that utilizing self-regulation that draws upon a common source, comparable to energy or strength, tends to deplete it. In addition, the self ’s capacity to utilize self-regulation is limited, though positive emotions have an important role in replenishing the self-regulation process (Baumeister, 2002).
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CONCLUSION Recent catastrophic events have shown that the manner public safety professionals use to arrive at optimal decisions for incident resolution has to be revisited. The concept of the economic actor is based on the notion that decisions are made by calculating alternative approaches and selecting the one that maximizes expected results. Under this premise, ICs make decisions by taking into account all possible outcomes to a pending situation through the application of critical analysis. The chosen decision would replicate a socioeconomic model of rationality that is based on the concept of utilizing one’s experience to resolve the right thing to do for the good of society. Unequivocally, the innate ability to make decisions based on their perception of a situation is a trait that cannot be taught. Considering that humankind is not always rational under normal circumstances, how could we expect public safety professionals to make rational decisions for the good of all during large, complex, and ill-structured critical environments? The depth of uncertainty involved in making decisions and difficulty in arriving at a logical solution to a problem are reasons the process of decision making is such a daunting task. “Making decisions when the outcome is uncertain is always a difficult task” (Robinson & Hurley, 2002, p. 1). Amid crises it is impossible for an IC to know the probabilities of every alternative approach. During most crises, the information that he or she will receive will be distorted, inaccurate, and limited. Making the right choice through the application of prior experience would be a challenge for even the most seasoned public safety professionals. As we move forward in tough economic times, the challenges for public safety professionals will continue to compound. Those who fail to grasp an understanding of the various styles of decision making will find themselves in a losing battle. Humankind cannot conceive of every possible outcome to a problem under normal circumstances. Thus it would be even more of a challenge for those safety professionals who base their mode of response on past experiences with fewer operating resources. Approaching crises by following a heuristic approach would no longer suffice in a society where resource reductions have become the norm. These challenges can be addressed only through the development of a unified public safety culture that promulgates a better understanding of the various styles of decision-making. Decision making in the public sector is a process used by government officials to address a particular situation. “Public policymaking is the totality of the process by which a government decides to deal with a particular problem or concern. It is a neverending process” (Shafritz, 2005, p.52). However, at the onset of a crisis when the expected evolves to the unexpected, the notion of decision making should take on a new meaning. The process of decision making should be fueled by a collective process of brainstorming to arrive at an appropriate resolution to an uncertain situation. During a crisis, public safety officials do not have time to choose among alternatives. When lives are in jeopardy, emergency responders must react in an efficient manner that does not result in additional lives lost. 877.219.2519
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REFERENCES
Baumesiter, R.F. (2002). Ego depletion and self-control failure: An energy model of the self ’s executive function. Self and Identity, 1, 129-136 Hayek, F.A. (1945). The use of knowledge in society. American Economic Review, 35(4), 1-17 Hughes, L.E., Derrickson, S., Dominguez, B., & Schreiber, M. (2010). Economical emergency response and lower profile status: A behavioral health reference for the rest of us. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2, 102-108 Morris, A.J.F. (2011). Psychic aftershocks: Crisis counseling and disaster relief policy. History of Psychology, 14, 264-286 Peng, Z. (2008). Preparing for the real storm during the calm: A comparison of the crisis preparation strategies for pandemic influenza in China and the U.S. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 5(1), 1-25 Reissman, D. B. & Howard, J. (2008). Responder safety and health: Preparing for future disasters. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 75, 135-141 Robinson, L., & Hurley, A. E. (2002). Organizational decision making with similar alternatives. Journal of Psychology, 133(1), 1-9 Shafritz, J. M., Hyde, A. C., & Parkes, S. J. (2004). Classics of public administration (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Swanson, M., Territo, L., & Taylor, B. (2005). Police administration: Structures, processes, and behavior (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall Sweeny, K. (2008). Crisis decision theory: Decisions in the face of negative events. Psychological Bulletin, 134, 61-76 Tolentino, A.S. (2007) The challenges of tsunami disaster response planning and management International Review for Environmental Strategies, 7(1), p.147-154
ABOUT THE AUTHORS IRWIN C. HARRINGTON, PhD, CHS-I, CDP-I is a 24-year veteran of United States Navy and the Fire Service with World Conflict Experience. It is through the love he has for his family that he has dedicated his life to the field of public safety. He is the President of Chrishanna Fire Protection Consultants. He holds certifications in Homeland Security, Fire Protection Specialist, and Fire Investigation. He currently serves in the United States Navy as a Senior Damage Control and Fire Prevention Instructor. In addition to instructing in the Navy he also served the citizens of New York City as a fire prevention inspector assigned to the New York City Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention. He served as a Life Safety Analyst in the department’s Occupational Health and Safety division after 9/11. His expertise in crisis management and leadership has enabled him to teach members of the military and government methods of leadership to overcome challenges under strict circumstances. DANIELLE NARKAUS, PsyM, NJCSP is a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology Program at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University. She works as a school psychologist for the Trenton Board of Education at Rivera Learning Community, an alternative middle school. In her position, she provides individual and group counseling services, conflict resolution, develops Individual Program Plans, and is involved in crisis situations. Her research and interests are working with minority youth, particularly in the areas of violence prevention and leadership skill building as well as program planning and evaluation. Her current project is The Clarification, Re-Design, and Plan for Evaluation of a Women’s Empowerment Program Implemented within A Church-Setting. Winter 2012/Spring 2013
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