Homeland security: overview and policy frameworks

Homeland Security

The needs to be prepared for any disaster or attack constitute the need of standard operating procedures which need to be followed accurately. Standard operating procedures ensure that the right procedures are followed when dealing with any disaster affecting the society. The main purpose of having standard operating procedures is to guarantee that investigations are done in a consistent manner which should be correct. The use of standard operating procedures ensures that the organization collects the relevant information needed for the investigation and files it correctly. Deviations from the standard operating procedure should not be allowed as it leads to inconsistency in the information collected (Haider, 2006).

Emergency response to an explosive device in the university

This is a standard operating procedure for emergency response in the event of an explosive device in the university prepared by the patrol division's commander for excelsior university police department. The document outlines the procedures used in response to a terrorist activity such as the presence of an explosive device in the university.

1. Standard operating procedure

The scope, this includes the parameter inside the university and any buildings adjacent to the campus grounds. Any personnel inside the university should be covered in the standard operating procedures of the organization. Responsibility, each member of the emergency response members have the responsibility to understand and follow to the standard operating procedures.

2. Tactical management

Any incident in the university should be confirmed by the patrol division commander who should implement the appropriate incident management personnel position required to control the damage that can be caused by the explosive device. This includes setting up a parameter that separates the public from the risk area. This requires the commander to set up an onsite post to coordinate activities for removal of the threat. Evacuation of the students should be and people in the site should also be coordinated to ensure that all the people are at a safe distance. The station commander should also communicate with the relevant emergency agencies. The commander in this case should call the bomb squad to help remove the threat from the site. Emergency medical services should also be called to the scene to ensure that any medical emergencies are treated in time. Relevant security authority should also be called to the site to ensure that the area is secure and evidence needed for the investigation is collected.

3. Safety considerations

An explosive device in the university grounds needs to be removed due to the high population of students in the area. The safety consideration ensures that all the security threats are eliminated from the scene. This means that the relevant safety precautions need to be implemented in the scene. The population needs to be diverted from the area. Evacuating the university is the first security consideration that should be considered. The spread of fire to the neighboring areas should also be considered by ensuring that a fire fighting team is ready to handle the security threat. Security team should patrol the area to ensure that no unsuspecting individual will wander into the area with the explosive device.

4. Evacuation policies

The people in the area where the explosive device is located should be evacuated to ensure that the casualty levels are maintained to low numbers. Communication should be accurate and the division commander should have access to communication device that addresses the whole university. All the people in the university should be evacuated in an orderly manner to avoid commotion which may cause more damage. Security personnel should be located in all exit points to calm the people in the campus and to ensure that all the people are safely evacuated from the university. Evacuation can start with people near the explosive device as the risk of harm is more compared to the other people. A perimeter should be well marked to ensure that people do not wander into the risky area where the device is situated.

Coordination with bomb disposal experts

Bomb disposal experts should be called to the scene by the commander while evacuating the people from the area. The bomb disposal unit should access the device and determine the perimeter that should be maintained the people in the site. The unit can also collect and record the relevant information needed to determine the people behind the attack and how to avoid the incident in the university. The device should be inactivated at site to ensure that the device does not explode while being transported from the site. The device can then be detonated after the investigations have been completed and the people behind the attack apprehended.

Equipment

The response team should be adequately equipped with the relevant equipment to deal with the security threat. Communication devices, fire fighting equipment and medical supplies are some of the items that should be present at the site. The division commander should ensure that all this equipment is present at the site. Some of the specialized equipment needed to disarm the explosive device is the responsibility of the bomb squad.

Patrol Division Commander

Discuss the significance of explosive devices in terrorism and tactical violence events.

Explosive devices are used in violent events and terrorism activities for destruction purposes. The use of explosive devices is common among terrorist group who use these devices for mass destruction. They are used for destruction of communication routes, business areas supply routes. Terrorist may use the explosive device to kill innocent civilians and instill fear among the people in a community. The military also uses explosive devices for tactical assaults during events of war. Explosive devices are used to ensure that the target is destroyed and can not operate at the normal level. The essence of explosive devices is to neutralize targets.

Discuss the critical safety steps that must be utilized when operating in an environment where explosive devices are suspected or present.

The safety steps to be used in an area where explosive are present include ensuring that the people near the device are evacuated safely and calmly. A perimeter should be set up around the device to ensure that its detonation will not affect the people. A bomb unit should be deployed to the area where the explosive device is situated or suspected to be situated. A medical team and a security team should also be deployed to the area to ensure that the situation is handled professionally. Communication should be efficient in the area to ensure that all the people in the scene are aware of the situation (Maniscalco & Christen, 2011).