HMSY Public Administration/Homeland Security

Overview of homeland security. Evaluation of the progression of homeland security issues throughout Texas and the United States. An examination of the roles undertaken and methods used by governmental agencies and individuals to respond to those issues.

A study of public safety communication system interactions. Topics include political and policy basis of emergency management, technology, mitigation, and disaster recovery. Includes an overview of incident command systems, emergency management, mitigation for emergency managers, and individual and community disaster education.

A study of the intelligence community. Includes the role of intelligence and law enforcement. Topics include collection methods, cycle, management operations, classification, production and analysis, assessment of targets, and assessment of threat vulnerability. Source development will be conducted.

Identification and analysis of critical infrastructure systems including security and threat assessments. Includes mitigation of threats as well as evaluation and revision of security measures in order to protect critical infrastructures.

Study of terrorism and reasons why America is a terrorist target. Includes methods of combating domestic and international terrorism, terrorist operations, cyber- terrorism, narco-terrorism, the mind of the terrorist, and organized crime’s impact on terrorism.

This course covers hazard and risk assessment, crime scene preservation, chemical agents, biological agents, radiological agents, explosive devices, detection-sampling and plume models, and personal protection methods. The critical role of the first responders in weapons of mass destruction, mitigation, and survival will also be presented. Discussion will include historical events related to the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Examination of links between organized crime and terrorism. Includes information concerning current terrorist groups; ties to ethnicrelated organized crimes; and terrorist organizations’ use of black marketing, money laundering, identity theft, credit card theft, and fraud to fund terrorism.

A study of the common set of procedures of the unified incident command system for organizing personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications to successfully coordinate multi-agency response. Includes the identification and application of key roles and functional responsibilities for professionally managing multi-agency incidents. Also covers one or more practical application exercises and/or scenarios.