Natural Disasters in the United States

Natural Disasters in the United States

Part 1

1. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease that affects the respiratory system. The coronavirus was first found in China and has spread throughout the world, including the United States. There is a lot of information unknown about this virus. It spreads fast through coming into physical contact with a person carrying the virus. The city, federal, and local governments are preparing hard for this pandemic. The extent of its preparedness is evident in its capacity to detect, prevent, offer quick response, and offer professional care for the affected patients. Having hefty budgets and action plans for rapid response is paramount. Besides, preparedness requires advanced laboratory techniques to test the disease and monitor any infection that is likely to occur (Gates, 2020). The governments have made hospitals and stations for isolation available and of quality that are easily accessible.

There have been considerable investments in purchasing equipment, constructing healthcare facilities, and carrying out scientific research about the disease. The strategies taken by the governments will help control the number of sick people and the severity of the disease. The United States has dealt with other outbreaks such as polio, malaria, and Ebola. Therefore, it is inevitable that this, too, shall be managed. Many health professionals at the local and federal levels are ready to prevent coronavirus from spreading in the United States. The states that are collaborative, transparent, and open can respond comprehensively to emergencies can manage the pandemic. Besides, the United States has a robust health system and an excellent government system (Chopra, 2020). Federal, city, and local governments in the United States come up with measures such as routine communication, social distancing, proactive surveillance, quarantines, and personal isolation. The provincial government educates and communicates with the community about the signs of corona and when one should present oneself for testing. People receive advice on how to maintain hygiene and frequently wash their hands (Gates, 2020). The public gets warning against spreading rumors that cause undue panic and fear..

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, signed a bill concerning emergency spending to help the United States’ response to the COVID 19 outbreak. $3 B given to the government health officers will help develop scientific research and develop a vaccine against the disease. The president had initially billed for $2 B for fighting the coronavirus, but congress gave four times the amount. The vaccine development, research, and therapeutics will receive around $3 B. Prevention and preparedness efforts will receive more than $2.2 B. In comparison, the purchase of medical equipment and community support will receive $1 B (Chopra, 2020).

3. a) Cybersecurity

People depend on resilient, safe, and stable cyberspace for the running of their daily lives (Bai, 2020). Cyberspace is prone to many risks ranging from hazards, cyber, and physical threats. Sophisticated cybercriminals exploit the vulnerability and develop the ability to threaten, destroy, and delivery of information services. In 2018, president Donald Trump signed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act (CISA). The law amplifies the objective of the former National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and elevates the mission of CISA. CISA, in conjunction with the federal government, offer tools of cybersecurity, assessment tools, and protect people against cyberattacks. CISA primarily focusses on encouraging the sharing of information, cybersecurity, ending cybercrime, providing cyber protection governance, critical infrastructure protection, and securing of the national network.

1. b) Disaster

There is no time or place where disaster cannot strike. It can occur gradually or suddenly without giving a warning. Every year, the lives of millions of Americans are in danger, and there is damage to property worth billions. To help manage the issue, DHS provides both financial aid to the affected families, individuals, and businesses that do not have insurance (Smith, 2018). Together with the private sector, non-government organizations, and the government levels, DHS makes the country more resilient and safe to natural disasters. If a scenario is not manageable by the workforce of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Homeland Security’s secretary activates the Surge Capacity Force (SCF) in the DHS to increase the rate at which the federal response to catastrophic national disasters.

1. c) Border Security

It is vital to protect the borders of the United States from the illegal entrance of drugs, people, weapons, and contraband. The promotion of lawful travel is critical to homeland security, national sovereignty, and economic growth. The bounders are gateways for economic growth and account for revenue from tourism and trade every year (Bai, 2020). Department of Homeland Security makes use of resources, personnel, and technology levels and has managed and improved security in the borders. In 2017, Donald Trump came up with several Executive Orders of providing DHS with extra financial resources, human resources, and equipment that performs the vital duties in DHS.

5. The critical mission of DHS was to facilitate the prevention of terrorist attacks in the United States and enhance the reduction of how the United States is vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Today, it seems like the primary focus of DHS has changed to enforcing immigration. In its budgets, maintaining border security always receive the highest allocation, followed by enforcement of immigration laws (Currie et al., 2019). The main reason for the creation of DHS was September 11, 2011, terrorist attack that cleared a total of 2,977 lives. The main concern was a lack of cooperation and coordination among the government agencies. It is right to note that no one knew the focus of DHS would shift to preventing Central Americans from entering into the U.S. either to seek asylum or to work. Adopting systems, strategies, and policies helps maintain the safety of Americans, control terrorist attacks, and prevent the straining of American’s resources. Besides, DHS prepares the United States for natural disasters and can adopt measures to handle such.

Department of Homeland Security is frequently reorganized because, first, it demands much attention, not only currently, but also in the future. Secondly, there is a need for rationalization, integration, and coordination of many government agencies that work hand in hand with DHS. Thirdly, there is no doubt about the expansion of federal response in the next few years. Finally, there is much need for enhancing accountability and transparency in the DHS security policy and come up with a strategic plan that will improve security in the borers.

Part 2

6. Civil war is the war among citizens who live in the same country. Guerrilla warfare means engaging in a war fought by groups of small irregular soldiers against large groups of regular forces, and terrorism is the use of intimidation and violence illegally against the citizen of a particular country for political aims. In contrast, traditional warfare refers to the war carried out in an open battle between states by the use of battlefield tactics and conventional tools and weapons.
7. It is necessary to make concessions with terrorists, kidnappers, and extortionists. At the early conflict stage, the government should open a platform for communicating with terrorists. A delay in the conversations causes the loss of many lives (Smith, 2018). Dialogue is essential in countering such evils in the society.

8. Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2020 requested budget was $51.7 billion for DHS (Currie et al., 2019). The appropriation act of the Department of Homeland Security helps control distribution finances in the activities within the department.
9. Anyone can be a victim of a terrorist attack. However, all victims are not equally affected by the effects of the terror attack. There should be recognition of how the victim and people close to them endure the suffering.
10. Department of Homeland Security is frequently reorganized because, first, it demands much attention, not only currently, but also in the future. Secondly, there is a need for rationalization, integration, and coordination of many government agencies that work hand in hand with DHS. Thirdly, there is no doubt about the expansion of federal response in the next few years. Finally, there is much need for enhancing accountability
11. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) plays the role of heading the intelligence community, directing and overseeing implementing the National Intelligence Program (NIP). Besides, DNI is the president’s legal position (Bai, 2020). Such a position is paramount and requites integrity meaning is frequent reorganization is essential.
12. The federal agencies and entities in Homeland Security enterprise include coast guard, secret service, Citizen and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
13. Natural disasters such as terrorism kill many Americans. DHS Critical infrastructure describes the physical and cyber systems and assets that are so vital to the United States that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on our physical or economic security

Part 3

14. It is an approach to the preparedness of emergency planning that assesses the capabilities and capacities that are vital for evaluating readiness to disaster, pandemic, or emergency.
15. Counterintelligence is an action that aims at the protection of intelligence programs against the opposition of intelligence service.
16. The homeland security enterprise came up after the 2011 terrorist attack to support the U.S. get through public spaces.
17. Patriot Act of the United States is an Act signed in 2011 by the then president George Bush to detect, prevent, and counter-terrorist attacks.
18. Homeland Security Presidential Directives are directions given by the presidents on matters of DHS to facilitate infrastructure protection.
19. Mutual aid agreements are agreements and collaborations between organizations, agencies, and jurisdictions that offer a mechanism that facilitates obtaining emergency aid fast (Bai, 2020).
20. A natural disaster means a great adverse event that occurs due to the earth’s natural processes. They include floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes (Currie, 2019).
21. A technological disaster means an occurrence that happens by technical structure malfunction or errors caused by human beings in handling technology.
22. Tsunami is a range of waves found in water bodies that occurs when a large volume of water is displaced, especially in lakes and oceans.
23. Storm surge is the rise in the level of seawater during a storm, mostly caused by winds of storms that push water inland.
24. IED (improvised explosive device) is a bomb deployed and constructed using conventional military explosives like artillery shells mostly used in roadside bombs.
25. A dirty bomb is a radiological weapon that combines conventional explosives with radioactive
26. 26. Citizen Corps is a program that operates under DHS and offers therapeutic services to disaster victims to help them recover (Capps, 2018).
27. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is a program that educates people who are willing to train the community on disaster preparedness.

Works Cited

Bai, Yan, et al. “Presumed asymptomatic carrier transmission of COVID-19.” Jama (2020).

Chopra, Vineet, et al. “How Should U.S. Hospitals Prepare for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)?.” Annals of Internal Medicine (2020).

Capps, Randy, et al. “Gauging the impact of DHS’proposed public-charge rule on U.S. immigration.” Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute (2018).

Currie, Chris. “High Risk: Important Progress Made, but More Work Needed to Strengthen DHS Management, Statement of Chris Currie, Director, Homeland Security, and Justice, Testimony Before the Oversight, Management, and Accountability Subcommittee, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives.” The United States. Government Accountability Office. No. GAO-19-475T. The United States. Government Accountability Office, 2019.

Gates, Bill. “Responding to Covid-19—A Once-in-a-Century Pandemic?.” New England Journal of Medicine (2020).

Smith, Hillel R. “An overview of U.S. immigration laws regulating the admission and exclusion of aliens at the border.” UPDATE, (2018).