Transportation Security in a Holistic Homeland Security Enterprise
Daniel Rector
December 22, 2021
Transportation security is the act of ensuring the protection and continued functioning of mobility systems for both people and commerce. It includes air, maritime, and all forms of surface transport. Transportation security is an enormous undertaking involving all government levels, the private sector, volunteer organizations, and the public. These organizations must work together to identify, prepare for, and respond to any threats or hazards that could affect the transportation infrastructure or the people and goods that travel within it.
Resilience in 2022 – Planning, Resources, & Connections
Catherine L. Feinman
December 22, 2021
A quick search through articles on DomesticPreparedness.com for the word “resilience” reveals a
possible shift in focus for preparedness professionals over the years. In 2005, the Domestic
Preparedness Journal published many resilience articles that focused on creating standards and plans in
order to more rapidly return to normalcy. By 2010, there seemed to be a greater focus on funding,
grants, and other resources needed to be able to sustain operations when disasters occur. By 2015,
education, communication, and collaboration were key buzz words in articles on resilience. Then 2020
arrived along with much reflection on what could have been done better to be resilient in the face of an
unprecedented event and how to endure the consequences of past decisions.
Running Into Danger – Firsthand Accounts of 9/11
Catherine L. Feinman
December 15, 2021
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Many events were held to commemorate the
lives that were lost and to honor those who survived yet still ran into the danger zones to save lives
in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. However, one special event hosted in Washington, DC on 30
September 2021 was particularly impactful as it recounted that fateful day through firsthand accounts.
Some presenters have told their stories many times over the years while others shared their heroic
actions publicly for the first time in two decades. The District of Columbia’s 2021 Interoperability
Summit “20 Year Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 Attack on America: Never Forget,” was organized by
the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency’s (HSEMA) Office of the
Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC), in conjunction with the Metropolitan Washington Council
of Governments (MWCOG) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency’s (CISA) Emergency Communications Division (ECD).
Domestic Preparedness in a Post-COVID-19 World
Nathan DiPillo
December 8, 2021
Traditional definitions of domestic preparedness have been influenced by the Cold War and international terrorism. As the 20-year milestone of the 9/11 attack on the United States passed, domestic terrorism also has made its mark on the interpretation of domestic preparedness. It is time for a fresh look, considering pandemics, local human-caused and natural catastrophes, reoccurring threats (like wildfires, earthquakes, and cyberattacks), and crumbling domestic infrastructure. The landscape of emergency response actions and readiness of public and private agencies in a globally interconnected world has left a deep scar on domestic preparedness and how risk is evaluated both nationally and internationally.
