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Conditions of Democratic Erosion: Has U.S. Democracy Reached a Tipping Point?
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis provides readers an in-depth analysis of the alleged existence of democratic erosion in the United States using Peru, Hungary, and pre-World War II Germany as case studies to show historical examples of the phenomenon. Using Mayring's qualitative analytical model, this thesis finds that these three countries demonstrated conditions that became tipping points toward erosion as a result of the consolidation of power by their leaders. While the analysis finds the precursors of tipping points to democratic erosion in the three case studies, the analysis does not find signs of democratic erosion in the United States. It finds that the constitutional separation of powers and the checks and balances of the U.S. system continue to function as designed. The thesis does find, however, that the U.S. democratic system is being strained, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to bridge the ideological divide, and if the democratic system cannot resolve these challenges, or if elected officials and the electorate violate constitutional rules, it will experience a constitutional crisis."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tubbs, Christian D.
2018-12
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Climate Security Threat--America's Achilles' Heel?
From the thesis abstract: "The 2015 National Security Strategy warns that natural hazards supercharged by the effects of climate change pose a direct threat to the human and national security of the United States. This thesis asks if the U.S. government is placing the American public at risk by failing to create resilience standards appropriate to the threats posed by natural hazards, including hazards that will be exacerbated by climate change. What is preventing the nation from understanding the risk of climate security threats and the need to adapt to those threats? What lessons can the United States learn from our allies to establish an effective climate change adaptation protocol? These questions are examined through four emergency management considerations: the climate threat, presidential narratives, emergency management laws and relevant policies, and democratic allies' climate adaptation progress. The research shows that decisive national leadership toward climate adaptation is urgently needed in the United States. The answers to these research questions provide a narrow view of key factors that can be changed to achieve a more resilient nation and increase public safety for the American people."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Schaffer, Patricia A.
2018-12
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Everyone Is Doing It: The Effectiveness of Body-Worn Cameras Beyond Randomized Controlled Trials
From the thesis abstract: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is at a decisional crossroads regarding body-worn camera implementation. Although the technology has gained widespread acceptance in the law enforcement community, there is a tremendous amount of conflicting information surrounding its efficacy. Neither the academic, nor civil liberty, nor law enforcement communities have examined the effectiveness of body-worn cameras in isolation or attempted to determine whether other police reforms accomplish the same goals. This thesis addresses whether CBP should adopt body-worn cameras. The author employed a comparative case study methodology to examine the impact of the technology within the context of other reform initiatives in two major police departments in which randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of body-worn cameras produced differing results. One RCT showed that the technology reduced the use of force and complaints while the other did not. By examining the effectiveness of other police reform initiatives in these departments before and after body-worn camera implementation, this research concludes that the technology has not been more effective at reducing the use of force or complaints than other reform measures. This thesis expands the body-worn camera discussion beyond the results of RCTs and places it in the broader context of police reform."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Lawler, Robert M.
2018-12
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Tailoring Violent Extremism Prevention: A Targeted Intervention Method
From the thesis abstract: "The threat that emanates from violent extremism in the United States has shifted from large-scale networked cells to lone-wolf attackers. These violent extremists vary in ethnicity, race, age, religion, and motivations, and their path to radicalization is not linear. However, the majority of Department of Homeland Security programs designed to combat violent extremism still focus exclusively on the Muslim population and on community-based approaches. This thesis identifies two separate but related deficiencies in current countering violent extremism (CVE) programs: first, their inability to prevent attacks perpetrated by individuals who have been interviewed by law enforcement but did not become subjects of a formal investigation, and second, their inability to provide early intervention for individuals who are vulnerable to radicalization. This research proposes a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive model to prevent violent extremism at every intervention point, leveraging law enforcement capabilities, neighborhood policing models, and more robust threat assessment methods." The CHDS Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security video link for this thesis is available at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=8212445
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Mourad, Mourad
2018-12
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Area Maritime Security Committees and the Maritime Transportation System
From the thesis abstract: "The purpose of this thesis was to explore the modern threats to the maritime homeland security environment and the effectiveness of Area Maritime Security Committees (AMSCs) in preventing and responding to transportation security incidents. AMSCs are deliberately designed to encompass senior representatives of numerous stakeholders in the maritime homeland security enterprise, such as law enforcement, fire, industry, and labor. There were two research questions used in this project: What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the effectiveness of AMSCs, and how can AMSCs improve their interagency collaboration to enhance the homeland security enterprise? Two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of AMSCs. These were issued to 24 people from five Captain of the Port Zones across the West Coast of the United States. The survey answers were then evaluated against open-source reports produced by AMSCs. Between these research sources, AMSCs were shown to be positive collaboration and information-sharing mechanisms, but geography creates barriers to participation and effectiveness. In order to improve, AMSCs must increase funding, change policy to fund the travel and training of AMSC members, recruit and provide engaging training for new personnel, and establish metrics of performance. On the national level, all AMSCs should target and monitor common threats to better secure the maritime transportation system."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Crowell, Ben
2018-12
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Homeland Security from a Tribal Context
From the thesis abstract: "A gap exists between the federal government and the 567 tribal nations, which hampers tribal inclusion in homeland security. American Indian and Alaskan Native lands comprise 100 million acres of land within the territory of the United States, with 250 miles of borderlands--potentially a formidable rift in the nation's homeland security. According to its mission statement, the United States homeland security enterprise necessarily assumes tribal participation, cooperation, and communication in upholding its mission to 'ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards.' Keeping the nation safe encompasses many aspects of protection, and 'hundreds of thousands of people from across the federal government, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and other nongovernmental organizations are responsible for executing these missions.' If not well supported with staff, training, and funding, the tribal nations struggle to fulfill such federal expectations. The first step to close that gap, and build stronger, more collaborative homeland security practices, is improving tribal preparedness."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Figueroa, Lisa M.
2018-12
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Applying the THIRA to Special Events: A Framework for Capabilities-Based Planning Adoption in Local Governments
From the thesis abstract: "Determining preparedness across the United States' homeland security enterprise (HSE) is a complex task because the nation's overall disaster management capability is an aggregation of the independently developed capabilities of local and state agencies. In 2012, FEMA promulgated a six-step capabilities-based planning (CBP) framework, the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), to standardize how states and major cities assess preparedness. CBP is a non-linear planning process used within the Department of Defense (DoD) to determine how military capabilities should develop to ensure success in future conflicts, despite uncertainty around threats, actors, and theaters. This thesis proposes increasing CBP adoption by state and local governments through incorporating an adapted THIRA methodology into recurring, real-world interagency activities, such as mass-gathering contingency planning. An expanded THIRA framework is synthesized, which completes an initial DoD CBP sequence in the context of local government planning for a special event. Three policy options are developed that evaluate the adapted THIRA framework's implementation in these scenarios: no adoption, use in a local government-planned event, and adoption within a national special security event (NSSE). This thesis recommends implementing a THIRA framework into special-event planning to allow interagency stakeholders to perform and adapt CBP locally in real-world collaborative environments."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bradley, Daniel J.
2018-12
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Fusing the Four Corners: Integrating Intelligence-Led Policing Within New Mexico's Rural and Tribal Communities
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines how New Mexico's state fusion center can develop a robust intelligence-led policing and all-hazards model for New Mexico and its rural and tribal communities. The research examines the principles behind intelligence-led policing and identifies best practices established by other local and state law enforcement organizations, focusing on how these practices are followed by fusion centers. Then, it conducts a close analysis of the New Mexico fusion center to determine, in light of best practices, how policies and procedures might be changed to better address rural and tribal concerns. A redefined intelligence and all-hazards mission, as described in this thesis, will provide all participating agencies with a universal definition of intelligence-led policing, will maintain and enhance community-policing efforts, and will establish a platform for contribution to the domestic intelligence cycle--fusing New Mexico's four-corner region, which is essential for leveraging resources to detect and disrupt organized criminal organizations and terrorism."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Vasquez, Robert
2018-12
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God Protocol: In Search of a Common Ethical Approach to Disaster Response
From the thesis abstract: "The evolution of domestic disaster response within the United States has created a dissonance between the capabilities of response resources and public expectations. Resource shortages in a catastrophe will compel decision-makers in disaster response organizations at all levels of government to make difficult choices. Given America's social contract, the ethical foundation for these choices should be common and consistent between the various actors. This research provides a primer on the abstracta (philosophical) and concreta (practical) issues impacting ethical choices about the allocation and distribution of food and water in response to a catastrophe. A single case study reviewing the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides a focused, threaded scenario to illustrate the interplay of the philosophical and practical issues. The research and application within the case study found that while the social contract creates both rights and expectations, government response cannot be assessed solely on the basis of quantifiable outcomes. The measure of effectiveness for response remains largely socially constructed due to the discursive framing by the various actors involved in disaster response. While a common ethical approach may be overly ambitious, this thesis recommends various procedural remedies to achieve greater consonance in ethical approaches."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Soucie, Eric D.
2018-12
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Career Paramedic-Firefighter Staffing Problems: Is Recruiting Women Part of the Solution?
From the thesis abstract: "Fire departments are the largest employer of emergency medical services workers, but many face a shortage of paramedic-firefighter applicants. These applicants typically work as single-role paramedics, an occupation facing an even greater shortage. Although women are almost 47 percent of the general labor force, few apply to be paramedic-firefighters, suggesting an untapped labor pool that could resolve some of the shortage. This thesis explores whether fire departments can mitigate the shortage of paramedic-firefighter applicants by examining the issues that prevent people from applying and by recruiting more women. In a comparative analysis of four departments that employ an above-average percentage of females, the research found that: 1) low ambulance-bill reimbursements restrict paramedic wages, and thus paramedic supply; 2) economic and other challenges that limit the supply of paramedics are increasing; 3) fire departments appear not to be aware of, or have implemented, published recruiting recommendations; and 4) strong staffing performance requires consistent human resources proficiency. This research recommends that fire departments address issues that appear to deter potential applicants, especially women. Doing this can mitigate staffing shortages and foster community trust."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Byron, Juan
2018-12
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Olive Branch and the Maple Leaf: A Comparative Analysis of Refugee Policies in Canada and the United States and the Potential for Blended Reform
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis reviewed the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to address concerns regarding the program and actions taken by the Donald J. Trump administration. Specifically, the thesis sought to determine if the admission of refugees poses a threat to the United States and if the USRAP can be modified. To determine potential threats, the research reviewed several concerns, including physical threats that could be caused by refugee admissions as well as economic and social impacts that refugees could have on host countries or individual communities, and then weighed competing arguments against objective evidence. Additionally, the research made a broader comparison between the structure of the United States' and Canada's refugee programs to determine if best practices from both nations might craft an updated USRAP. Ultimately, the thesis determined that refugees pose neither a physical security risk nor an economic risk to the United States. The country, however, is currently failing in its statutory mandate to involve local communities in resettlement decisions; this has long-term negative effects on refugees and citizens. To address this concern, the United States should blend in smart practices from Canada's Provincial Nominee Program to bring USRAP more in line with statutory requirements and current humanitarian needs."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tisdale, Robert
2018-12
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Watchlist: Improving the Transparency, Accuracy, Efficiency, and Accountability of the Terrorist Screening Database
From the thesis abstract: "The government's unclassified terror watchlist, the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), has grown dramatically, stressing government screening and counterterrorism resources. The TSDB has been criticized for lacking independent oversight and transparency in its operations, which has led some to allege it is discriminatory toward minority communities. How should the TSDB be improved to improve transparency, efficiency, and accuracy, and to decrease secrecy and perceived bias? This thesis is a policy analysis that examines the TSDB administrative processes to determine the extent to which the structure and function serve or compromise national security. It also considers the difficulties the system of redress poses for those classified as a 'Known or Suspected Terrorist' by their inclusion on the watchlist. This thesis recommends that the evidentiary standard needed to list a person on the watchlist should not be changed, but the government should extend the procedures recently adopted for No Fly subjects to all citizens and lawfully admitted permanent residents who request redress of their watchlist status. Judicial oversight and fixed review periods should be added to the redress process to facilitate independent review of the government's watchlisting determinations and ensure that all information contained in the TSDB is regularly reviewed."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Park, David
2018-12
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When the House is Full, but the Guests Keep Coming: Determining the Impact of Daily Hospital Overcrowding on Disaster Response
From the thesis abstract: "Hospitals throughout the United States are facing overcrowding every day, with more patients than available staff and space can accommodate, yet current disaster response policy related to managing a surge of patients does not include considerations for this daily challenge. This thesis investigates the questions that need to be answered regarding the foundational principles of current U.S. surge policy and how healthcare coalitions might assist in answering such questions. A gap analysis of current healthcare coalition policy related to surge was completed that identified the need for policy makers to continue to expand the role of evidence-based decision making for surge policy. As a result, this thesis recommends that additional data points be added for hospitals receiving patients during the required annual coalition surge test-related performance measures for healthcare coalitions. The additional data points are designed to help policy makers determine whether overcrowding impacts surge response, so policy can be adjusted if needed."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Menefee, Charity M.
2018-12
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School Bus Security: A Case for Regulations to Improve Child Safety
From the thesis abstract: "Each day, millions of parents send their children to school on public school buses under the assumption of their safety. In the United States, school buses transport more passengers each day than all other modes of mass transit combined. The lack of minimum security standards governing the school bus transportation industry has created a deep security void in the homeland security enterprise. Given the threats that U.S. mass transit systems face, more must be done to ensure the safety and security of children during their daily commute on school buses. This thesis examines the security void through an analysis of critical infrastructure methodologies and security strategies deployed worldwide to secure other modes of transportation. These methodologies form the basis for recommending new federal transportation security regulations that cover the school bus industry. The implementation of these proposed regulations uses a multi-layered security approach to ensure security is enhanced at all levels of the school bus transportation system. Security regulations provide a baseline standard for the entire school bus industry that will help safeguard the most precious commodity, children." The CHDS Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security video link for this thesis is available at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=821242
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Whitehead, Ryan N.
2018-12
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Responding to High-Rise Active Shooters
From the thesis abstract: "On October 1, 2017, a mass shooting took place in Las Vegas in which the active shooter--perched on the thirty-second floor of a high-rise building--killed fifty-eight people at an outdoor concert below. Law enforcement last modified its active-shooter response practices after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. Since then, agencies across the United States have based their active-shooter responses on the assumption that the shooter is on the move and in the same two-dimensional environment as the responding officers; the response practices, training, and resource requirements do not address a three-dimensional threat in a semi-fixed position. This thesis analyzed case studies from the University of Texas tower shooting, the Mumbai terrorist attack, and the Las Vegas mass shooting to illuminate patterns, nuances, practices, techniques, tactics, and procedures related to high-rise active shooters. The conclusions identified training procedures, equipment considerations, and response practices that may help first responders mitigate damage from similar attacks in the future." The CHDS Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security video link for this thesis is available at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=821244
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Seebock, James J.
2018-12
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Terrorist Story in Three Acts: Dabiq, Rumiyah, and the Hero's Journey
From the thesis abstract: "Terror does not win with strategic victories; rather, terror is in itself a strategy that can win only through the projection of a narrative and its associated stories. A successful story is compelling, powerful, and resonates with a target audience. Thus: If it is terrorism we are combating, it is story we must understand first. As a fundamental framework of storytelling and mythology, the Hero's Journey provides an analytical structure to evaluate the direction in which the Islamic State (IS) moved its narrative after significant organizational life events. This thesis examines the effect of losing physical territory (i.e., cities as strongholds they once occupied) upon the IS narrative. Using the stages of the Hero's Journey, qualitative content analysis was performed on the Islamist extremist print magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. After identifying categories of narrative intent, data analysis demonstrates a significant narrative shift along the spectrum of organizational goals. With a more in-depth understanding of this storytelling ebb and flow at the time of any given publication, countries battling this brand of extremism throughout the world may now create counter-narrative and counter-messaging strategies on the fly--by telling the 'better story.' Further research may demonstrate the value of content analysis within the Hero's Journey framework to determine a similar organization's current level of stability, using media publications in the present or future."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Capece, Alexander G.
2018-09
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Crowd-Based Techniques to Improve Intelligence Analysis
From the thesis abstract: "The essential nature of the homeland security enterprise involves making consequential and complex policy decisions under uncertainty. The inputs that policy makers use in making these decisions are facts, analyses, and predictions (which can fit a definition of intelligence)--all of which are subject to significant uncertainty. This thesis seeks to improve analysis by developing a crowd-based analytic methodology to address the problem of intelligence analysis while accounting for, and taking advantage of, the unique characteristics of the intelligence analysis process and the U.S. Intelligence Community culture itself. The thesis's proposed methodology applies learning regarding crowdsourcing and prediction markets-based forecasting in a new context--that of intelligence analysis and the Intelligence Community. If the Intelligence Community implements the crowd-based analytic proposed methodology, which has achieved results in other contexts, it should improve its predictions of real-world events."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Srinivasan, Sridhar
2018-09
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I Am the Dragoman: EMS Translations and Boundary Objects in National Preparedness
From the thesis abstract: "Emergency medical services (EMS) in the United States is highly localized, arising from the historical efforts of local entrepreneurs, with local resources, perceptions and expectations. Early EMS development was spurred by strong federal leadership and funding for capacity building, but since the early 1980s, EMS has suffered from an absence of both, resulting in a patchwork of thousands of persistent local EMS interpretations. This study evaluates EMS through the framework of Boundary Object Theory, demonstrating that EMS is what Star and Griesemer refer to as a 'boundary object,' around and within which multiple communities of practice interact. A case study of a local EMS agency as a community of practice demonstrates that it is indeed an organizational community of practice, and part of a larger EMS--and specifically out of hospital EMS community of practice. These communities of practice contribute to a coherent collective meaning of the EMS object at some analytical levels, but EMS perceptions do not scale from the local level to national preparedness policy. The consequences are discordant EMS preparedness policy and gaps in national preparedness, exacerbated by a lack of standardized methods and consolidated federal leadership for EMS. Recognizing out of hospital EMS as a discipline with a defined domain, its inclusion in preparedness policy development, and the return of federal leadership in EMS are recommendations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Robinson, James L.
2018-09
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Facing Reality: The Benefits and Challenges of Facial Recognition for the NYPD
From the thesis abstract: "Facial recognition technology (FRT) and license plate readers (LPRs) are comparable technologies that share similar benefits and challenges. Many of the challenges associated with LPRs have already been mitigated, resulting in citizen acceptance and expanded use. Recent advancements in FRT, such as its use in real time, create new opportunities to leverage the technology for increased public safety. To what extent are LPRs and FRT analogous, and how can the use of LPRs by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) provide a roadmap for public support of real-time FRT? This thesis examines benefits and challenges that may arise if the NYPD considers using real-time FRT in the New York City subway system. Through comparative analysis, this thesis determines that real-time FRT could help law enforcement deter terrorism, prevent violent crime, identify wanted individuals, find missing persons as well as assist in mental health situations and post-event investigations. Real-time FRT can help the NYPD meet its mission by reducing fear, increasing resiliency, and adding a layer of protection for citizens riding in the New York City subway system."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Carter, Anthony M.
2018-09
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Systematic Approach to Law Enforcement Safety
From the thesis abstract: "The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) requires that employers provide a safe work environment for their employees. Many states have their own plans that follow federal guidelines and that are inclusive of law enforcement officers. Despite this, there are no federal--and few state--regulations that specifically apply to law enforcement. Although they are commonly found in other high-risk professions, expected practices for OSHA-consistent hazard analysis and mitigation do not exist in law enforcement. This thesis highlights the information that is necessary for policy administrators in this field to establish a systematic approach to safety. After reviewing how police departments can improve officer safety by applying OSHA standards, the thesis examines the fire service and the aviation and medical professions. Specifically, the thesis reviews how these professions have applied Dr. James Reason's principles to create advanced safety systems in high-risk environments. Using OSHA guidelines and standards from other high-risk professions, the thesis constructs a roadmap that, if followed, produces a systematic approach that can create a culture of safety in law enforcement."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Finch, Joseph W.
2018-09
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Civilians on Police Use-Of-Force Review Boards: A Delphi Study Involving Six Police Departments
From the thesis abstract: "Some U.S. law enforcement agencies incorporate voting community members on their use-of-force review boards to support transparency, legitimacy, and community relations. This thesis set out to determine whether police departments that incorporate community members on their review boards follow similar standards in structure and operations. Six cities were included in this study: Denver, Las Vegas, Olympia, Phoenix, Portland, and Tucson. A comparative case study method was used to evaluate their use-of-force review board practices. A two-round Delphi, which asked nine board members from the six cities to identify ideal structures and operations for these boards, found a wide variety of practices. All Delphi participants expressed support for the practice of including voting community members. The literature review and Delphi results identify several recommendations for improving these boards. Recommendations include increasing training, term limits, the authority to review, and opportunities to question for voting community members as well as improving public reporting."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Breckenridge, John H.
2018-09
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911 and the Area Code from Which You Call: How to Improve the Disparity in California's Emergency Medical Services
From the thesis abstract: "Thirty-three local emergency medical services (EMS) authority agencies serve the 58 counties in California. A local EMS authority (LEMSA) in California governs either EMS providers in a single county or several counties combined. Each LEMSA dictates widely different treatment and transport protocols for its paramedics. Preliminary data for this thesis substantiate previously published literature, which shows broad disparities in prehospital care and patient outcomes among LEMSA jurisdictions in California. Although previous research has established the problem of geographic EMS disparities, nothing definitively explains their cause. This thesis contends that the decentralized LEMSA system is the chief culprit for EMS disparities in California, based on an analysis of the available California EMS performance-measure data. Regression analysis does not identify a single factor to explain the problem; the only constant across all LEMSAs in California is that their treatment protocols and training standards to maintain local accreditation vary widely. Unfortunately, the striking lack of performance-measure data--a data desert--for EMS throughout the United States limits the scope of research seeking to explain the inconsistency in EMS care."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Covitz, Jeffrey A.
2018-09
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Prescription for Information Sharing Between Law Enforcement and the Medical Community to Improve Threat Assessments
From the thesis abstract: "Medical practitioners may have information that could be used to determine whether an individual poses a violent threat to the community. However, legal and cultural barriers often prevent information sharing between the medical field and law enforcement. This thesis examines the impact of laws and regulations such as HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996], FERPA [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act], 42 CFR [Code of Federal Regulations] Part 2, and state duty-to-warn laws, and recommends a legal analysis of these laws to determine whether modifications are necessary. It suggests that states could enact individual laws that mandate information sharing between the medical community and law enforcement for the purposes of threat assessment, which would then allow release of the information under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2. It also suggests training for both law enforcement and the medical community to ensure they understand how to apply these laws, as well as joint exercises to enhance collaboration and trust."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Thibault, Amy L.
2018-09
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Model of Creating Inpatient Hospital Surge Capacity Through Early Discharge
From the thesis abstract: "When catastrophic disasters strike, health care systems are often faced with overwhelming volumes of patients to treat (patient surge). While many governmental and policy organizations have outlined recommendations to build 'surge capacity,' there has been little research on specific strategies to accommodate these significant patient loads. Specifically, a concept known as 'reverse triage,' which allows clinicians to assess current patients for possible discharge or reduction in the level of their clinical care, is still poorly understood. This research study investigated the utility of a structured assessment tool to predict the ability of a current patient to be discharged or downgraded in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Clinicians were provided a mock scenario and asked to use their clinical judgment or a structured assessment tool. The charts of patients were then reviewed 96 hours after the assessments were completed to determine whether predictions were accurate. This pilot study showed that the assessment tool was slightly better at predicting which patients could be safely discharged and which needed to remain admitted. This project serves as a first foray of research into this area and will initiate broader discourse and additional studies. The goal is to provide clinicians with stronger guidance vetted in scientific evidence and supported in ethical, legal, and moral context to make difficult decisions in the face of catastrophic disaster situations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Dunne, William J.
2018-09
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Navigating Troubled Waters: How Leaders Can More Effectively Prepare Intelligence Enterprises for the Risks of Intelligence Efforts in Transparent Societies
From the thesis abstract: "For intelligence officials today, understanding the appropriate bounds of balancing security and liberty interests is more imperative than ever. Intelligence enterprises require the consent of their public stakeholders to be effective; running aground of public support threatens significant institutional harms. Leaders can avoid many of these harms if they develop a culture within their organizations that better balances security and liberty interests. This effort can ward off the dangers of a narrative discourse that advocates for 'prevention at all costs,' which leads to harmful extremes of disregarding public concerns over privacy, civil liberties, and the rule of law. This thesis uses a case study to review the social dynamics in the Bush Administration following 9/11, as a handful of policymakers secretly and unilaterally created and implemented aggressive surveillance programs. Using the social identity perspective, this thesis demonstrates the harms that may befall an organization intent on thwarting all other considerations to prevent a terrorist attack. Ultimately, this thesis provides a model for creating a culture that better balances security and liberty interests, and that ensures a better understanding of how stakeholders view an intelligence enterprise's authorities."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Dambly, Jeffrey
2018-09
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Imagining a Shift Toward Serial Terrorism
From the thesis abstract: "Most terrorist attacks in recent years have resulted in the quick death or capture of the suspect. This thesis examines the hypothesis that terrorism in the United States, from groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS [Islamic State in Syria], changes in tone, scope, and scale to obtain multiple attacks from each individual adherent. While historically most serial killers try to conceal their crimes, some have taunted the government and the populace with their acts and, in so doing, engendered tremendous fear in large groups of people over significant periods. This thesis examines three cases of well-known serial killer events--the Zodiac killer, BTK [blind, torture, kill], and the D.C. Beltway snipers--and compares them to three recent cases of terrorism--in Boston, San Bernardino, and Orlando. It employs a comprehensive comparison of these six incidents to study the congruency, differences, discourse, patterns, and effects of each to examine the possible impacts and implications of terrorists who use tactics similar to serial killers. The output provides key takeaways pertaining to possible policy implications for the law enforcement community and its situational awareness."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Pedrini, Christopher J.
2018-09
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Measuring State Resilience: What Actually Makes a Difference?
From the thesis abstract; "What drives resilience for states in the United States? This thesis seeks to answer this question and addresses the absence of quantitative metrics for efforts to increase resilience. We used a literature review to create a framework of indicators, a Delphi review to validate the framework, and statistical techniques to create a composite indicator from the framework. Knowing that all models are false but some are useful, the intent was not to perfectly predict resilience, but simply to create a tool to help practitioners understand which programs most affect resilience. Our results showed that even programs assumed to have a strong link with resilience--such as strong building codes--actually had little relation with increased resilience, as measured by weather-related fatalities and economic losses. Some conclusions are that state-level measurement masks granular differences that are important in understanding weather-related deaths. In most states, for instance, weather-related deaths happen infrequently, yet most federal and state programs aim to increase resilience in catastrophic events, which makes it challenging to validate resilience measurement tools using data on day-to-day deaths. Recommendations include that FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] should continue to build on improvements to the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment and that agencies should determine and consistently measure the dependent variable (i.e., deaths and damage or other measures of well-being)."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Cooke, Jasper V.
2018-09
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Effects of Hypervigilance on Decision-Making During Critical Incidents
From the thesis abstract: "While law enforcement defines the term 'hypervigilance' in its training and operations to describe awareness of a potentially dangerous situation, research describes hypervigilance as a state of panic that often results in regrettable decision-making. The disconnect between academic conceptualization and the applied use of hypervigilance results in a lack of understanding in police contexts, a deficit of what accounts for the phenomenon, and a deficiency in mitigation. This thesis breaks hypervigilance into its three relevant constructs: anxiety, fear, and acute stress, and examines interrelated effects on critical incident decision-making by conducting a rigorous literature review of each field. Current training, through repetition, builds false expertise by automating responses without applying rational thought. Changing law enforcement's training curriculum to one that is built on cognitive conditioning through exposure training may enable better, more efficient intuitive decisions that are grounded in relevant experience and expertise. This thesis suggests a transformation in law enforcement training as a foundation to optimize intuitive decision-making in critical incident situations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Junger, Paul M.
2018-09
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It Takes a Village: Integrating Firehouse Hubs to Encourage Cooperation Among Police, Fire, and the Public
From the thesis abstract: "Tension and hostility between police officers and society seem to be on the rise, and officers and firefighters alike face violence and other threats on a daily basis. While these agencies strive to protect and serve, they often overlook each other, failing to recognize what a cooperative front might do to improve public relations. This thesis explores the idea of using firehouses as central hubs of collaboration to improve the trust, cooperation, and safety of police officers, firefighters, and the public. The research consisted of focus group discussions obtained from three specific Oklahoma groups: Owasso firefighters, Tulsa police officers, and Tulsa citizens. The research indicates that most participants are in favor of community-centered efforts, including the proposed firehouse hub concept. This study also reveals differing views among the groups regarding the benefits and challenges of such strategies, as well as insight and suggestions for their success. Showcasing Tulsa, Oklahoma, this thesis recommends using existing fire stations as catalysts to encourage police-officer foot patrols and to foster better relationships, cooperation, and safety among all groups. This thesis suggests that better collaboration between police officers and firefighters might significantly influence positive change and improve the relationships and safety of first responders and the public."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Hurt, Greta J.
2018-09
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Oregon Trail: An Exploratory Case Study for Higher Education Emergency Management Programs
From the thesis abstract: "Institutions of higher education have underdeveloped emergency management programs despite academic research, industry surveys, and guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Education. This research set out to discover what recurring issues are commonly identified in higher education emergency management programs. These issues tended to fall into three broad categories: resources, planning, and engagement. An exploratory case study was then conducted on Oregon's Campus Resilience Consortium to see how this proposed model could address repetitive issues. The research found that Oregon's program is poised to strengthen continuity, communication, and collaboration among institutions across the state. Implementation concerns were identified."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Dunn, Kelly
2018-09
