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Applying Technology Acceptance Research to Information Systems Implementation in the Fire Service
From the Thesis Abstract: "The role of a firefighter has remained relatively static over the years, but the way a firefighter documents incidents and accesses logs, maps, and a range of forms is changing from paper-based practices to digital media systems. Unsuccessful technology acceptance can negatively affect efficiency and work production. A better understanding of the variables that are most relevant to influencing firefighters' acceptance of technology will help improve the success of the implementation of new ideas. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a model specific to the fire service and to gain a better understanding of the variables that influence technology acceptance in that field. How can technology acceptance research be applied to the fire service to better understand and influence the acceptance of information technology? A review of the literature reveals three relevant variables of technology acceptance in the fire service: self-efficacy, facilitating conditions, and social influence. These variables were tested using two thought experiments including one retrospective scenario and one prospective scenario. The thought experiments further refine the model by revealing that facilitating conditions had a positive relationship with self-efficacy. With a better understanding and leveraging of the variables that affect technology acceptance, fire administrators can improve the likelihood of acceptance."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Steward, John M.
2019-03
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Virtual Communities in the Law Enforcement Environment: Do These Systems Lead to Enhanced Organizational Memory
"There is a large body of research on the topic of knowledge management and organizational memory, as well as on the topic of communities of practice and virtual communities of practice. This research looked at three law enforcement and intelligence related case studies and how the use of Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP) in these law enforcement environments can mitigate the loss of organizational memory. This research looked at these VCoPs in an attempt to determine if explicit and tacit knowledge shared in these VCoP environments can be codified and ultimately reduce the loss of organizational memory. The research methodology used in this thesis project is the case study approach. A qualitative analysis of messages, postings, and conversations contained within the VCoP was used to identify the transfer of both explicit and tacit knowledge. Data collection and analysis was conducted based on three VCoP sites. The research conducted for this thesis suggested that a VCoP can mitigate the loss of organizational memory. Interview data, along with case site reviews, support the use of VCoP to mitigate the loss of organizational memory while providing a means for the transfer of explicit knowledge by those participating in the VCoP."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Yavneh, Jonathan S.
2008-12
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No Dark Corners: Defending Against Insider Threats to Critical Infrastructure
From the thesis abstract: "An adversary who makes a frontal attack can be anticipated or repulsed. An adversary who attacks from within, however, cannot be so readily countered. This study intends to identify defenses against trust betrayers targeting critical infrastructure. Using a Delphi method, the study develops insights of experts from more mature arenas of defense against insider threats, such as workplace violence and counter-espionage, in order to assist infrastructure stewards with defending against the insider threat to critical infrastructure. The findings uncover flaws in institutional defenses that adversaries can exploit, with infiltrators posing a greater threat than disgruntled insiders. Resulting recommendations run counter to accepted wisdom. These recommendations shape the contours of a No Dark Corners approach that applies and extends seminal theories of Newman's Defensible Space and Kelling's Fixing Broken Windows. No Dark Corners replaces a laser for a flashlight. The laser is a narrow beam of workplace monitoring only by corporate sentinels, or security specialists. The flashlight is a broader beam of employee engagement and monitoring on the front lines at the team level. There are no easy answers. No Dark Corners shows promise in filling the gaps in traditional insider defenses to deliver the victory of ownership over surprise." A 13-minute, 51-second interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=31117]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Catrantzos, Nicholas
2009-09
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Increased Anti-Money Laundering Banking Regulations and Terrorism Prosecutions
From the thesis abstract: "After 9/11, anti-money laundering banking regulations were increased to counter terrorism finance. This study attempts to identify whether increasing banking regulations has countered terrorism finance by reviewing terrorism prosecutions. This study looked at federal terrorism prosecutions from January 2004 through April 2009. The study reviewed court documents and case backgrounds for indicators that anti-money laundering banking regulations were useful to the terrorism prosecution by either detecting terrorism financing or by supporting other charges, such as money laundering. The study did not find that banking regulations detected terrorist financing. The avoidance of banking regulations was used to support money laundering charges in two cases; however, pre-9/11 regulations would have sufficed. The study found that increasing anti-money laundering banking regulations had limited effects on countering terrorism financing. How anti-money laundering banking regulations are implemented within a counterterrorism finance regime should be reevaluated."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Kao, Albert L.
2013-03
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Protecting New York's Infrastructure: Improving Overall Safety and Security Through New Partnerships and Concentrations on Planning, Engineering and Design
From the thesis abstract: "The infrastructure that supports New York State and its citizens is constantly faced with threats that test its resilience. These threats range from those brought upon by nature, and man-made threats, such as those from terrorists. Understanding these threats are persistent, and the challenge of infrastructure protection is complex. Stakeholders must consider methods to mitigate risk. This paper seeks to answer two questions, both of which strive to decrease risk over the long term for the state's citizens. First, what are the benefits and challenges of the state placing a greater focus on the planning, engineering, and design phase for new or significantly reconstructed infrastructure? Second, how could a new partnership model at the state level be designed to support infrastructure protection activities during this phase? To accomplish these two outcomes, three approaches focused on planning and design within the public and private sector are analyzed and compared. This paper expands upon the partnership incentives utilized to reach desired outcomes in such infrastructure programs. Finally, this research concludes that the state should do more to improve safety and security during the planning, engineering and design phase and recommends two parallel paths forward for implementation at the state level."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
McNamara, John M.
2013-12
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Your Criminal FICO Score
From the thesis abstract: "One of the more contentious uses of big data analytics in homeland security is predictive policing, which harnesses big data to allocate police resources, decrease crime, and increase public safety. While predictive analytics has long been in use to forecast human behavior, the framework has not proved to be a flawless undertaking. In an effort to improve outcomes of predictive policing, this thesis assesses two high-profile programs--the nation's most popular credit-scoring system [FICO/Fair Isaac Company] and a federal flight-risk program--to determine the greatest pitfalls inherent to programs using predictive analytics. The programs are assessed using what is commonly known in big data as the four Vs-- volume, velocity, variety, veracity--but with an added component of the author's creation: verification. Through this framework, it became apparent that the hardest Vs for any predictive policing program to fulfill are veracity and verification. As the field of predictive policing expands, programs face the challenge of ensuring that data used for analysis is accurate and remains accurate, and that the metrics used to verify risk assessments are sound."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tonelli, Michelle
2016-09
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Bridging the Gap: To What Extent Do Socioeconomic Barriers Impede Response to Emerging Public Health Threats?
From the thesis abstract: "It is crucial for public health emergency planners and responders to realize and account for socioeconomic barriers and the challenges they pose when faced with a bioterrorism, infectious disease, or other emerging public health threat impacting the homeland. The study design of this research incorporated two particular paradigms, investigative and predictive. The researcher found that social and economic factors account for nearly 40 percent of health outcomes in the United States. Public health and its response partners need to plan for emergencies using a '60/40' lens. He discovered that at least 40 percent of populations may not receive the critical health care they require in emergencies because of socioeconomic status or related factors. This thesis investigated the language, culture and historical trauma barriers--and affiliated challenges, such as fear and distrust--that exist throughout the country. Given these findings, this thesis provides both policy- and strategy-level recommendations to assist public health and healthcare practitioners in their efforts to 'bridge the gap' that exists within and between community populations in the United States. Disciplines that consider implementing these recommendations will help minimize significant, and perhaps avoidable, consequences that follow health-related emergencies or varied disasters impacting the homeland."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Neuert, Donald L.
2017-03
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Rules and a Rubric Could Be Used to Assess the Openness of a Homeland Security Enterprise Social Network
From the thesis abstract: "The Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE) lacks a process to create a body of knowledge to unify its stakeholders. This thesis asked if a set of rules and an assessment methodology could be applied to three wikis to illustrate how the rules can improve the quality of information-sharing across the HSE. The research for this thesis applied a set of rules and an assessment methodology to case studies testing the hypothesis that wikis are a good example of an enterprise social network (ESN) and could serve to meet the information needs of the HSE. The methodology will apply Bloom's Taxonomy to a rubric and establish a current status, as well as plan a path ahead for development. This thesis investigated the demand for improved information sharing and some existing platforms, and developed an assessment rule set and rubric. It then discovered the openness strengths and weaknesses of three case studies using the rules and rubric. Our conclusions are that the rules and rubric are adequate to develop paths to improvement for existing platforms, as well as to aid in the planning of future ESNs with the intention of developing a wiki-based homeland security-centric ESN designed to create an HSE body of knowledge."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Murray, Jeffrey Thomas
2016-12
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Creation of a United States Emergency Medical Services Administration Within the Department of Homeland Security
From the thesis abstract: "Federal administration of this nation's emergency medical services (EMS) has come under increasing criticism, in a post- September 11 world, by many of its stakeholders and constituents. Critics accurately argue that the current construct of federal governance and oversight is impairing the discipline's shareholders from being able to prepare, train, respond and recover appropriately from natural and manmade catastrophic events both locally and nationally. Valid reasons exist to endorse consolidating all the various bodies of federal authority and management into a centric office, the United States Emergency Medical Services Administration (USEMSA). Many of the EMS non-municipal organizations are poorly represented on a national, state and local scale. This nation's EMS competence and potential to respond efficiently and productively to any domestic or international catastrophic incident in normal and abnormal environments, regardless of whether the etiology is manmade or natural, requires a skilled, educated and well-equipped workforce. This thesis evaluates the federal EMS paradigm of the administration for EMS and its complex systems of care and transport and recommends the best model of federal oversight for EMS to meet the challenges set forth in the National Incident Management System, National Response Framework and National Strategy Security plans."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
McGovern, Philip P., III
2012-03
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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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Essential Elements for Preparedness Planning
"The author of this thesis asserts that the unique nature of the modern threat environment removes all justifiable options for the providers and users of threat information to operate at arm's length from one another. If the two communities are not integrated to the point that collaboration can proceed unhindered, the flow of information between them will likely be sluggish, unidirectional and largely irrelevant. Collaboration involves more than just the flow of new information, however. It requires the exchanging of ideas, the challenging of assumptions and biases, and leads to the formation of a networked environment that is needed to defeat our networked adversaries. An organization that fails to accomplish this level of integration and collaboration runs the risk of finding itself preparing for yesterday's attack, and failing to prevent, prepare for or adequately respond to tomorrow's threat. The 9/11 Commission's synthesized protocol for scenario development and intelligence tasking is presented as a means of fixing this problem."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
O'Brien, John E.
2006-03
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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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U.S. Coast Guard Reorganization: Why Merging the Field Units Is Not Enough To Remain Semper Paratus (Always Ready)
"After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. Coast Guard shifted much of its effort toward Maritime Homeland Security activities. In response to this major shift in mission priorities, the Coast Guard is merging its Operational and Marine Safety field units into Sector commands. This reorganization is designed to ensure unity of effort, allow more efficient use of resources, improve training of Coast Guard members, and ensure better customer service. This thesis shows that further reorganization will be necessary at the operational and strategic levels of the Coast Guard. The organization-wide changes recommended by the author will allow the Coast Guard to align with the new Sector field commands, better align with the other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, and ensure the critical tenets of unity of command, unity of direction, and unity of accountability are realized. Research data gathered for this project included surveys, personal interviews, and a use-case. The author also conducted a detailed review of documents produced at a Coast Guard Reorganization Summit, other internal Coast Guard documents, and the published literature. Based on the results of this study, the author offers 10 recommendations for the leaders of the post-9/11 Coast Guard."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Greene, Lawrence E.
2005-03
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Ethics on the Fly: Toward a Drone-Specific Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines the issue of law enforcement's use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from an ethical perspective. As UAS have only recently been introduced into the National Airspace System (NAS), legislation regarding their use in America's skies is lacking. This dearth of statutory guidelines creates a circumstance wherein self-imposed limits on UAS use by law enforcement take on greater importance. The primary research question posed by this thesis is whether a prevailing ethical framework exists to govern the use of UAS by domestic law enforcement functions. It concluded no consensus exists. Using the case study method, this thesis considered documentary evidence of ethical frameworks for UAS currently in use by law enforcement. A comparative policy analysis is then performed to identify overlapping areas of concern, in order to arrive at a template that recommends seven dimensions that law enforcement executives should consider in creating a drone-specific code of conduct for policing. A case is made for publicly declaring an agency's code of conduct in the interest of strengthening the relationship between police and the public vis-à-vis the social contract."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Smith, Brian T.
2016-03
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Homeland Security Knowledge Management for Local Law Enforcement in the National Capital Region
"Within the last three years, Homeland Security (HLS) has emerged as a new focus for local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. While local police must effectively address community needs associated with crime and quality of life, they are also now on the front lines of the nations battle against the forces of international terrorism. Using existing knowledge (derived primarily from the emergency management field), police agencies have worked to develop locally relevant, viable and available expertise in the developing field of HLS. If federal estimates are accurate, however, a critical mass of these experts will retire within the next five years. As these organizational experts approach retirement, their communities will be forced to deal with the consequences of an exodus of fundamental knowledge, experience and expertise. Police organizations will be challenged to continue the efficient delivery of homeland security services absent the experts who were instrumental in developing the field. Existing research in Knowledge Management (KM) may offer some guidance to managing this problem. KM seeks to offer organizational guidance on how to identify knowledge generation processes and then leverage, maintain and manage knowledge assets within an organization. This thesis seeks to explore the potential application of KM theories to the real challenges faced by local police agencies in the National Capitol Region as they attempt to effectively engage HLS management."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Walker, Deirdre I.
2005-09
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Soft Target Security: Environmental Design and the Deterrence of Terrorist Attacks on Soft Targets in Aviation Transportation
From the thesis abstract: "Recent attacks on airports exposed an emerging threat to the security of the traveling public, attacks on soft targets. Incidents throughout the world indicate that terrorists, seeking to maximize life loss, and economic and symbolic destruction, have changed their focus to soft targets. The thesis examines plausible deterrence measures through environmental design for crowd protection in the aviation transportation sector. The policies of the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), are compared to extract best practices for soft target security. Using case analysis of terror attacks on airports in Brussels (2016), Los Angeles (2013), and Glasgow (2007), operational space, deterrence, infrastructure design, and human perception are explored as a means to reduce risk. The thesis finds that new airport environmental design strategies are required to protect crowds, harden the infrastructure, and build resilient structures. The thesis recommends applying environmental design countermeasures in the typically crowded areas of airline ticketing queues, TSA passenger security checkpoints, and baggage areas by changing the adversaries' perception of opportunistic targets. New risk-assessment models, changes to physical structures, use of new technology including robotics, and the broader use of simulation models are identified as required paths to improve the effective security of soft targets in airports."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Jashari, Linda
2018-03
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Out Through the Out Door: Policy Options in the Fight Against Visa Overstays
From the thesis abstract: "Foreign nationals admitted to the United States who remain beyond their period of admission present an enforcement problem for U.S. immigration agencies. These 'visa overstay' cases present a vulnerability for the homeland security enterprise. U.S. immigration enforcement agencies need to identify, apprehend, and remove foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas to address this issue. Identification of these subjects can be through biographical or biometric means. Current efforts to identify overstay violators rely mostly upon biographical data transmitted to enforcement agencies by third parties. Overstay violators are not normally targeted for apprehension and removal unless they present a threat to national security or public safety. Biometric exit system proponents have argued that the identification of violators through biometric means presents a faster, more efficient (albeit possibly expensive) method to determine who has overstayed their visas. These proponents also indicate that such a system will have an impact on the number of overstay violation cases each year. To date, this exit system has not been implemented at the U.S. border despite congressional mandates to do so. This thesis examines current visa overstay enforcement policies, evaluates the impacts of a biometric exit system, and makes policy recommendations for visa overstay enforcement efforts."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Spina, Michael L.
2018-12
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Leveraging Citizens and Cultivating Vigilance for Force Multiplication in the Maritime Domain
"This thesis examines a Coast Guard-led networked community (Citizen's Action Network -- CAN) by exploring the network's potential to augment the Coast Guard in managing its prodigious maritime domain risks. Through an expansive literature review, a survey and a set of semi-structured interviews, a proposed set of community-based structural components were identified and tested for strength and significant relationships using ANOVA, Regression and Student's T statistical testing methods. Findings suggest that component parts of CAN fit into a business-oriented networked management model called a Community of Practice (COP), with vigilance emerging as a sustainable, predictable and highly desirable post-9/11 networked community behavior. CAN's demographics were also examined to determine trends, such as above-average military veteran membership, which may support future targeted volunteer recruiting. Finally, various Coast Guard-initiated CAN communication methods were tested for significant impact; volunteers receiving phone calls correlated to higher levels of trust in the Coast Guard, while those receiving written communications maintained a heightened sense of access to the Coast Guard. These findings underscore the yet-untapped potential to groom grassroots vigilance, build trust in government and create a culture of prevention by sharing national challenges -- ultimately putting the 'home' back in homeland security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Billeaudeaux, Michael Andre
2007-09
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Rising Tide Floats All Boats, but Drowns Infrastructure: The Impact of Sea-Level Rise on America's Maritime Infrastructure
"America's maritime ports provide vital services to the nation's economy and national security functioning as the critical nodes in a transportation network facilitating imports and exports and connecting distribution routes throughout the entire country. Many maritime ports also provide facilities for military operations for all branches of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. The homeland security enterprise is primarily focused on counterterrorism. A changing climate brings significant threats across a wide spectrum of vectors. Maritime ports and their supporting infrastructure are at risk of inundation from sea-level rise as a consequence of global climate change. The homeland security enterprise continues to focus on the low probability/high consequence threat of domestic maritime terrorism while a high probability/high consequence event looms just over the horizon. This paper examines the risks, vulnerabilities, costs and consequences posed by the catastrophic threat of sea-level rise--nature's weapon of mass destruction, reviews the dynamics behind recent and current resource allocation, and proposes recommendations for future policy deliberations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Sullivan, Michael
2020-03
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Border Patrol, Social Media, and Transnational Messaging
From the thesis abstract: "Since the U.S. Border Patrol was established in 1924, agents have been an integral part of the community and have worked to educate the public on the Border Patrol mission and how they can support it. Outreach campaigns began with such programs as D.A.R.E. [Drug Abuse Resistance Education], Red Ribbon Week, and No Mas Cruces. The campaigns were conducted via schools and traditional media such as radio, television, and print. In 2003, Border Patrol's Public Affairs Office was absorbed into the newly created Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. While Border Patrol conducts public affairs, the messaging is controlled by CBP. The prevalence of social media has provided an inexpensive, high-capacity way for Border Patrol to conduct community engagement. However, CBP retains the authority to approve social media use in an official capacity and only allows Border Patrol to use social media under the CBP umbrella. This thesis argues that Border Patrol should be allowed to use Border Patrol-specific social media accounts for community engagement and to educate the public on the Border Patrol mission. Furthermore, engagement should occur with Canadian and Mexican citizens in their native languages when possible and applicable."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Christie, Kathleen Ann
2017-12
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Countering Islamic Radicalization and Al Shabaab Recruitment within the Ethnic Somali Population of the United States: An Argument for Applying Best Practices for Stemming Youth Gang Recruitment and Initiation
"Over the past few years, a spate of attempted plots, lethal attacks, and arrests of American Muslims both at home and overseas has created the perception of a more worrisome development regarding the issue of domestic radicalization and homegrown violent extremism. The individuals involved in these developments have come from a broad cross-section of various ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds in the United States, making it difficult for law enforcement and the intelligence community to focus their efforts to predict or determine where violent extremists will emerge. This thesis focuses on the Somali-American community in particular and the threat posed by a very small percentage of that community that has, in recent years, been drawn to violent extremist agendas in Somalia. This thesis examines existing best practices that might be leveraged or utilized to combat the radicalizing influences that have affected some Somali-Americans in the past, with the hope that those practices can prevent similar effects in the future."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Jones, Jeffrey J.
2010-12
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Beyond the First 48: Incorporating Nontraditional Stakeholders into Incident Response
From the Thesis Abstract: "During a catastrophic attack or cyber-attack on critical infrastructure, how can local emergency management agencies integrate nontraditional stakeholders successfully into incident response operations? A wide variety of stakeholders who are not traditionally involved in incident response will likely be critical at this time--such as human services, the transportation sector, and private-sector entities. This thesis first explores an academic discussion of the current incident response framework, comprising the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS). The thesis then uses a scenario based around a large-scale water outage to illustrate the potential cascading impacts and gaps of the status quo framework. The research shows that NIMS and ICS do not effectively incorporate nontraditional stakeholders into incident response operations at the local government level, and that this framework should be reserved for traditional first responders working to stabilize life safety at an incident scene. This study highlights capabilities that local governments should focus on to ensure their organizational readiness to respond to a critical infrastructure outage that may have catastrophic impacts." A 9 minute and 26 second interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=866900].
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
McLoughlin, Emily J.
2020-09
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Arctic: A Wait and See Approach to Defending the Homeland
From the thesis abstract: "When it comes to the Arctic, there is no lack of planning, debating, studying, or shortage of opinions as to what the U.S. should or should not do in this region of extremes. Should the United States spend billions on icebreakers that when completed may not have ice to break, ignore the region and hope the rest of the world follows suit, or worse, militarize the region for an unknown future threat? Given the budget-constrained environment and lack of threat to the U.S. national security from the Arctic, is there another option or method to allow policy makers to envision a different future for the Arctic, one requiring them to wait and do nothing, knowing with some certainty that taking no action is the right decision at this moment in time? Using scenario planning, this thesis examines four future scenarios for the Arctic and evaluates the strategic patience and persistence strategy introduced in the 2015 National Security Strategy to understand better the costs, risks, and benefits of doing little or nothing in the Arctic. Given the uncertainties in the Arctic and faced with greater threats to the homeland, the strategic patience and persistence strategy is a viable approach to pursue in the Arctic, which allows the U.S. to achieve its national Arctic goals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Hegedusich, William
2017-12
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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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How Can Architecture Make Communities and Urban Environments More Resilient to Disease?
From the Thesis Abstract: "The thesis outlines a series of risk factors that will increase the frequency and intensity of disease outbreaks in the years to come. As COVID-19 has shown, an outbreak can occur at any time. Architecture can be an agent to help reduce the risk. By creating spaces that prioritize health-giving attributes--through the circulation of airflow, spatial design, biophilic elements, natural light, and selection of the right building materials--architecture can be built for healing, and to support infection control. In the 19th century, cities like London and New York implemented housing reforms to improve the living conditions in tenements and other dwellings. Back then, the incorporation of light, nature, and airflow into a building's design was seen as a prescription for disease. In recent years, a growing body of research is confirming what the architects and planners from the past deduced from theory and intuition: that the built environment can promote health and well-being, and reduce the public's exposure to such respiratory infections as tuberculosis and COVID-19. Organizations like Mass Design Group and Archive Global have been applying lessons from the past to design spaces of the present with health-giving intent. This thesis examines their work, along with their core strategies. Ultimately, this thesis advances a prescriptive model to shape the built environment to make it healthier and more resilient, and to reimagine how spaces function and operate."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Garofalo, Jeffrey A.
2020-09
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Assessing Automatic Aid as an Emergency Response Model
From the thesis abstract: "The Northern Virginia Mutual Response (NVMR) Agreement is a time-tested successful model of an automatic-aid system. Since the 1970s, neighboring jurisdictions have collaborated and developed trust while providing efficient service to the public. Political borders do not create barriers to emergency services but provide an opportunity for collaboration. This thesis sought to answer (a) How does the automatic-aid response model work? (b) What benefits and challenges do participants experience? (c) What factors influence the adoption and continuation of automatic aid? The methodology of this research was a multiple case study of three participating jurisdictions in the NVMR Agreement. The analysis triangulated data from three levels of three organizations, along with various documents to describe feelings, experiences, and causes within the NVMR Agreement. The conclusions of this study stem from the common themes found in the data. Automatic aid leverages resources to maximize efficiency and has several additional benefits including increased levels of leadership, collaboration, and trust."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Gretz, Raymond C.
2013-12
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Enhancing Recruitment and Retention of Volunteers in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
"The U.S. Coast Guard lacks the personnel and resources to fill critical gaps in its safety and security missions without help from its volunteer arm, the Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is for this reason that Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard leaders have become dependent on the Auxiliary to achieve a number of Coast Guard missions, a reliance that has become more tenuous as Auxiliary membership dropped 20.61% since 2003 to the current 28,635. This trend is in sharp contrast to membership trends in other large volunteer groups in the U.S. Further, at its current strength, the Auxiliary is far from the 48,000 member goal declared mission-critical by 2000 in the 1987 Coast Guard report to the U.S. Congress. This thesis describes the Auxiliary's 69-year history and examines the reasons for the organization's decreasing membership. In this process, the thesis also revealed the absence of a systematic, quantitative tool to assess Auxiliary recruiting and retention practices. This thesis proposes the use of the Coast Guard Organizational Assessment Survey, already administered to all other components of the Coast Guard and which, tailored to the Auxiliary, would be extremely effective in stimulating a genuinely useful approach to increasing Auxiliary membership."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Dooris, Matthew D.
2008-12
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Regulatory Framework for Nanotechnology
From the thesis abstract: "Presently, the regulatory framework for nanotechnology consists of regulating entities addressing concerns about nanotechnology under existing rules and laws. This thesis answers this question: How can regulatory decisions of policymakers regarding the framework of nanotechnology regulation be informed by a map of the regulatory landscape of nanotechnology and a review of the regulatory frameworks for the aviation and biotechnology industries? To make recommendations about the appropriate regulatory framework for nanotechnology, this thesis reviews the existing regulatory frameworks of aviation and biotechnology and maps the regulatory landscape in the United States by examining stakeholders, regulatory entities, and applicable legislation. The landscape map and review of existing regulatory frameworks reveal that the established regulatory framework could be sufficient for the current state of nanotechnology if the limitations of technical expertise are addressed. This expertise can be provided by advisory committees of technical and industry experts to the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ridge, Stephen J.
2018-03
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Strengthening and Expanding the Citizen Corps
"The Citizen Corps (CC) is the primary Department of Homeland Security vehicle for achieving civilian preparedness. CC volunteers are included in the National Preparedness System (NPS) through various sponsoring agencies who determine the roles and functions of the volunteers within their organization. However, not defining the CC as an independent support function within the NPS makes it difficult to isolate data for the purpose of creating Target Capabilities Lists, measuring performance, and including volunteers in operations plans. This thesis posits that to achieve adequate civilian preparedness, the CC's roles and functions need to be restructured to align with the certification systems of the professional emergency response disciplines. CC certifications will also bridge gaps in the response continuum. The CC reorganization will modularize and isolate roles and functions for the purpose of strategic planning, measuring performance levels, serving as a predeployment civilian response, typing, credentialing, and pre-registering as an independent resource capability (which will be essential in planning for a pandemic and surge capacity needs). For planning purposes, and to add visual clarity to the CC roles and functions, the CC should be positioned as an independent Emergency Response Function within the National Response Plan."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Biladeau, Pamela G.
2006-03
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Inclusion of Disaster Resiliency in City/Neighborhood Comprehensive Plans
From the thesis abstract: "Once hazard mitigation is included in a city's comprehensive plan, the region and its citizens are more prepared to respond to a potential natural disaster. The purpose of this thesis was to illuminate factors that encourage cities to include hazard mitigation within their comprehensive plans. The research used geographic information system (GIS) and census data to locate urban, suburban, and rural areas at risk of flooding and analyzed these regions' comprehensive plans. The research results suggest that previous major flooding events often lead to the inclusion of flood-related hazard mitigation into cities' comprehensive plans. This finding suggests that policy alone does not influence hazard mitigation; other methods should be practiced to ensure hazard mitigation is included within neighborhood/city comprehensive plans."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Gavin, Douglas J.
2017-09
