Home Land Security in a Nutshell

What is the Department of Home Land Security, and what exactly is its function? Many American citizens are asking the same question. The Department originated in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks terrorists made on U.S. Soil. Its purpose is dual-fold: to prevent future attacks and to be in the state of readiness in case one should happen. In order to better understand this new department, we need to look at it in the context of the national government as a whole.

Coordinating Departmental Intelligence

Officially, the Department of Home Land Security is supposed to bridge the communication gap between the CIA and the FBI that came under such harsh scrutiny following the 2001 terrorist attacks. Both agencies supply the Department with information they gotten, and it’s Home Land Security’s job to consolidate the separate reports into one, more useful, piece of intelligence. Using the reports they have generated, they are then responsible for trying to determine where future U.S. attacks could take place.

The Education of a Nation

The Department of Home Land Security was created in response to the cry of outrage from the American people about the attacks of September 11, 2001. Nothing like that had ever taken place on U.S. soil, and the people just didn’t know how to assimilate and handle the information they were being given on the non-stop media blitz. Soon after its inception, officials from the Home Land Security department made television appearances to explain their function to everyone. Since that time they have developed a website full of tips for steps people can take to prepare themselves for the possibility of a future attack.

Keeping a Nation Advised

We’ve all heard news broadcasters say that the threat level is yellow today, or occasionally that it’s orange or red. These reports are generated from the advisory code system set up by the Department of Home Land Security. It’s their way of letting everyone know how high the terrorist threat appears to be at a given time. It’s the way public officials learn about possible threats in order to prepare for them. For example, if the threat level is red, government facilities and airports will gear up their maximum security plans. If the threat level returns to its usual yellow, security will return to its regular levels. Some people like to make fun of this simple system, but it has proved instrumental in coordinating the security of the country.