The Policies of the Department of Homeland Security

The Policies of the Department of Homeland Security
One of the policies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) relates to emergency management and preparedness, particularly improving public awareness of crisis planning and management in homes, businesses, and communities. The DHS delivers training and education on emergency management awareness to the public through various institutions and partnerships, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center, the National Fire Academy, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Emergency. Other affiliated agencies offering training and education on emergency preparedness are the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, and the National Preparedness Directorate National Training and Education, among others (DHS, 2009).
While some listed institutions focus on specific types of disasters, they all deliver a broad range of courses, using blended and distance learning options. The training and education provided are directed at federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials, public and private sectors, as well as volunteer organizations to improve public emergency awareness and minimize the impacts of disasters. All online education courses provided by the listed institutions are free to anyone in the disaster response profession. For instance, the DHS Training and Exercise entails various training and exercise programs offered free of charge to community emergency response teams and individuals. Members of law enforcement, emergency response, emergency management, and even private sector communities can register for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program by first registering for an account.