Security, Fire and Emergency Management
"I can assure you, public service is a stimulating, proud and lively enterprise. It is not just a way of life; it is a way to live fully. Its greatest attraction is the sheer challenge of it – struggling to find solutions to the great issues of the day. It can fulfill your highest aspirations. The call to service is one of the highest callings you will hear and your country can make"
- Lee H. Hamilton, Chairman of 9/11 Commission.
The main goal of security, fire and emergency management is to keep the United States safe. Tasks range from aviation and border security to emergency response. With the advent of modern information and communications technologies, cybersecurity analysis has become a significant role in security management. Crises, disasters and catastrophes resulting from natural and terrorist events also command a lot of the attention of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), whose mission it is to protect the nation and to ensure its resilience against terrorism and other potential threats that it might face. When it was created in 2002, DHS combined 22 different federal departments and agencies to form one integrated agency. Among the agencies combined are: border protection, customs, national immigration service, plans and animal inspection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Secret Service.
Those employed in security, fire and emergency management work in education, fire science, occupational and traffic safety, risk management, and emergency management services. Some have administrative roles and others work on the front line as first responders.
In the additional resources section to the right is a collection of related public service narratives "Ask me why I care,"under "Tell your story." They were curated by the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Public Affairs and Community Service in a Public Service Stories Project. Project Co-Directors are Dr. Mary Hamilton and Ms. Rita Paskowitz. The collection comprises videos and Suggested Assignments for Students.
