Department of Homeland Security
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on
Department of Homeland Security
for kids.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts for kids
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 1: U.S. Commission on
National Security in the 21st Century, aka the Hart-Rudman
Commission, had been established in 1998, following the publication of a Fatwah (death sentence) against
American Civilians by
Osama
Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 2: The purpose of the
commission was to develop a comprehensive US national
security strategy and recommend changes to the US
government's structure. Many of the recommendations of
the commission were used to the create of the Department
of Homeland Security.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 3: Eleven days after
the 9/11 terrorist attacks,
on September 22, 2001, President George W. Bush
announced that he would create an Office of Homeland
Security in the White House to coordinate a
comprehensive national strategy to detect and deter
terrorist attacks to safeguard the nation against
terrorism.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 4: One week after the
terror attacks of
September 11, 2001, bioterrorism rocked America with
Anthrax attacks,
when
anonymous letters, laced with lethal anthrax spores,
began arriving at news media companies and the offices
of two U.S. Senators.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts -
5: On October 8, 2001
President Bush issued Executive Order 13228 establishing
two organizations within the White House: the Office of
Homeland Security (OHS) and the Homeland Security
Council (HSC).
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 6: The purpose of the Office of
Homeland Security (OHS) was to develop and implement a national
strategy to coordinate federal, state, and local counter-terrorism
efforts. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was appointed as the
first Director of the Office of Homeland Security in the White
House.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 7: The purpose of the
Homeland Security Council (HSC), composed of Cabinet members
responsible for homeland security-related activities, was to advise
the President on homeland security matters.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 8: On October 11,
2001 Senator Joseph Lieberman (Democrat-CT) introduced a
bill to establish a Department of National Homeland
Security to protect U.S. citizens against terrorists,
following the recommendations of the Hart-Rudman
Commission.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 9: The Bush
administration resisted the bill that lacked an advisor
with cabinet rank or line authority, initially
preferring to work with newly established Office of
Homeland Security (OHS) and the homeland security
advisor Tom Ridge.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 10: Before the
establishment of Homeland Security Department, homeland
security activities spread across 22 federal agencies,
resulting in poor, uncoordinated communication between
the agencies.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 11: President Bush
tasked senior aides to prepare recommendations for a
Republican plan for a major reorganization that would
create a Department of Homeland Security, bringing all
the agencies together.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 12: The plan was
unveiled by President Bush on June 6, 2002 and his
proposal for the Department of Homeland Security,
including his own proposed text for the Homeland
Security Act of 2002, was formally submitted to Congress
on June 18, 2002.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 13: The bill intended
to integration of all, or part of, 22 different federal
departments and agencies into a unified, integrated
Department including the U.S. Secret Service, National
Infrastructure Protection Center (FBI), Nuclear Incident
Response Team, Environmental Measurements Laboratory,
National Communications System (Defense), Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the US Customs Service, the
Coast Guard and the Border Patrol.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 14: Drafting the
legislation took time - it was the biggest change in
U.S. government since the Defense Department was created
in 1947.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 15: During this
critical period in the nation's history, Congress also
had to balance the need to increase the nation's
security with the protections of the 4th Amendment of
the Constitution and President Bush signed the
USA Patriot Act on
October 26, 2001.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 16: The Homeland
Security Act was enacted by Congress in November 25,
2002, creating a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department
to coordinate and unify national homeland security
efforts.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 17: The Homeland
Security Act superseded, but did not replace, the Office
of Homeland Security (OHS), which retained an advisory
role.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 18: The Department of
Homeland Security became operational on January 24,
2003, sixty days after the Homeland Security Act was
passed.
Continued...
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts for kids
Facts
about the Department of Homeland Security for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about Department of Homeland Security for kids.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts for kids
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts -
19: The five Core Missions of the
Department of Homeland Security are to:
-
Prevent terrorism and
enhancing security
-
Secure and manage US borders
-
Enforce and administer US
immigration laws
-
Safeguard and secure
cyberspace
-
Ensure resilience to
disasters
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 20: The Department of Homeland Security
is divided into five teams, called directorates. The
names of the directorates are:
● Emergency Preparedness and
Response
● Science and Technology
● Border and Transportation
Security
● Information Analysis and
Infrastructure Protection
● Directorate for Management
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 21: Emergency Preparedness and
Response: The goals of this directorate include ensuring the nation
is prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 22: Science and Technology: The
goals of this directorate include sponsoring the development of
Vaccines and treatments for biological attacks.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 23: Border and Transportation
Security: The main goals of this directorate is to keep terrorists
out of the United States, enforce immigration laws and ensure the
safety of the nation's transportation systems.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 24: Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection: The goals of
this directorate include safeguarding the nation's
infrastructure and combining information from
intelligence gathering agencies such as the FBI, CIA and
the National Security Agency and alert the nation to
possible terrorist threats.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 25: Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection: There are five
degrees of danger, the higher the degree of danger, the
more protective measures safety officials are to take:
● Red Alert: A
severe threat of a terrorist attack
● Orange Alert:
A high risk of a terrorist attack
● Yellow Alert:
A significant risk of terrorist attacks
● Blue Alert: A
general risk of a terrorist attack
● Green Alert: A
low risk of terrorist attacks
N.B. The National
Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) replaced the codes in
2011.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 26: Directorate for
Management: The goals of this directorate include
responsibilities for the budget and personnel issues of
the employees of the Homeland Security Department.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 27: In July 2005 a
six-point agenda for the Department of Homeland Security
was announced by Secretary Michael Chertoff to:
-
Increase
overall preparedness, particularly in relation to
catastrophic events and natural disasters
-
Create better
transportation security systems to move people and
goods more securely and efficiently
-
Strengthen
border security and interior enforcement and reform
immigration processes
-
Enhance
information sharing
-
Improve
financial management, human resource development and
information technology
-
Realign the
Department of Homeland Security organization to
maximize mission performance
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 28: The Department of
Homeland Security was reorganized following the
six-point agenda and review of the department to
evaluate the effectiveness of the department’s
operations, policies, and structures.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 29: The Directorates
for Border and Transportation Security, Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, and Emergency
Response and Preparedness were readjusted and
restructured to centralize and improve Policy
Development, Information sharing and Coordination and to
work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
in relation to national disasters .
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 30: A new Office of
Policy, a new Office of Intelligence and Analysis, a new
Directorate for Preparedness were all created
together with a new role of Director of Operations
Coordination.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 31: The catastrophic
effects of Hurricane Katrina led to the 2006
Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act that transferred
to FEMA all functions of the Preparedness Directorate
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts - 32: The Implementing
Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 built
on the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of
2006, focusing on the reorganization of the grant
process as administered by FEMA.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts -
33: On January 8,
2008, President Bush created the National Cyber Security
Center (NCSC), which is responsible for coordinating
cyber security efforts and improving situational
awareness and information sharing across the federal
government.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts -
34: On April 20, 2011
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
announced the implementation of the Department of
Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Terrorism Advisory
System (NTAS)
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts -
35: The Visa Waiver
Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act
of 2015 barred individuals who had traveled to Iraq,
Syria, or other hot spots since 2011 from traveling to
the U.S. without a visa and was implemented on January
21, 2016
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts -
36: Refer to
Organizational Chart of Department of Homeland Security
dated August 26, 2015 for full details of the current
structure and organization.
Department
of Homeland Security
Facts for kids
Department of Homeland Security - President George W Bush Video
The article on the
Department of Homeland provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
George W Bush video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 43rd American President whose presidency spanned from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009.
Department of Homeland Security for kids
●
Interesting Facts about Department of Homeland for kids and schools
●
Summary of the Department of Homeland in US history
●
Department of Homeland Security of important, key
events
●
George W Bush from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009
●
Fast, fun facts about the Department of Homeland
Security
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President George W Bush
● George W Bush Presidency and
Department of Homeland for schools,
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