As a nation, we need to utilize and implement the core capabilities in order to deal with the risks we face. It is important to shift your thinking to capabilities. Real life examples are used throughout this lesson to highlight how core capabilities have been implemented in safeguarding our Nation.

As we begin to look at the core capabilities, you’ll notice that three core capabilities span all mission areas: Planning, Public Information and Warning, and Operational Coordination. These help to unify the mission areas and, in many ways, are necessary for the success of the remaining core capabilities. Additionally, a number of core capabilities involve more than one mission area and are listed in each mission area, as appropriate.

Select this link to view the 32 core capabilities.

Prevention includes those capabilities necessary to avoid, prevent, or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism. Unlike other mission areas, which are all-hazards by design, prevention core capabilities are focused specifically on imminent terrorist threats, including on-going attacks or stopping imminent follow-on attacks. The reason for this distinction is preventing a terrorist threat will trigger a counterterrorism response where all instruments of national power may be used to resolve the threat. This can easily involve intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland defense activities.

The prevention mission area relies on ongoing support activities from everyone involved at all stages of the threat in order to prepare the whole community. Specifically, it is important to increase information sharing efforts that directly support local communities in preventing terrorism and other activities that are precursors or indicators of terrorist activity and/or violent extremism.

Let’s take a look at an example where a Prevention Mission Area Capability was applied. Immediately after explosions erupted near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, first responders rushed to the scene and investigators began working to identify the perpetrators and assess any continuing threats and prevent potential follow-on attacks.

Applying the Intelligence and Information Sharing capability, the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) managed intelligence related to the investigation. Guidance on bomb recognition and protective measures flowed through established channels designed to reach the whole community, including the Homeland Security Information Network and DHS’s TRIPwire platform, a public-private information-sharing website. In addition, investigators provided regular situation updates and tailored information on how the public could assist, while the general public and private sector contributed surveillance video, photos, and thousands of tips.

Mitigation includes capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. It is focused on the idea that individuals, private and nonprofit sectors, communities, critical infrastructure, and the Nation as a whole are made more resilient when the consequences and impacts, the duration, and the financial and human costs to respond to and recover from adverse incidents are all reduced.

Although Mitigation is the responsibility of the whole community, a great deal of mitigation activity occurs at the local level. The assessment of risk and resilience therefore begins at the community level and informs our state, regional, and national planning. For risk information to result in specific risk reduction actions, leaders—whether elected in a jurisdiction, appointed in a given department, a nongovernmental director, a sector official, or in business or community—must have the ability to recognize, understand, communicate, and plan for a community’s future resilience. The establishment of trusted relationships among leaders in a community prior to a disaster can greatly reduce the risks to life, property, the natural environment, and well-being. When these leaders are prepared, the whole community matures and becomes better prepared to reduce the risks over the long term.

Recovery includes those capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively. Support for recovery ensures a continuum of care for individuals to maintain and restore health, safety, independence and livelihoods, especially those who experience financial, emotional, and physical hardships. Successful recovery ensures that we will emerge from any threat or hazard stronger and positioned to meet the needs of the future. Recovery capabilities support well-coordinated, transparent, and timely restoration of infrastructure and housing; an economic base; health and social systems; and a revitalized cultural, historic, and environmental fabric.

The ability to manage recovery effectively begins with pre-disaster preparedness and requires support and resources focused on recovery at the immediate onset of an incident.