South Carolina State Guard Homeland Security Activities under an Americorps Grant

Abstract

A vulnerability and threat assessment study of South Carolina was done by the South Carolina State Guard (SCSG) in 2002 and found that the state was particularly vulnerable to external threats because of a high ratio of nuclear facilities to population, a major port with several smaller sea ports, several major dams near population centers, rapidly developing coastal areas, and four interstate highways. These concerns were reviewed for Homeland Defense impact. A report was prepared containing specific recommendations that were identified as a requirement for the Governor's initiatives in the area of Homeland Defense in response to the events of September 11, 2001. As a direct result of the report, a Federal AmeriCorps multi-year grant for $1 million was submitted to address these compelling community needs. The grant was designed to enhance capabilities in the areas of Public Safety, Public Health, and Emergency Preparedness. A Homeland Defense Brigade consisting of volunteers was established from within the existing SCSG. These volunteers are used as a force multiplier to assist more readily the Emergency Management Division, the SCSG, and other components of the Adjutant General's Office to deal with the new threats posed by the asymmetrical conflict in which the country is now engaged. The major component of the grant was to establish and maintain a central database of volunteers. The web-based database was designed so that police chiefs, sheriffs, and emergency preparedness directors could be given access to information on the volunteers in their area. The database contains a skill set for each volunteer and real-time accounting of his or her availability. A massive recruiting effort has resulted in several thousand uniformed volunteers available to city, county, and state public safety, public health, and emergency preparedness organizations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA497335

Entities

People

  • Eli Wishart

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Disasters
  • Electronic Mail
  • Emergencies
  • Emergency Response
  • Health
  • Health Services
  • Homeland Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • Law Enforcement Officers
  • Military Science
  • Public Health
  • Public Safety
  • Security
  • South Carolina
  • Warning Systems

Readers

  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.