Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Click on the following link(s) for the Phase 1 Reading Assignment:

• Winning the War of Ideas

For this assignment, you must only choose one of the following tasks. Do NOT complete both tasks!

Task 1

Human resource managers must constantly evaluate whether their hiring practices are consistent with current trends and expectations of the positions to be filled. Many agencies work from generalist practices, but the first-response community is unique in its approach to evaluating potential candidates for hire.

Assignment Guidelines

• For this assignment, students will create a series of questions in a short questionnaire (5–10 items) to ask at least 3 first-response agencies about their hiring processes.
• Agencies may be local fire departments, law enforcement, nongovernmental agencies, or federal departments, but they may not all be of the same discipline (e.g., all fire or all police).
• Students must organize their questions around prerequisites for application, hiring policies, and testing mechanisms as discussed in Phase 1.
• Representatives from the selected agencies may be interviewed in person, via e-mail, or on the phone.
• Organize your questions, agency responses, and agency contact information into a final assignment Word document.
  • What are the similarities among the agencies interviewed? Explain.
• Students may build on this questionnaire throughout the course and have an opportunity to incorporate it into their final project.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

Task 2

You are the chief of a small police force. The city manager’s office has granted you the authority to create a reserve force. You must create the application and evaluation objectives for these positions.

Assignment Guidelines

• Address the following in 500–750 words:
  • Identify and summarize 3–5 components that address the requirements you would have in hiring reserve police officers.
  • Include a comprehensive explanation of why these objectives are important.
    • For example, “a physical agility test is required.” The assignment should include the type of and components of the physical agility test as well as a detailed explanation of what the test is evaluating (e.g., not just physical ability).
• Students must write this as a memo to the town’s policy maker, the city manager Douglas Jones.
• Students should feel encouraged to research departmental policies in person or online.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.