US Must be More Resilient to Disasters and Terrorism, Experts Say

Resilience is becoming a bigger concept in preparedness circles these days. That’s why a group of critical infrastructure sectors representatives and homeland security experts are warning the government to strengthen the resilience component of its homeland security strategy.

In an article on the Security Management website, Matthew Harwood says the experts advised lawmakers last week on the concept of resilience as the first in a series of hearings on how the country can weather a large-scale disruption.

“As a nation, we must be able to withstand a blow and then bounce back,” Stewart Baker, assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security, told the House Homeland Security Committee, adding, “That’s resilience.”

At the hearing, Baker reminded lawmakers that the country can mitigate risk, but cannot guarantee another attack will not occur, nor can it prevent natural and accidental disasters.

“It requires us to admit that some disasters cannot be avoided,” he added. “It also requires us to acknowledge that, faced with disaster, most of our citizens, businesses, and other institutions will take action to rescue themselves and others.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/u-s-must-be-more-resilient-disasters-and-terrorism-experts-explain