One of the most challenging tasks of homeland security policymakers is to allocate their limited resources to reduce terrorism risks cost effectively. To accomplish this task, it is useful to develop a comprehensive set of homeland security objectives, metrics to measure each objective, a utility function, and value tradeoffs relevant for making homeland security investments. Together, these el...

Beginning in 2004, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began to define and implement a national domestic all-hazards preparedness goal, intended to improve the nation’s preparedness for national catastrophes, including terrorist attacks. DHS’s approach was capabilities-based planning (CBP), adopted from the Department of Defense (DoD). This article illustrates several components important...

Operations research has had a long and distinguished history of work in emergency preparedness and response, airline security, transportation of hazardous materials, and threat and vulnerability analysis. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the formation of the US Department of Homeland Security, these topics have been gathered under the broad umbrella of homeland security. In addition,...