Projects
Partnerships for Safe and Secure Communities (PASCOM)
The Partnership for Safe and Secure Communities (PASCOM) is a community-centric, grass roots program intended to provide assistance in developing interconnected and complementary systems and processes to communities to enhance their preparedness capability. PASCOM will provide a “ground-up” methodology that actively engages communities in the development of robust and resilient infrastructure protection, response, and reconstitution programs. Communities using the PASCOM process will systematically identify critical assets, conduct community vulnerability assessments, and develop and execute preparedness programs in a manner that is tailored to the individual community’s profile.
By getting community-wide involvement, collaboration, and acceptance from public, private, local, churches, and corporate community stakeholders, all aspects of the community will have a voice in building the plan for hometown safety and security. As a result, the PASCOM approach helps communities garner deeper, broader and sustainable support.
The PASCOM project is intended to complement the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS), Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) State Homeland Security Assessment and Strategy process (SHSAS). The ODP assessment process began as a program designed to assess threats, vulnerabilities, capabilities, and needs related to preparedness for weapons of mass destruction terrorism incidents at the state and local level. The SHSAS is now a refined assessment tool intended to be used as a planning tool at the state and local jurisdictions level. The results from the SHSAS should also assist the ODP and partners in better assessing the needs of local communities.
The mandated SHSAS process currently implemented by the ODP is an
important step in identifying the preparedness capabilities of
communities throughout America. PASCOM will serve as a follow-up program
and will provide a framework for the ODP to give feedback to communities
on the SHSAS project and continue the momentum that ODP has begun in
empowering communities to be active participants in their own safety and
security. An additional intent of this model is to coordinate and
collaborate with infrastructure protection and vulnerability assessment
activities currently being conducted by DHS’ Information Analysis and
Infrastructure Protection Directorate.
PASCOM encompasses a national awareness and education program that will
encourage all citizens both individual and corporate, in a community to
actively participate in and support the protection of their own
communities.
The PASCOM model recognizes that all the communities within states and
local jurisdictions are not the same. The size, assets, location,
activities, and various community characteristics distinguish and
categorize a community into a focused community profile. PASCOM will
take into account these vast community profiles across the country in
developing action plans to address the vulnerabilities identified. The
PASCOM process empowers each community to identify its critical assets,
develop a plan to secure its assets, and develop and test a preparedness
and response plan in the event of incidents of domestic terrorism.
The PASCOM model will leverage what other national programs and agencies have already done with regard to national infrastructure protection, national and State preparedness, and individual/family security—and integrate those efforts into the communities it touches. A National Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from national level associations representing key stakeholders will be established to help develop the PASCOM project. PASCOM’s strategy is to obtain support from all essential groups within the community. Identification and recruitment of key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors will cultivate a cohesive team environment as they develop and implement a comprehensive assessment of community vulnerability and coordinated community preparedness plans.
The mission of PASCOM is to assist communities in improving their safety and security through the development and dissemination of model policies and programs to prepare for all-hazards implemented public-private partnerships and enhanced community involvement.
PASCOM will improve the safety and security of the nation through enhanced community involvement in domestic preparedness
The ultimate goal of PASCOM is the establishment of sustainable public and private community partnerships through the development of a model that builds on the work of ODP and other efforts in service of critical infrastructure protection and domestic preparedness. The model accounts for variations in demographics and topography, as well as community values and unique characteristics. Consequently, this consideration for the individuality of each community fosters and cultivates community support for meeting the requirements of building safer and more secure communities.
For more information on this project, please contact Linda Mayberry
at 859-622-8106 or at Linda.Mayberry@eku.edu.
