Richard Jaehne's Presentation on Homeland Security Policy (2/6/04)

As part of our ongoing speaker series supported by the Ford Foundation's Division of Knowledge, Creativity & Freedom, the subject of our February 6 presentation was Homeland Security. The distinguished speaker was Richard Jaehne, Director of the Illinois Fire Service Institute on the UIUC campus. In his talk entitled, "Homeland Security: The National Security Paradigm for the 21st Century," he addressed where we are now, in real preparedness, to deal with terrorism as well as important considerations for future preparedness.

ABSTRACT: Never in the past century have local decisions had greater importance and relevance than they do post-11 September 2001. Over the past 60 years, America has repeatedly taken actions at the local community level to affect national security. Prior to 11 September 2001, we have called these actions "civil defense," and "domestic preparedness." In the aftermath of terrorist attacks and threats, both the lexicon and actions taken by state and local governments must be expanded. We must establish a new security paradigm called "homeland security" that provides active prevention and preemption plans and protocols designed to stop terrorist attacks, lessen their effect, and prepare authorities to respond to them. National security will depend upon actions taken by local elected officials, public safety organizations, in schools, businesses and by citizens. They will have a pivotal role in identifying potential threats and providing first response to contain and mitigate their potential effects.

BACKGROUND READING: (1) Jaehne, Richard L. (2002). "Homeland Security in Illinois: An Agenda," available at Homeland Security in Illinois: An Agenda
Further Suggested Readings:
(2) Napoleoni, Loretta (2003). Modern Jihad, Tracing the Dollars Behind the Terror Networks. Pluto Press.
(3) Hoffman, Bruce (1998). Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia U Press.
(4) Doyle, Charles(15 April 2002). CRS Report for Congress "US Patriot Act: A Legal Analysis."

Richard Jaehne is the Director, Illinois Fire Service Institute, which is the statutory Illinois State Fire Academy and the Director is the Illinois State Director of fire service training. The Institute delivers 450,000 student hours of training to more than 40,000 firefighters and other first responders annually, a $5.5 million annual budget, over 300 full and part-time faculty and staff, $10 million training facility. Statutory missions include development of new curriculum across the spectrum of fire service training, research, development of training facilities, and representation of Illinois in national fire service forums. In 2002, the Institute received an Illinois State Police Special Department Award for its work in training the State Interagency Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Teams.

He is a member of the Illinois Governor's Terrorism Task Force and a Co-Chair of the task force's Training Committee. He is a member of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Service Committee and the Governor's Fire Advisory Commission. He is the immediate past-Vice President of the North American Fire Training Directors and a member of the National Fire Service Leadership Summit. He was awarded a faculty appointment in the Russia and East Asia Institute in 1999 and as adjunct faculty in the Arms Control, Disarmament and International (ACDIS) Program in 2001.

In September 1997, he retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Colonel with over 30 years of service. While in the Marine Corps, he dealt with terrorism issues for some 20 years at the unit operational, theater operational and strategic, and national policy level. He was the Commandant of the NATO School (SHAPE) in Germany from 1995-97, during which time the school had a direct role in Dayton Accord implementation and in support of NATO operations in Bosnia. He served as Director of Operations for the US Marine Corps from 1993-1995 where he was responsible for Marine security force policy worldwide, to include Marine Security Guards attached to US embassies. He also directed USMC crisis management activities to include operating the Marine Corps Crisis Action Center, coordinating Marine disaster relief assistance with FEMA, mutual support efforts with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other Federal agencies. In Europe he planned and executed operations in support of the American Embassy Beirut from 1987-1989, during the height of the civil war and Syrian occupation. In Latin America, he was the contingency plans and special operations officer in the US Southern Command from 1979-1982, responsible for contingency and evacuation planning and operations throughout Latin America, to include US embassy security and evacuation. He was a member of the force, which evacuated Phnom Penh and Saigon in 1975.

Richard Jaehne holds an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California (1979), and a B.S. in Business and Financial Management from the University of Utah (1968).