ABSTRACT
Within the realm of emergency management and homeland security, aircraft can be the source of a crisis or security situation, and aviation itself can unfortunately be part of the disaster. Of course, the Department of Homeland Security is not the only government organization that has aviation assets that can assist in emergency management and homeland security operations. Once the initial disaster scene is secured, local emergency response coordinators and emergency managers will want to get an assessment of the damage, especially if the damage is widespread, such as damage from a hurricane or earthquake. Although there is a clear linkage between the professionals involved in aviation and emergency management and homeland security, this does not imply that their role is without challenges. This can be particularly difficult on a local scale as some aviation tools and equipment such as radar, radio, and even landing fields could have been severely damaged or destroyed during the disaster.
