
Incomplete information. Infinite demand for timely response against finite resources. Inadequate infrastructures. Exceptional examples of getting the job done under the most difficult circumstances. Such are the lessons of securing the homeland. Communities have confronted homeland security when faced with overwhelming challenges resulting from a natural disaster, terrorist attacks and other hazards. None of the threats are particularly new, but there are galvanizing moments when robust response infrastructures become national priorities. It may be the tipping point of our time.