Why a THIRA is Critical in Community Preparedness

by Benjamin Kahn

Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash

As part of PPD-8, the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) process (CPG 201) combines three interconnected steps: identify threats and hazards, give them context, and establish capability targets. While a fourth step used to be part of the equation, upon release of the 3rd version in 2018, it disappeared in an effort to streamline the undertaking. The THIRA plays a vital role in community preparedness by aligning threats and hazards with current capability challenges, striving to set a baseline for where capability improvements should be focused.

To learn more about THIRA, check out Todd De Voe’s video on the topic.

According to a recent limited poll conducted on LinkedIn, the third step: Establish Capability Targets, was identified as the most abstract, complicated, and user-unfriendly. During this step, each of the 32 foundational core capabilities is tested via detailed hypothetical scenarios using standardized language to determine the desired capability target goals for the next few years.

 “You can't hit a target you can't see." 

~ Zig Ziglar

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