It took nearly a year and a half for the Bush Administration to create the Department of Homeland Security. It took just a week for the new department to be called to duty.

Tom Ridge was confirmed by the Senate as the secretary of the new department and on Jan. 24 was sworn in at the White House. President Bush said the department's birth “begins a vital mission in the defense of our country.”

The department was to be in a transitional mode for five weeks following its opening, with many of the agencies being folded into the department by March 1.

But national emergencies don't wait for deadlines, and on Feb. 1, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was forced to mobilize thousands of first responders and other officials in response to the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. Ridge contacted Texas Governor Rick Perry, as well as emergency response officials in Louisiana and Oklahoma, and sought to reach their counterparts in Arizona and New Mexico.

Ridge then handed the investigation over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — one of the many agencies folded into the new department. It was designated as the lead federal agency for the search, find, and secure efforts in response to the loss of the shuttle. Michael Brown, Deputy Director of FEMA and Acting Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, led the efforts.

The events of Feb. 1 illustrated the wide-reaching jurisdiction that faces the Department of Homeland Security. Ridge, for now, is the country's point-man when it comes to emergency preparedness and response, border and airport security, infrastructure protection, terrorism awareness and intelligence gathering, and many other functions focused on the country's safety.

“If your responsibilities in this department are not directed toward Homeland security, what you're doing — in some way, shape or form — will be a part of the system we have to protect this country,” Ridge says.

While emergency response is a key element of the new department, its primary issue is terrorism awareness — which spiked less than a week after the Columbia tragedy.

When the Bush Administration raised the national terror alert status from yellow (“elevated risk”) to orange (“high risk”) in early February, the department and hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies sprang into action.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) arm of the department immediately began a public parking ban within 300 feet of any airport terminal building. Many cities opened their emergency operations centers and increased security at subways, train stations and popular tourist attractions. Other agencies, such as Customs, Immigration, the Federal Protective Service, the National Infrastructure Protection Center, Coast Guard and Secret Service also implemented increased security and procedures in response to the heightened threat level.

Using intelligence gathered from various sources, the Department of Homeland Security identified “lightly secured targets,” such as hotels, shopping centers and apartment complexes. New York was identified as a potential target city, and so-called “soft targets,” which are potential targets that are a symbol of American power or prosperity, such as the Statue of Liberty or the Golden Gate Bridge, were reportedly at risk.

The process of revamping border and airport security continued in full force when Ridge took the oath of his office. Secretary Ridge unveiled the DHS' border security plan just days after his swearing in. Ridge described plans to combine border security and inspection agencies to streamline the process of entering the country.

Combining the two arms of border patrol would increase the chances of catching terrorists and weapons before they cross the border.

While the role of the Department of Homeland Security is still evolving, Ridge is confident that measures taken today will pay off in the future.

“I'm confident that, as this country continues to expand its capacity to prevent terrorist attacks, to reduce our vulnerability and then respond to an attack if it occurs, that we get stronger every day,” he said.