Department of Homeland Security - Links

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The Department of Homeland Security leads the effort to secure America... RIGHT!  Might want to take a look at "Top Secrete America"

The People Involved

Department Components

The Directorate for National Protection and Programs works to advance the Department's risk-reduction mission. Reducing risk requires an integrated approach that encompasses both physical and virtual threats and their associated human elements.

The Directorate for Science and Technology is the primary research and development arm of the Department. It provides federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland.

The Directorate for Management is responsible for Department budgets and appropriations, expenditure of funds, accounting and finance, procurement; human resources, information technology systems, facilities and equipment, and the identification and tracking of performance measurements.

The Office of Policy is the primary policy formulation and coordination component for the Department of Homeland Security. It provides a centralized, coordinated focus to the development of Department-wide, long-range planning to protect the United States.

The Office of Health Affairs coordinates all medical activities of the Department of Homeland Security to ensure appropriate preparation for and response to incidents having medical significance.

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is responsible for using information and intelligence from multiple sources to identify and assess current and future threats to the United States.

The Office of Operations Coordination and Planning is responsible for monitoring the security of the United States on a daily basis and coordinating activities within the Department and with governors, Homeland Security Advisors, law enforcement partners, and critical infrastructure operators in all 50 states and more than 50 major urban areas nationwide.

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center provides career-long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently.

The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office works to enhance the nuclear detection efforts of federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local governments, and the private sector and to ensure a coordinated response to such threats.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) protects the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is one of the Department of Homeland Security’s largest and most complex components, with a priority mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. It also has a responsibility for securing and facilitating trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services secures America’s promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), promotes homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration.

The United States Coast Guard is one of the five armed forces of the United States and the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard protects the maritime economy and the environment, defends our maritime borders, and saves those in peril.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

The United States Secret Service (USSS) safeguards the nation's financial infrastructure and payment systems to preserve the integrity of the economy, and protects national leaders, visiting heads of state and government, designated sites, and National Special Security Events.

Office of the Secretary

The Office of the Secretary oversees Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to counter terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage our borders while facilitating trade and travel, enforce and administer our immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, build resilience to disasters, and provide essential support for national and economic security - in coordination with federal, state, local, international and private sector partners.

The Privacy Office works to preserve and enhance privacy protections for all individuals, to promote transparency of Department of Homeland Security operations, and to serve as a leader in the privacy community.

The office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties provides legal and policy advice to Department leadership on civil rights and civil liberties issues, investigates and resolves complaints, and provides leadership to Equal Employment Opportunity Programs.

The Office of Inspector General is responsible for conducting and supervising audits, investigations, and inspections relating to the programs and operations of the Department, recommending ways for the Department to carry out its responsibilities in the most effective, efficient, and economical manner possible.

The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman provides recommendations for resolving individual and employer problems with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to ensure national security and the integrity of the legal immigration system, increase efficiencies in administering citizenship and immigration services, and improve customer service.

The Office of Legislative Affairs serves as primary liaison to members of Congress and their staffs, the White House and Executive Branch, and to other federal agencies and governmental entities that have roles in assuring national security.

The Office of the General Counsel integrates approximately 1700 lawyers from throughout the Department into an effective, client-oriented, full-service legal team and comprises a headquarters office with subsidiary divisions and the legal programs for eight Department components. The Office of the General Counsel includes the ethics division for the Department.

The Office of Public Affairs coordinates the public affairs activities of all of the Department’s components and offices, and serves as the federal government’s lead public information office during a national emergency or disaster. Led by the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, it comprises the press office, incident and strategic communications, speechwriting, Web content management, and employee communications.

The Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement (CNE) coordinates policy and operations to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States, and to track and sever the connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism.

The Office of the Executive Secretariat (ESEC) provides all manner of direct support to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, as well as related support to leadership and management across the Department. This support takes many forms, the most well known being accurate and timely dissemination of information and written communications from throughout the Department and our homeland security partners to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary.

The Military Advisor's Office advises on facilitating, coordinating and executing policy, procedures, preparedness activities and operations between the Department and the Department of Defense.

Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA): IGA has the mission of promoting an integrated national approach to homeland security by ensuring, coordinating, and advancing federal interaction with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

Advisory Panels and Committees

The Homeland Security Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary on matters related to homeland security. The Council is comprised of leaders from state and local government, first responder communities, the private sector, and academia.

The National Infrastructure Advisory Council provides advice to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the President on the security of information systems for the public and private institutions that constitute the critical infrastructure of our nation’s economy.

The Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee. Serves as a source of independent, scientific and technical planning advice for the Under Secretary for Science and Technology.

The Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council was established to facilitate effective coordination between Federal infrastructure protection programs with the infrastructure protection activities of the private sector and of state, local, territorial and tribal governments.

The Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities was established to ensure that the federal government appropriately supports safety and security for individuals with disabilities in disaster situations.

The Task Force on New Americans is an inter-agency effort to help immigrants learn English, embrace the common core of American civic culture, and become fully American.

The DHS Labor-Management Forum was established to support cooperative and productive labor-management relations.

 

Protecting, Analyzing & Sharing Information

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for assessing the nation's vulnerabilities. It takes the lead in evaluating vulnerabilities and coordinating with other federal, state, local, and private entities to ensure the most effective response. The collection, protection, evaluation and dissemination of information to the American public, state and local governments and the private sector is central to this task.

  • Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS)
    The Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS) is a Web-enabled information services portal that allows state and local government users to collect and use asset data and protection information to develop incident response and recovery plans to protect infrastructure assets.
  • CIKR Asset Protection Technical Assistance Program (CAPTAP)
    The CIKR Asset Protection Technical Assistance Program (CAPTAP) is offered jointly by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) to assist state and local first responders, emergency managers, and homeland security officials
  • Homeland Security Advisory System
    The Homeland Security Advisory System is designed to give protective measures when specific information to a specific sector or geographic region is received. It combines threat information with vulnerability assessments and provides communications to public safety officials and the public.
  • Homeland Security Information Network
    A computer-based counterterrorism communications system connecting all 50 states, five territories, Washington, D.C., and 50 major urban areas.
  • MegaCenters
    In 2000, FPS transitioned all alarm-monitoring and dispatching capabilities from several regional control centers to four MegaCenters. Currently, each MegaCenter monitors multiple types of alarm systems, closed circuit television, and wireless dispatch communications within federal facilities throughout the entire nation. The centers—located in Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Maryland—are equipped with state-of-the-art communication systems and in operation 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
  • National Terrorism Advisory System
    The National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) replaces the color codes of the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). The new alert system is currently in a 90 day implementation period that began on January 27, 2011 – until the end of the implementation period, the existing HSAS will remain in effect.
  • Operation Community Shield (ICE)
    Operation Community Shield is a nationwide initiative that targets violent transnational street gangs, by partnering with U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies at all levels, and making use of its authority to deport criminal aliens.
  • Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) Program
    This information-protection program enhances information sharing between the private sector and the government. Protected information can be used to analyze and secure critical infrastructure and protected systems, identify vulnerabilities and develop risk assessments, and enhance recovery preparedness measures.
  • State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers
    Fusion Centers blend relevant law enforcement and intelligence information analysis and coordinate security measures in order to reduce threats in local communities.
  • US-VISIT Biometric Identification Services
    US-VISIT is using biometrics to help make travel simple, easy and convenient for legitimate visitors but virtually impossible for those who wish to do harm or violate U.S. laws.

03.24.2011. 20:29

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