FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: Executive

OOOOThe Department of Homeland Security

OOOOHOME | EXECUTIVE | HOMELAND SECURITY

OOOOThe links below do not represent the entirety of sites within the DHS, but those we feel would interest the citizen, or of which the citizen should be aware.

THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
The official department site and the old White House Office site.
Site Map
Especially useful for negotiating your way around the DHS, it is well-organized and arranged thematically.
Homeland Security Act of 2002 [HR 5005]
The legislation passed by Congress creating the Department.
Reorganization Plan
The final 2002 plan defining what was to be transferred to the DHS, when, and what they were to be responsible for.
Strategic Plan
DHS Organization
Description of DHS directorates and the agencies they incorporate.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Coodinates federal efforts to prepare and repsond to, and recover from disasters. Current disaster areas on front page.
" Citizen Corps: Volunteers for community disaster response.
" DisasterAssistance.gov: Federal inter-agency disaster relief resources.
" Map Service Center: Are you in a flood plain? View and buy maps.
" Library: Public information pertaining to the agency.
National Integration Center Incident Management Systems Division: Intended to coordinate federal with state and local disaster response.
National Response Plan: Documents pertaining to how the federal government coordinates with state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector during during domestic incidents.
Office for Domestic Preparedness: Seemingly still up to date, the site is still attac hed to the Department of Justice.
" Ready.gov: What citizens should do to prepare themselves and their families for disaster.
Directorate for Science and Technology
Research and development arm of DHS. Except for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, this directorate does't provide links to its other departments.
Homeland Security Centers of Excellence: a series of DHS parrtnerships with major universities to reasearch topics in domestic risk and protection.
Homeland Security Institute: the DHS think tank.
SAFECOM: program for intergovernmental emergency communications coordination.
Safety Act: Public Law 107-296 protects manufacturers on anti-terrorism technologies from liability for their products.
National Protection and Programs Directorate
Aimed toward reducing threats to domestic infrastructure and communications. See the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, and documents under related resources: Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8.
Office of Cybersecurity and Communications
Office of Infrastructure Protection
Office of Intergovernmental Programs
Office of Risk Management and Analysis
National Communications System
Consists of a number of agencies coordinating and guaranteeing government communications.
Tactical Interoperability Communication Scorecards: Assesses interoperability in 75 metropolitan areas.
Nationwide Plan Review
Official report on the nation's disaster preparedness.
Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding
Current status, flood maps, rebuilding advisories and what to do in case of hurricanes.
Hurricane Season Preparations: advice to inidividuals and businesses
Hurricane Katrina: What Government is Doing
Transportation Security Administration
Laws and regulations on travel with consumer section geared toward flying public.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Information for and about immigrants, including forms, laws and genealogical research suggestions.
U.S. Coast Guard
Security related to coasts, ports and environmental risks including drug and illegal alien interdiction. Read the Maritime Strategy for Homeland Security.
All about getting people and things across the border. Questions section is quite thorough.
Container Security Initiative Ports: List of ports worldwide which participate with USCBP in the CSI.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Just what it says.
U.S. Secret Service
Assigned primarily to protect the President and Vice-President, their families, former Presidents, their spouses and children, visiting foreign dignitaries and major presidential candidates. The Service also investigates counterfeiting, financial crimes and computer attacks on the nation's financial, banking and communications infrastructure - a legacy of its history as the investigative arm of the Department of Treasury.
NON-GOVERNMENTAL BODIES INTERESTED IN ISSUES PERTAINING TO DHS
TRAC-DHS
The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse from Syracuse University provides data on DHS performance and organization.