ABOUT US

As the Agency responsible for leading the planning and coordination of the District of Columbia's homeland security and emergency management efforts, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) works closely with our District, federal and regional partners to ensure that the District of Columbia is prepared to prevent, protect against, respond to, mitigate and recover from all threats and hazards. Our work is divided into the following major areas:

Executive Office of the Director:

Provide executive leadership, decision-making, and administrative authority over HSEMA.

Office of the Chief of Staff:

Ensures forward-movement on the Director’s strategic priorities, as well as order, process, and standardization development across HSEMA.

Office of Public Affairs:

Spearhead all external and public affairs initiatives, including outreach and coordination with the public, private industry, media, and District public information officers.

Office of Legal Affairs:

Provide legal counsel and policy advisement to the Director and agency. Manage the Mayor’s Special Events Task Group and Homeland Security Commission.

Division of Administration:

Manage HSEMA’s day-to-day enterprise operations and activities.

• Chief Administrative Officer and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Ensure and manage the agency’s daily enterprise operations and functions

• Grants Management Bureau: Serve as the State Administrative Agent for the federal homeland security grant programs awarded to the District and NCR

• Facility and Security Bureau: Manage personnel security portfolios, building access, fleet/vehicle portfolio, as well as day-to-day warehouse functions

• Human Resources: Manage personnel security portfolios, building access, fleet/vehicle portfolio, as well as day-to-day warehouse functions.

• Finance Bureau: Ensure the financial viability and longevity of the agency in accordance with District policies and the Director’s priorities

• Information Technology Bureau: Manage the agency’s information technology systems, in coordination with OCTO, and ensure the modernization of all agency technologies and systems

Division of Operations:

Develop, implement, and maintain the agency’s steady-state and emergency operations activities.

• Division Chief & Deputy Chief: Ensure and manage orderly operations of the agency’s emergency response capabilities

• JAHOC Bureau: Maintain 24/7 watch-desk capabilities, monitoring the activities of the District of Columbia, providing updates to the agency leadership, proactively

• EOC Bureau: Manage and maintain the EOC, oversee the District’s Qualifications System, and execute EMAC requests.

Division of Homeland Security and Preparedness:

To be the leading hub of intelligence-sharing and analytic production in the NCR; integrate emergency preparedness, and intelligence information collection, analysis, and dissemination

• Division Chief and Deputy Chief: Build and coordinate the agency’s planning, assessment, and intelligence capabilities

• Disability Integration Coordinator: Ensure that the District’s emergency management program effectively incorporates people with Disabilities and others with Access and Functional Needs

• WRTAC: Serve as the District’s Fusion Center, providing tactical and strategic intelligence (collection, analysis and dissemination), to support District law enforcement agencies, other first responders, homeland security, emergency management, public health and the private sector

• Preparedness Evaluation Bureau: Administer the annual Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review

• Planning, Training, and Exercise Bureau: Provide state-of-the-art training opportunities to the District, and develop and execute an exercise and corrective action program. Develop planning products that meet the needs of HSEMA and key stakeholders—anticipating dynamic evolutions in technology and information consumption

• Long-Term Risk Reduction Bureau: Build and maintain a state-of-the-art long-term recovery program and administer, manage, and oversee the District’s Hazard Mitigation Program