Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
Agency name	Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
Formed	2000s
Jurisdiction	New York (state)
Headquarters	Albany, New York
Chief1 name	Commissioner
Parent agency	New York State Executive Department

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Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is a New York State agency responsible for coordinating emergency management and homeland security activities across New York (state), operating from Albany, New York and interfacing with federal entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It maintains partnerships with municipal authorities including the New York City Police Department, Office of Emergency Management (New York City), and regional bodies like the New York State Police, while engaging with interstate organizations such as the Northeast States Emergency Consortium and national groups including the National Governors Association and International Association of Emergency Managers.

History

The Division traces organizational predecessors to initiatives following the September 11 attacks and evolving post-Hurricane Katrina policy shifts, aligning state programs with federal statutes including the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and responses to disasters like Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic. Early milestones involved coordination with agencies such as the United States Department of Homeland Security and collaborations with New York City Office of Emergency Management and the New York State Police, while Supreme Court and legislative developments including cases like Gonzales v. Raich tangentially influenced intergovernmental legal frameworks. The Division’s evolution engaged stakeholders such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and non governmental partners including American Red Cross and FEMA Corps.

Leadership comprises a Commissioner reporting to the New York State Governor and coordinating with the New York State Legislature, the New York State Division of Budget, and the New York State Office of General Services. Internal bureaus interface with the New York State Police, Office of Fire Prevention and Control (New York), and county emergency management offices like Westchester County Emergency Services, Erie County Emergency Services, and Queens Emergency Management Office. The Division executes policy via liaisons to entities such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Transit Authority, MTA Police Department, and partners including the New York State Department of Health, New York State Department of Transportation, and New York State Education Department.

The Division coordinates preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery functions consistent with national frameworks such as the National Response Framework and National Incident Management System, collaborating with Federal Emergency Management Agency regions, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and law enforcement units including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration. It administers threat assessments in cooperation with intelligence partners like the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and supports infrastructure protection for sites managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and New York State Thruway Authority.

Programs include grant administration in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, distribution of funding from federal sources such as the Homeland Security Grant Program and the Emergency Management Performance Grant, and coordination of public alert systems aligned with Integrated Public Alert and Warning System standards. Services extend to interoperable communications projects with vendors and agencies like FirstNet, Verizon Communications, and Motorola Solutions, community outreach with American Red Cross chapters and Community Emergency Response Team programs, and technical assistance to healthcare systems including NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Mount Sinai Health System, and NYU Langone Health.

Operational roles encompass activation of state emergency operations centers during incidents like Hurricane Sandy, the September 11 attacks, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake response coordination, integrating assets from the New York National Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and volunteer organizations such as Team Rubicon and AmeriCorps. The Division coordinates evacuations, sheltering with partners like Salvation Army (United States) and Catholic Charities, logistics with United States Postal Service contingency units, and recovery contracting in concert with procurement authorities such as the New York State Office of General Services and legal oversight bodies like the New York State Attorney General.

Training programs involve exercises modeled after scenarios referenced by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, conducted with academic partners like Columbia University, Cornell University, SUNY Albany, and Johns Hopkins University preparedness centers. Grant management covers allocation and compliance for programs including the Homeland Security Grant Program, Emergency Management Performance Grant, and public health preparedness funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, requiring audits and reporting to entities such as the United States Government Accountability Office and coordination with municipal grantees including New York City Office of Emergency Management and county emergency management agencies.

Criticism has arisen regarding grant allocation transparency, interoperability of communications systems involving vendors like Motorola Solutions and carriers like AT&T, and pandemic response coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic where interactions with the New York State Department of Health and federal partners such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were scrutinized. Legal and oversight inquiries have involved the New York State Assembly committees, the New York State Senate, and watchdogs including ProPublica and investigative journalism outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.