Office of Homeland Security (Prince George's County)
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| Office of Homeland Security (Prince George's County) | |
|---|---|
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| Agency name | Office of Homeland Security (Prince George's County) |
| Formed | 2003 |
| Jurisdiction | Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Headquarters | Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
| Parent agency | Prince George's County Department of Emergency Management |
Office of Homeland Security (Prince George's County) The Office of Homeland Security in Prince George's County, Maryland serves as a county-level public safety and security coordination entity linking Prince George's County Police Department, Maryland State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security (United States), and other local, state, and federal partners. Established in the aftermath of national incidents and regional preparedness initiatives, the office integrates counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, and emergency planning across municipalities such as Hyattsville, Maryland, Bowie, Maryland, Greenbelt, Maryland, and College Park, Maryland. It operates within a landscape shaped by national policies from Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, collaborations with National Guard (United States) elements such as the Maryland Army National Guard, and relationships with regional bodies like the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
History
The office traces origins to post-2001 homeland security reorganization efforts influenced by USA PATRIOT Act, Homeland Security Act of 2002, and state-level adaptations following guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection. Early initiatives involved coordination with agencies including Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, U.S. Secret Service, and the Transportation Security Administration to address threats to transportation hubs near Baltimore–Washington International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The office expanded through collaborations with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and grant programs administered by Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Program funding streams, aligning with doctrine from National Incident Management System and Incident Command System practices.
Mission and Responsibilities
The office’s mission emphasizes prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery tied to authorities cited in Presidential Policy Directive 8 and coordination expectations from Council on Foreign Relations frameworks. Responsibilities include threat assessment with inputs from Joint Terrorism Task Force, critical infrastructure resilience planning for assets such as Prince George's Plaza (The Mall at Prince George's Plaza), and liaison duties with U.S. Department of Transportation offices overseeing regional transit nodes like Washington Metro. The office supports criminal intelligence sharing among entities such as Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Marshals Service for protective missions, while coordinating public health emergency interfaces with Maryland Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Organizational Structure
Structured to align with multi-disciplinary functions, the office fields divisions analogous to models used by New York City Office of Emergency Management and Los Angeles Emergency Management Department. Typical components include an intelligence fusion unit collaborating with Regional Information Sharing Systems, a critical infrastructure protection section engaging private sector stakeholders like Exelon and Pepco, and an emergency operations coordination cell that interoperates with Prince George's County Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department and Prince George's County Office of Emergency Management. Leadership often interfaces with elected officials including members of the Prince George's County Council, the Prince George's County Executive, and regional counterparts in Montgomery County, Maryland and Charles County, Maryland.
Programs and Initiatives
Programmatic efforts mirror federal and state models such as Urban Area Security Initiative grant-funded projects, resiliency efforts inspired by National Infrastructure Protection Plan, and cyber security programs coordinated with Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. Initiatives include campus safety partnerships with University of Maryland, College Park and public transit security projects with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Training and exercise programs follow standards from National Guard Bureau and may include participation in exercises like TOPOFF and regional drills coordinated by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Specialized initiatives address community resilience in neighborhoods near Joint Base Andrews and support continuity planning for institutions like Prince George's Community College.
Interagency Coordination and Partnerships
Interagency coordination is central, involving formal ties to Department of Justice (United States), United States Department of Homeland Security, and state agencies including Maryland Department of Labor for workforce protection. The office maintains memoranda of understanding with municipal police departments across the county and partners with federal entities including United States Secret Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service for protective and investigative support. Public-private partnerships extend to hospital systems such as University of Maryland Medical System and utilities regulated by Maryland Public Service Commission, while regional collaborations include the National Capital Region planning bodies and the Washington Area Fuel and Petrochemical Security Task Force.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Preparedness activities incorporate National Incident Management System-aligned training, mass notification systems interoperable with Integrated Public Alert and Warning System technologies, and exercises coordinated with FEMA Region III. Response coordination integrates law enforcement tactical support from Special Weapons and Tactics teams in Maryland and medical surge planning with agencies like Prince George's County Health Department and Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. The office supports continuity of operations planning for critical functions at county facilities in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and works with federal partners on threat response protocols informed by cases such as 2009 Fort Hood shooting and counterterrorism lessons from 2004 Madrid train bombings.
Community Outreach and Training
Outreach programs include citizen preparedness campaigns modeled after America's PrepareAthon! and community policing partnerships akin to initiatives by National Night Out. Training offerings target first responders, campus safety coordinators, and private sector security teams, often leveraging curricula from FEMA Emergency Management Institute and certification standards from International Association of Emergency Managers. Educational collaborations extend to local school systems such as Prince George's County Public Schools and community organizations including NAACP (Prince George's County), with multilingual outreach reflecting the county’s diverse populations from communities like Largo, Maryland and Temple Hills, Maryland.