Ohio Homeland Security

Ohio Homeland Security
Agency name	Ohio Department of Homeland Security
Formed	2003
Preceding1	Ohio Emergency Management Agency
Jurisdiction	State of Ohio
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio
Chief1 name	Director
Chief1 position	Director of Homeland Security
Parent agency	Ohio Governor's Office

Contents

Ohio Homeland Security is the statewide homeland security department established in 2003 to coordinate prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts across Ohio in conjunction with federal entities such as the United States Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Justice (United States), Department of Health and Human Services. It operates alongside state institutions like the Ohio National Guard, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Attorney General, Ohio Department of Public Safety and municipal agencies in cities including Columbus, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Toledo, Ohio to address threats ranging from natural disasters to terrorism and cyber incidents.

History

The creation followed post-9/11 reforms highlighted by events including the September 11 attacks, the enactment of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and national reorganizations involving the Transportation Security Administration, United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, prompting states such as California, New York (state), Texas to formalize state-level offices; Ohio established its department by statute concurrent with initiatives tied to the Ohio Revised Code and executive actions by governors like Bob Taft and Ted Strickland. Early activities referenced lessons from incidents such as the Hurricane Katrina response, the Boston Marathon bombing, and regional emergencies like the Great Dayton Flood legacy, while aligning with federal grant cycles administered by the FEMA Grant Programs Directorate and historical programs from the Urban Area Security Initiative.

Leadership is structured under a Director who liaises with the Governor of Ohio and state cabinets including the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Internal divisions coordinate with units such as Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Fusion Center models similar to the National Counterterrorism Center and integrate personnel from the National Guard Bureau and local sheriff offices, while advisory boards include representatives from Columbus Division of Police, Cleveland Division of Police, Cincinnati Police Department, Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Directors have appeared before bodies like the Ohio General Assembly and committees modeled on federal counterparts such as the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Mandates encompass threat assessment, grant administration, training, and infrastructure protection with statutory interactions with the Ohio Revised Code and coordination with federal statutes like the Stafford Act and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. Core responsibilities mirror functions performed by agencies including FEMA, TSA, Federal Communications Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covering sectors such as energy infrastructure overseen by entities like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Transportation Security Administration-related transit protection in partnership with state transit agencies like the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and port authorities tied to Port of Cleveland. The department supports cybersecurity collaboration with the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, private firms including major Ohio employers like Procter & Gamble, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, The Kroger Co. and higher education partners such as The Ohio State University.

Preparedness activities include statewide exercises, continuity planning, and mass care coordination using models from the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System employed by fire departments such as the Cleveland Fire Department and Columbus Division of Fire. Response operations integrate with federal responders including FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, United States Coast Guard units on the Great Lakes, and law enforcement task forces modeled on Joint Terrorism Task Force partnerships. Recovery efforts work through programs influenced by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and coordination with nonprofit organizations like Federal Emergency Management Agency Voluntary Agency Liaison (VOAD) partners and the Salvation Army.

Collaboration spans federal, state, local, tribal and private sectors engaging entities such as the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, National Governors Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, International Association of Emergency Managers, private sector operators like FirstEnergy, American Electric Power, and nonprofit stakeholders including the Ohio VOAD network, American Red Cross, and United Way. The department participates in multi-jurisdictional coalitions with regional bodies such as the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and cross-border coordination with Canadian counterparts through mechanisms akin to the Great Lakes Commission.