The DCJS Office of Homeland Security (OHS) provides a link in the Commonwealth’s preparedness strategy chain focusing on the law enforcement community. Key office responsibilities include developing a conduit for law enforcement leaders to express needs and concerns as they relate to homeland security and emergency management, Homeland Security Grant Program synchronization, National Incident Management System (NIMS) implementation, preparedness planning, training coordination, and liaison to federal and state agencies working to ensure our nation and the Commonwealth are prepared and secure.

News

Grants

OHS synchronizes and implements the homeland security initiative utilizing Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) funds. OHS works with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to enhance homeland preparedness, awareness training, and information sharing.

• 2008 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) ~
  September 2, 2008
  Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced that Virginia has allocated $23.4 million in State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) funds to localities across the Commonwealth. “These funds, provided by the Department of Homeland Security, help first responders purchase the state and local resources they need to prevent, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and natural disasters,” Governor Kaine said.
  Law Enforcement Operations ($9,279,000) – Expands and completes a statewide system that provides law enforcement agencies with secure access to regional crime data and counter-terrorism tools. In addition, funding will provide equipment and training to police and fire departments for regionally managed bomb squad responses. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services will manage the distribution of funds for both initiatives.

Training

OHS coordinates and manages a training program to meet the needs of local and state law enforcement to prevent and respond to terrorist acts. Training opportunities and resources are available at no cost. For more training information contact Janice Cosel at 804.225.4334 or email Janice Cosel.

• State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training Program Train-the-Trainer -This two day is designed to train law enforcement trainers or terrorism investigators who also serve as terrorism instructors. Topics include: Introduction to Terrorism, Domestic Terrorism, Special Interest/Single Interest/Single-issue Terrorism, International Terrorism, Law Enforcement Intelligence, Local Issues, Community Partnerships, Terrorism Indicators, and Officer Safety Issues.
  
  
  • June 17-18, 2009 - Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy
  • Training Location:
    Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy
    14601 Lee Road
    Chantilly, VA 20151
  
  
  • Registration:
    Class size is limited, so please register early to reserve your space. Complete the registration form online at http://www.iir.com/registration/SLATT Use the following information when registering:
    
    User Name: SLATTTRAIN1
    Password: va617attraining
    
    Once your registration is received and accepted, IIR staff will e-mail a confirmation memo. For security reasons, only those individuals having a confirmed advance registration will be admitted to the workshop, and no registration will be admitted at the door. Department identification will be required at check-in. For questions regarding registration, call IIR 800.446.0912, extension 266 or 362.
    
    Hosted by: Fairfax Criminal Justice Academy
    Cohosted by: Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC) United State Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
    
    
• Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Awareness Training for First Responders
  

  This training will provide the participants a comprehensive overview of IEDs. The course will include IED anatomy, types, response guidelines, and history. This six and half hour course is designed for a small audience of first responders and will afford an opportunity for qualified instructors and agency staff to capture student feedback and make modifications to the instructor and student guides as necessary. Click here to register
  
  - June 10, 2009 - Harrisonburg, VA
  
  - June 24, 2009 - Richmond, VA
  

Free Training

• The Office of State and Local Training of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), a component of the Department of Homeland Security, offers low cost and no cost training to state, local, campus, and tribal law enforcement officers. Training is available by request through the FLETC Website.

Planning

Law Enforcement Command Advisory Group (LCAG)

The LCAG meets a need identified by police chiefs and sheriffs during the January 2007 Stakeholders’ Meeting for a law enforcement leadership group to convene regularly, focusing on four primary objectives:

• promote and sustain intra- and interregional communication and collaboration;



• develop a coordinated security and preparedness strategy;



• provide a forum for law enforcement needs and concerns to be heard across a broad spectrum, and;



• define regional and statewide objectives that require federal or state funds. The LCAG is not intended to replace or duplicate any current organization but rather to enhance the capability of the law enforcement community to speak the same message with its many voices.

LCAG Chairman: Charlie Phelps, Sheriff of Isle of Wight County
LCAG Vice Chairman: Phil Broadfoot, City of Danville Chief of Police

Download an overview of the Law Enforcement Advisory Group (.ppt, 7 slides)

Supplemental Emergency Assistance for Local Law Enforcement Agencies

Developed as a result of our findings during a recent gap analysis of state level planning, this Fact Sheet (.pdf, 5 pages) serves as a concise reminder of resources available to support local law enforcement agencies and provides tips on how to obtain those assets.

National Incident Management System (NIMS) Compliance

Compliance Tips

NIMS implementation tips are published weekly by the NIMS Integration Center and are available at http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/nims_compliance.shtm.

Guidance and Resources

• Virginia officially adopts NIMS: Executive Order 102 (.pdf, 5 pages).



• FY 2008 NIMS Compliance Objectives and Metrics for Local Governments (.pdf, 34 pages)



• Document developed by the DCJS Office of Homeland Security to define the NIMS training compliance requirements for Virginia’s local law enforcement agencies (.pdf, 2 pages)



• Resource Typing Definitions for Law Enforcement

Incident Command System (ICS) Forms

• The most commonly used ICS forms are available here (.pdf, 15 pages).



• An electronic ICS forms program is available at this link.

Job Aid

The Commonwealth of Virginia ICS Job Aid, a joint effort of the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Emergency Management, with over 25,000 copies distributed to date, has proven to be highly popular as well as useful among Virginia’s emergency response community. It has been copied by nine other states and is the foundation for the DHS version currently under development. Copies are available in any DCJS sponsored ICS course or by contacting our office.

Contact Information

Sam Hoffman is Coordinator of the OHS program. He may be reached at 804.225.3899 or by e-mail. The address for OHS is as follows:

Office of Homeland Security
Department of Criminal Justice Services
Law Enforcement Services Section
1100 Bank Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219