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

• No Match Grants. Grant award letters under the 2007 Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program are scheduled for release the first week of May 2008. These grants will complete the computer evidence recovery unit project begun with the 2006 funding and the purchase of 3 bomb robots. The remainder of the grant focuses on the expansion of regional criminal information sharing systems; details of this opportunity are available at http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/common/memo.cfm?code=2 &memoid=260.



• Training Manager. The Office of Homeland Security welcomes the newest member of our team, Ms. Janice Cosel, who joins us as our Homeland Security Training Manager. Janice has an extensive background in training management and is heavily engaged in developing a training program that meets the needs of the Commonwealth’s law enforcement community. She welcomes your training issues at janice.cosel@dcjs.virginia.gov or (804) 225-4334.



• 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 http://www.fletc.gov/osl.

Law Enforcement 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)

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 VDEM or DCJS sponsored ICS course or by contacting our office.

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.

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
202 N. 9th Street, 10th Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219