Welcome to the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security
The Kentucky Office of Homeland Security carries out multiple missions mandated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as well as the Kentucky General Assembly. For example:
Counterterrorism -- threat and vulnerability assessments; suspicious activity intelligence gathering and analysis; classified information sharing with law-enforcement sources; awareness of anarchist and other groups engaged in unlawful practices; and preventive or mitigative guidance to both the public and private sectors against potential attacks. The key is foreseeability rather than reaction.
Community safety and security -- first responder training; seminars about personal safety; Neighborhood Watch support, management of Eyes & Ears on Kentucky; assistance to Citizen Emergency Response Teams; and guidance against violence for business and industry.
Administrative oversight of the Kentucky Intelligence Fusion Center -- primarily ensuring multi-agency collaboration ranging from KOHS and Kentucky State Police intelligence analysts with GIS capabilities to the Missing and Exploited Child Center to providing secure work areas for various federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies as needed. Additionally, the Center is a 24/7 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet resource for major highway monitoring plus coordination of circumstances regarding acts of nature affecting traffic flow and safety.
The Kentucky e-Warrant program -- innovative technology facilitating and expediting law enforcement's issuances of warrants.
Federal-grant administration -- aiding cities, counties and state agencies in acquiring interoperable communications equipment, victim rescue gear, DHS-approved fire department and EMS equipment and devices essential in helping thwart attacks on infrastructure vital to the security and economic stability of Kentucky and the United States.
Managing The Law Enforcement Protection Program -- providing needed funds for body armor, primary firearms and electronic-control weapons for local police and sheriff's departments in dire financial distress. Money source: Confiscated illegal weapon auctions by KSP only to licensed federal weapons dealers.
Critical infrastructure and buffer zone protection -- Kentucky has targets highly attractive to terrorists bent on destruction or other types of interference. KOHS organizes and directs vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure while lending guidance in countermeasures against volatility. Although particular sites are governmental, often this is a private-public sector venture featuring mutual cooperation.
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Mission Statement |
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"Lead the Commonwealth's coordination and collaboration efforts with public and private preparedness partners to ensure a Ready and Prepared Kentucky."
Click the following link to download our Mission Statement
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Homeland Security Information Network |
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The Homeland Security Information Network was created to interface with existing information-sharing networks to support the diverse Communities of Interest engaged in preventing, protecting from, responding to, and recovering from all threats, hazards, and incidents under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security.
HSIN is uniquely qualifed to meet the missions of DHS and its information-sharing partners because of its ability to support and enhance collaboration among COIs that represent all levels of government including federal, state and local offices.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov/HSIN.
Interested parties can contact Shelby Lawson, Deputy Executive Director of Operations at the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, about becoming a member of the HSIN law-enforcement community. He can be reached at shelby.lawson@ky.gov.
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Recent News |
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Haiti Earthquake Information Number and Web Site
Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti can call 1-888-407-4747 or visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_haiti_info_number.html
Donate Wisely to Haiti Earthquake Victims
Lexington, KY - The devastation left behind from the earthquake that hit Haiti this week is overwhelming. As immediate relief needs are assessed, many Americans are looking for ways to help by donating to a charity that will help.
Your Better Business Bureau warns that fraudulent charities may emerge to try and scam donations from well-meaning Americans. Don't let a con artist fool you into giving money that won't go anywhere near the victims…but line his own pockets.
Your BBB advises you to give with your head as well as with your heart:
Be cautious giving online especially in response to "spam" email. Verify that the source is legitimate other than by following any links.
Donate to groups with "on-the-ground" presence – they have the experience to put your donations to use more quickly and efficiently.
Are you giving directly to an aid group or a third party that will pass it along? If so, make sure the ultimate charity recipient is legitimate and reputable.
Rely on your BBB as a source of information on charities.
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance has a website that can help you research how a charity raises money, uses donations and whether they meet the BBB's 20 voluntary standards of charitable solicitation. It's www.give.org.
If you truly want to help Haitian victims, then give…but give wisely….so you don't fall for it.
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Be a "Don’t Fall for It!" informant! If you have something to share you believe may be a fraudulent offer or scam, please let the BBB know! Call us at (859) 259-1008 or toll-free, 1-800-866-6668, or email us at info@lexbbb.com.
Virtual Job Fair to Expand Cyber Workforce
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the launch of a virtual job fair at www.dhs.gov/cyberjobfair to recruit cybersecurity experts—capitalizing on DHS’ recently acquired authority to recruit and hire up to 1,000 cybersecurity professionals across the Department over the next three years.
“Effective cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between individuals, communities, government and the private sector to protect our cyber networks from terrorism and intrusion,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The virtual job fair will help us recruit top cyber analysts, developers and engineers to serve their country by leading the nation’s defenses against cyber threats.”
Through the virtual job fair, DHS is looking for applicants with experience in cyber risk and strategic analysis; malware/vulnerability analysis; incident response; exercise facilitation and management; vulnerability detection and assessment; intelligence analysis; and cyber-related infrastructure interdependency analysis.
The new hiring authority, which results from a collaborative effort between DHS, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget, streamlines the hiring process to allow the Department to hire up to 1,000 positions over three years across DHS to fulfill critical cybersecurity roles. Although DHS does not anticipate the need to fill all 1,000 positions, this cap reflects the Obama administration’s commitment to building a world-class cyber organization and competing for the nation’s top cybersecurity talent.
Secretary Napolitano announced the new hiring authority in October as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month—a campaign to highlight the steps being taken by the federal government to secure the nation’s cyber infrastructure, systems and networks and educate citizens about guarding against cyber threats at home, work and school.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov/cyberjobfair.
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H1N1 Influenza |
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For the latest information about H1N1 influenza, visit www.flu.gov.
Kentucky Public Health Commissioner William Hacker, M.D., is urging health-care providers and public-health officials to be on the alert for potential cases of swine flu in Kentucky.
For more information on swine flu and updated case counts, visit cdc.gov/swineflu, healthalerts.ky.gov or www.pandemicflu.gov.
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