NJ Homeland Security and Preparedness
NJ Homeland Security and Preparedness
Mission Statement
The
executive order defines the Office of Homeland Security and
Preparedness’ mission as being responsible “to administer, coordinate,
lead, and supervise New Jersey’s counter-terrorism and preparedness
efforts.” The executive order also set the office’s goal as coordination
of “emergency response efforts across all levels of government, law
enforcement, emergency management, nonprofit organizations, other
jurisdictions, and the private sector, to protect the people of New
Jersey.”
Vision Statement
A
state prepared to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover
from the full spectrum of destructive and injurious consequences
resulting from acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and technological
emergencies.
Who We Are
The
Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness is an office created by
Executive Order 5 (Corzine) in March of 2006 after a bi-partisan
Homeland Security and Public Safety Transition Policy Group submitted
their recommendations to the incoming Governor.
The
Office is led by Director Charles McKenna and comprised of two
Divisions, the Division of Operations and Division of Preparedness, and
eight bureaus. The Office is primarily housed in Hamilton with a
satellite office in Newark.
The Office is designated as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for all federal homeland security and preparedness funding.
What We Do
This
Office has one shared focus – strengthening our state – through a
partnership with individual citizens, the private sector, and state and
local partners – in the face of many threats and hazards from terrorists
to natural disasters. We have taken an all-hazards approach in the
discharge of our duties. Our Counter-terrorism efforts are fully
integrated with the NJ State Police, local law enforcement agencies and
the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). However, Preparedness
Planning, Critical Infrastructure protection and Grants management
efforts are exclusively centralized in the Office.
This
Office helps to direct prevention, detection, protection, response, and
recovery planning, not only at the state level, but also at the
regional and national levels with our varied partners. In addition to
coordinating our efforts with other state agencies, we have a critical
role in the national and regional arenas to help shape state and
inter-state homeland security policy and practices.
This
Office oversees the New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task
Force (P.L. 2001, c. 246), the state’s multi-agency cabinet-level policy
body for homeland security, counter-terrorism and preparedness issues.
The director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness serves
as the Task Force’s chair. As such, OHSP is responsible for directing
the state’s preparedness efforts.
The
State Police continues to operate the Office of Emergency Management.
The Superintendent of the State Police dual reports to the Attorney
General and to the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and
Preparedness on matters related to homeland security, preparedness, and
the Office of Emergency Management.
While
OHSP has responsibility for overseeing statewide emergency response
coordination, the NJOEM continues as the state’s primary operational
agency in terms of managing the consequences of emergencies and the
post-event response to emergencies.
Copyright © State of New Jersey, 2009-2011
found in the State of New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness website
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