Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security

Updated on Dec 12, 2023

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Formed May 2004		Employees 20 (FY15)

Preceding agency Office of the Interim Director of Homeland Security Headquarters P.O. Box 11415 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73136 Agency executive Kim Edd Carter, Director Website www.homelandsecurity.ok.gov/

The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security (OKOHS) is an agency of State of Oklahoma that is responsible for reducing the State's vulnerability to acts of terrorism and for minimizing and recovering the damage caused by terrorist attacks. OKOHS is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.

The Office is headed by a Director of Homeland Security who is appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma. The inaugural Director, Kerry Pettingill, was appointed by Governor Brad Henry in January 2004. On February 10, 2011, Governor Mary Fallin appointed Kim Edd Carter as the second Director of OKOHS.

History

Recognizing the need for coordinated preparedness and security efforts after September 11, 2001, Governor Frank Keating issued an executive order calling for the creation of the Interim Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security. In February, 2002, the Oklahoma Legislature passed Senate Joint Resolution 42 and the Oklahoma Interim Office of Homeland Security was formally created. In January 2004, Governor Brad Henry sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designating the Office as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) - the single state agency responsible for the delivery of federal homeland security training, equipment funding and technical assistance. In April, 2004, the Legislature passed House Bill 2280 - the Oklahoma Homeland Security Act. Governor Brad Henry signed the bill and formally created the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security.

Objectives

The strategic objectives of the Office, as established in state statute, are:

To prevent terrorist attacks

To reduce vulnerability to terrorism

To minimize the damage from and to recover from terrorist attacks

Such other duties as the Governor may prescribe.

Followings its creation, Governor Brad Henry designated the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security as the State Administrative Agency of all United States Department of Homeland Security grant programs funds.

Leadership

According to the Oklahoma Homeland Security Act, the Governor of Oklahoma is the chief officer of OKOHS. The Governor is responsible for appointing a Director of Homeland Security to oversee the day-to-day operations of OKOHS. The current Director of Homeland Security is Kim Edd Carter, who was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin in February 2011.

Director Carter a veteran of law enforcement with more than 32 years of experience. Carter served as the fusion center coordinator and program manager for information sharing at the OKOHS before his appointment. Before joining the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security in 2007, Carter spent 26 years with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. During his tenure at OSBI, he achieved the rank of assistant director of the investigative division where he managed more than 100 employees, including law enforcement officers and civilian employees. Prior to joining OSBI, Carter was a patrol officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Organization

The Oklahoma Homeland Security Act outlined OKOHS's strategic objectives which are to:

Prevent a terrorist attack in Oklahoma;

Reduce Oklahoma's vulnerability to terrorist attack; and

Minimize the damage from and respond to a terrorist attack should one occur.

The duties of the office also include:

Developing and implementing a comprehensive statewide homeland security strategy;

Planning and implementing a statewide response system;

Administering the homeland security advisory system;

Coordinating, applying for and distributing federal homeland security grant funds; and

Implementing national homeland security plans.

The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security is not intended to be an additional layer of bureaucratic red tape within state government. The focus of the office is singular by design - terrorism by means of a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive (CBRNE) device. There are other state agencies with staff that are qualified and trained in their specific area whether it is agriculture, natural disasters or public health. OKOHS functions as a coordinating entity between those agencies to avoid duplication of efforts and conserve limited state and federal resources.

Divisions

Administration

Awareness & Preparedness

Grants & Finance

Interoperable Communications Planning

Prevention & Intelligence

Response & Recovery Planning

State Fusion Center

The Office of Homeland Security is responsible for overseeing the State's Fusion Center. The Fusion Center serves as a central office for the detection, prevention, investigation and response to criminal and terrorist activity. Information collected by the various public safety and law enforcement agencies of the State is reviewed and analysized by the Center. As of 2011, the Center is administratively housed within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

To assist the Office in overseeing the Center, Governor Brad Henry issued Executive Order 2007-41 which established a Governance Board over the Center. As of 2011, the Board is composed of the following members:

References

Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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