The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), created after 9/11, is the largest reorganization of the U.S. government after World War II. No doubt, a critical moment in our nation’s history required a significant response, but outside of wait lines at the airport, the target of late night TV sarcasm, or the images of Hurricane Katrina or Sandy, how much do you know about the homeland security enterprise? Do you know the role of local police officers, public health planners, hospitals, and school officials in your state, county or town?

Homeland security goes beyond the federal powers and jurisdictions of the federal government and DHS itself. Under DHS falls the responsibilities for developing and carrying out immigration policy, border protection, emergency management, and disaster preparedness. Through DHS components such as Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), DHS is responsible for developing policy and deploying personnel throughout the United States and the world to implement policies and operations to secure the U.S. homeland. DHS also manages grant programs for state and local entities to include emergency services, public health campaigns, fire, and law enforcement, to support state and local efforts that are critical to prevention of not only terrorist acts, but prevention, protection, and response to fire, flooding, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

Homeland security goes beyond the federal government’s so called “watchful eye” and is a complex but also delicate network of capabilities, information, assets, and most importantly, people. One may get lost in the “ABCs” of agencies and acronyms that make up the homeland security enterprise, from CIS, ICE, USCG, TSA, FDNY, NYPD, CPD, etc., each agency and entity has a specific mission, scope, and critical security capability. But these agencies also work together within the complex network that is homeland security, with oftentimes overlapping issues and complimentary capabilities that are required to ensure the safety and security of the American public. Knowing and understanding these complexities helps increase the ability to participate and overcome one of the most critical threats to our security, public complacency and indifference.

You, the citizen, are one of the most critical nodes in the network that is the homeland security enterprise and participating through public service, civil engagement, open dialogue, and individual preparedness and awareness, serves to increase the capacity and capability of homeland security professionals. Those men and women who serve every day to mitigate, prevent, and respond to threats in our most difficult of times. Those men and women are your friends, neighbors, and family.

Take the time to be informed, understand the relationships that comprise homeland security, and how privacy, healthcare, law enforcement, terrorism, as well events at home and abroad overlap and create seams that homeland security must recognize and address. #ExploreTheSeams