ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a brief first look at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It provides a first look at state homeland security and emergency management structures. The intent was to include within the DHS all of the federal organizations that had a primary responsibility for homeland security and the sharing of domestic intelligence in order to facilitate communication, policies, strategies, tactics, and control among them. The chapter provides a brief look at three distinct segments within the department: the Office of the Secretary (OS), key components and agencies, and advisory panels and committees. There are seven independent agencies that are clearly integral to the DHS, each with law enforcement authority. The seven independent agencies are: US Customs and Border Protection, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Secret Service, US Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
