Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security - Organization

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.