Homeland Security

Major Richard Hunton

Mission

Prevent, protect from, respond to and recover from terrorism and associated crime as well as mitigate, respond to and recover from natural and manmade hazards while building resilient communities.

Vision

A safe, secure and thriving South Carolina that effectively addresses Homeland Security issues in South Carolina and assists other states when asked and as appropriate.

Annually, the SLED Office of Homeland Security supports Homeland Security capability development by providing grants, guidance, equipment, training and exercises for Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, and Emergency Management organizations, benefitting communities across the state (Churches, Schools, Units of Government, Citizen Organizations, and other entities).

It also provides risk assessments to determine where best to invest resources and build capabilities. Key investment areas include the development and sustainment of the State’s 37 Homeland Security Regional Response Teams (WMD SWAT, Bomb, HazMat; Regional Medical Assistance Teams, Incident Management Teams, Urban Search and Rescue, Collapse Search and Rescue Teams); A statewide emergency responder communications system including 80,000 users; The standup & support of the SC Cyber-security program; the Statewide Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources (CI/KR) Program; Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)/Counterterrorism Training Coordination; Statewide Active Shooter / Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (AS/CCTA) Program; The standup & support of SC State Fusion Center; Statewide Emergency Responder badging/credentialing coordination and oversight program, including 40,000 responders. The Office of Homeland Security also supports the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), Project SeaHawk and emergency management activities statewide.

Choose from the following:

Contacts

Training Information

National Incident Management System & Credentialing

SLED Critical Infrastructure & Key Resources Protection Activity

Statewide Interoperable Communications

Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack Program

Threat/Hazard Risk Assessment Process

Grants

Contacts

Office of Homeland Security

Major Richard Hunton

SC State Administrative Agency (SAA)

Regional Homeland Security Coordinators

Statewide Active Shooter / Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack Program

Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources (CI/KR)

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

Training Point of Contact (TPOC)

Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC)

If you have questions regarding:
1. Immigration, please call: 1-800-375-5283
2. Reporting suspicious activities, Click to report suspicious activities or call (803) 896-7133
3. Department of Homeland Security Operator, please call: 202-282-8000

Training Information

Individuals interested in DHS training need to review the appropriate Catalogue on the Web (i.e. for NTED training go to:  https://cdp.dhs.gov/training/consortium/ and https://www.firstrespondertraining.gov/frts/npccatalog). Once this is done, please follow the guidelines specified in the relevant catalogue and complete/submit the required Training Form. For questions or additional information, please contact the Training POC for the State, Major Richard Hunton, 803-896-4698

Training Documents

Grant Program Training Form

National Incident Management System & Credentialing

FEMA NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System: This publication establishes guidance and tools to assist authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) in developing processes for qualifying, certifying, and credentialing deployable emergency personnel. 

FEMA supplemental guide for Qualification Review Boards (QRB): This publication describes the principles of a QRB and provides recommendations and practices to help an AHJ establish or enhance a QRB. This publication can either be used a primary or a supplemental tool to help and AHJ establish its own qualification process.  

State Credentialing SOP: This publication provides guidance on qualification, credentialing and access to our database of record (Salamander) for credentials and badges. 

Access forms for Salamander, the Salamander Database of Record.

This link is to the FEMA website that provides access to an online catalogue of national resource typing definitions and positions qualifications criteria Resource Typing Library Tool - RTLT

This link provides access to published position tasks books from FEMA National Qualification System Position Task Books | FEMA.gov

NIMS Documents

2017 NIMS NQS Gruidline

2019 NIMS NQS Supplemental Guide

2018 Credentialing SOP

Coordinator Access Application

User Application / Update

Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Program

The mission of the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CI/KR) program is to provide information, guidance, and recommendations to reduce risk to South Carolina’s CI/KR. It ensures South Carolina’s Critical Infrastructure Key Resource Protection Plan is supportive of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and the SC Strategy for Homeland Security. The SC/KR program provides a mechanism to facilitate broad public and private sector partnering and cooperation to identify, prioritize, protect, and improve resiliency of South Carolina’s CIKR assets, systems, and networks against all hazards.

Statewide Interoperable Communications

South Carolina has made significant strides in achieving interoperability across the State through the development of its shared statewide 800 megahertz (MHz) trunked radio system. Homeland security funds have been used across the State to enhance this statewide radio network. Commonly referred to as the "Palmetto 800," the South Carolina system has continued to grow and today is P25 compliant and is one of the largest shared, statewide radio networks in the nation with over 80,000 users.   This system as well as interoperable communications training and guidance for statewide operations is supported by the Office of Homeland Security, the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator and the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee.  Their Homeland Security provided website is located at the following link: www.interoperability.sc.gov

SLED Active Shooter / Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (AS/CCTA) Program

The AS and CCTA Training Program provided training for more than 114,100 emergency responders and citizens by the end of calendar year 2022. This includes more than 3,470 training courses for active shooter (AS) and complex coordinated terrorist attack (AS/CCTA) situations. We expect to continue training at this same rate during 2023. This is being done in coordination with over 1500 (up from 1200) local community (i.e. churches, businesses), county and state government agency partners. This includes training in 17 different states across the nation. Classes range from active shooter awareness & Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE), to Stop the Bleed and AS/CCTA Dispatcher Training. In 2023, the program will continue to offer more than 20 different AS/CCTA courses, with new additions to training including active violence training for the special needs community, revisions to all reunification training materials, single officer response classes, and an entirely new active shooter for telecommunications personnel training class.

Threat/Hazard Risk Assessment Process

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified 32 core capabilities useful in reducing the threat, vulnerability and/or consequence of all hazards. The Office of Homeland Security performs an annual statewide Threat Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR) every year. This process is managed by the Homeland Security Advisor to the Governor (HSA), in conjunction with the State Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC). Once the THIRA/SPR process is completed the Office of Homeland Security will review and/or update the Homeland Security Strategy. The relative expenditure on assets to mitigate the risk drives the Homeland Security investment in capabilities. Authorized jurisdictions and agencies may receive a copy of the Strategy for Official Use Only.

Grants

The SLED/Office of Homeland Security is currently the DHS/FEMA designated State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the following grants:

1. Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)—inclusive of the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP);
2. State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP);
3. Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG);
4. Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP).

Obtaining HSGP, SLCGP and NSGP Application Forms:
To obtain grant application forms for the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program or the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), please contact Bob Connell at rconnell@sled.sc.gov.  The application process typically starts on or around February or March for the HSGP and NSGP programs.

The 1st phase of the SLCGP process will include the SAA in conjunction with a Cybersecurity Planning Committee developing a Statewide Cybersecurity Strategic Plan. The 2nd phase of applications to support the implementation of the Statewide Cybersecurity Strategic Plan will begin upon DHS approval of the Plan (during 2023).

Please click on the following link for a Memo from Chief Keel providing guidance on next steps as of 21 November 2022 on the SLCGP: LCGP (Memo 11-21-22 from Chief Keel).

The eligible recipient of these grants is the State Administrative Agency (SAA, which is SLED in South Carolina).  For the HSGP, eligible subrecipients (city, county & state agencies/departments, and nonprofit organizations (with 501C3 status)) will send their applications to SLED.  For the SLCGP, eligible subrecipients (county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization; and a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity) will send their applications to SLED.  For the NSGP, eligible subrecipients (nonprofit organizations (501C3 status) with a high risk of being attacked by terrorists) also send their applications to SLED to be compiled and provided to the Federal government in accordance with the guidance referenced below: 
1) For the HSGP visit https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/homeland-security. 
2) For the NSGP visit https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/nonprofit-security.  
3) For the SLCGP visit https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/state-local-cybersecurity-grant-program

Upcoming Webinars for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) (see below):

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) invites nonprofit organizations to participate in upcoming webinars regarding the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The NSGP provides funding support through a competitive process for facility hardening and other security enhancements to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack and promotes emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration between public and private community representatives, as well as state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
FEMA is committed to providing quality customer service to all nonprofit organization stakeholders, including socially vulnerable, underserved, and under-represented communities. With this goal in mind, GPD is offering the following informational NSGP webinars for all nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about the FY 2023 NSGP priorities, eligibility, and application process.
For all attendees, it is strongly recommended that you review the existing NSGP resources available at https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/nonprofit-security prior to the webinar, particularly the “How to Apply” section of the NSGP Subapplicant Quick Start Guide. These resources are intended to assist readers in understanding the program and requirements in plain language. Familiarity with this material will improve attendees’ experience in the upcoming webinars.
All sessions will be the same and will cover:
· Program Overview
· Key Changes from FY22 to FY23
· Application Process Overview
· Key Tools and Resources
· Question and Answer

Webinar Schedule and Registration Links
Date	Time (ET)	Adobe Connect Registration Link
2/16/23	2 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/eaofu8grlixq/event/registration.html
3/3/23	2 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/e0okt2l6pelq/event/registration.html
3/8/23	3 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/e77z9cq39nur/event/registration.html
3/30/23	3 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/e74ri6jsemnb/event/registration.html
4/4/23	2 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/ezrhgk10r3uz/event/registration.html
4/25/23	3 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/ecqkgfqfajjp/event/registration.html
5/4/23	2 PM	https://fema.connectsolutions.com/en4bo833pqur/event/registration.html
Note: Following registration, you will receive a calendar invitation for the webinar. The link to join the webinar is contained in that calendar event email. It may take time for this email to arrive – please wait following registration and be sure to check your junk/spam folders.

Click a section below for Grant Documents

Federal Guidelines to the SSA / SLED Office of Homeland Security
State Guidelines
Grant Forms

South Carolina OHS Grants Management System Website:

https://www.southcarolinadhs.com/

This site is available to all those who received a grant from the SC OHS.

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