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.
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 as well as the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC); 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.
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
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
The mission of the SLED Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CI/KR) program is to provide information, guidance, and recommendations to reduce and mitigate risks to South Carolina’s critical infrastructure sectors. The CI/KR program emphasizes the protection of SC’s essential assets, recognizing their consequence of incapacity or loss, and ensuring continuity of key industry resources to maximize resiliency. 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 CI/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 CI/KR assets, systems, and networks against all hazards, whether physical or virtual.
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
The SLED/Office of Homeland Security is currently the DHS/FEMA designated State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the following grants:
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 (SLCGP) or the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), please contact Bob Connell at rconnell@sled.sc.gov.
SLCGP: The application process for the 2023 SLCGP starts 11 July 2024 with solicitation e-mails to multiple organizations. If you have not received an application in an e-mail and desire an application, please click this SLCGP application link to download it (an MS Word Document). Please fill out your application and submit it to rconnell@sled.sc.gov by 19 August 2024, close of business.
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
This site is available to all those who received a grant from the SC OHS.
