DHSEM Mission
The Cook County Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (DHSEM) is responsible for providing a county-wide emergency management system that will integrate all available first responders and their respective departments and resources, key elected and appointed officials and the private sector into a cohesive disaster management team. Under the direction of the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is responsible for the planning and preparedness necessary to coordinate the elements of an effective emergency management program.
Included in this effort are the development, incorporation and implementation of a Cook County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). This Plan addresses the County’s response to extraordinary emergency situations associated with disasters natural or otherwise and terrorist incidents that will provide the highest state of readiness to save the maximum number of lives, protect property and preserve civil government operations.
The key partners of the Cook County DHSEM in fulfilling its mission include:
• The State of Illinois via the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).
• Units of CookCounty government including the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the Cook County
Department of Public Health, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Cook
County Highway Department along with various other Cook County departments are key role
players and assets in this effort.
• The City of Chicago and,
• The existing five suburban local accredited municipal Emergency Management Agencies (Des
Plaines, Evanston, Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Tinley Park)
• All local suburban government law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical services,
emergency management agencies, and public works agencies will also be key participants in a
county-wide emergency or disaster response.
The DHSEM maintains a secure data system listing any Critical Facilities, Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources within CookCounty. This system is capable of being linked, through the use of the county’s GIS system (Geographic Information System ) of modeling and mapping software and technology, to analyze and determine any threats and vulnerabilities that exist in the county.
The DHSEM also maintains and provides a county-wide warning system which is staffed 24/7 by a designated DHSEM duty officer. All threat and vulnerability changes to the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) along with any National Weather Service severe weather bulletins, alerts, watches, and warnings are disseminated through a variety of electronic methods. All notifications are responded to, processed, and disseminated throughout the County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The DHSEM, in coordination with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, will identify priorities and coordinate efforts for the collection and analysis of information obtained from Local, State and Federal Homeland Security regarding threats of terrorism against Cook County and activities of terrorists or terrorist groups within any local jurisdictions or unincorporated area of the county.
The DHSEM will also identify, in coordination with the FBI, Illinois Department of Homeland Security/Illinois Terrorism Task Force, and Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office priorities for collection of intelligence inside Illinois regarding threats of terrorism within Cook County.
Ensure that, to the extent permitted by law, all appropriate and necessary intelligence and law enforcement information relating to homeland security is disseminated to and exchanged among appropriate local and county officials, departments and agencies responsible for homeland security and, where appropriate for reasons of homeland security, promote exchange of such information with and among other local governments, state and private entities.
Through the process of planning and exercising, it is the intent of the Cook County Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management to strengthen the local units of government’s ability to respond to incidents requiring multi-disciplinary response of first responders.
