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Homeland Security 5 Year Anniversary 2003 - 2008, One Team, One Mission Securing the Homeland

Fact Sheet: Critical Infrastructure and Homeland Security Protection Accomplishments

Release Date: September 5, 2008

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads efforts to strengthen the nation and help reduce the risk to our critical infrastructures and key resources (CIKR) posed by all hazards through coordinated strategies that enables national preparedness, timely response, and rapid recovery in the event of an attack, natural disaster, or other emergency.

Overall Accomplishments

  • Since FY 2002, DHS has provided nearly $3 billion in critical infrastructure grants to the states to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks, natural disaster, or other emergency.  In FY 2005 the states received more than $344 million in grant funding.  In FY 2006 they received grants totaling more than $171 million.  In FY 2007 again more than $171 million and in FY 2008 the states received grants totaling more than $48 million.
  • Developed the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), a coordinated strategy that defines CIKR protection roles and responsibilities for federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector security partners. The NIPP sets national priorities, goals, and requirements for effective distribution of resources which will enable our government, economy, and public services continue in the event of a terrorist attack or other disaster.
  • Developed 17 Sector-Specific Plans (SSPs) supporting the NIPP; and Sector CIKR Protection Annual Reports, identifying sector-level security goals, objectives, and implementing activities.
  • Development and implemented the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) regulatory program to secure national high-risk chemical facilities.  Over 30,000 potentially high-risk chemical facilities have already completed consequence assessments under this program.
  • Provided 136 Surveillance Detection (3,611 participants), 356 Soft Target Awareness (10,025 participants), and 53 IED Awareness (1,660 participants) training courses to law enforcement and private sector audiences to enhance awareness of terrorist planning or staging activities.
  • Conducted Vulnerability Assessments visits (Buffer Zone Plans, Site Assistance Visits, and Enhanced Critical Infrastructure Protection [ECIP] Assessments) to identify vulnerabilities and enhance security in collaboration with federal, state, local and private sector stakeholders.
    • Developed 2,575 Buffer Zone Plans at nationally critical sites since 2004 and provided more than $250 million in grants to local law enforcement to enhance security;
    • Conducted 857 Site Assistance Visits since 2004;
    • Conducted 288 ECIP Assessments since 2003, identified vulnerabilities, and provided protective measures to 288 high priority CIKR;
    • Conducted Nuclear Facility Security Comprehensive Reviews (CRs) at all commercial nuclear power facilities in the United States (65)
    • Conducted 6 Regional Chemical CRs.
  • Supported over 400 National Special Security Events (NSSEs) and Special Event Activity Rating (SEAR) events.  Conducted vulnerability assessments, risk mitigation training protective measures, and asset and event protection planning to support events such as Super Bowl XLII, 2008 U.S. Papal Visit, United Nations General Assembly, and the North American Leadership Summit.
  • Provided ICEPIC (Immigration and Customs Enforcement Pattern Analysis and Information Collection System) Training in support of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to the SAC offices of St. Paul and Denver.  ICEPIC provided the Fusion Center, SAC, and JTTF personnel the capability to review individuals requesting access to the conventions.

Technology Enhancements

  • Deployed to 29 States the Constellation/Automated Critical Asset Management System (C/ACAMS), a Web-enabled information services portal that helps state and local governments build critical protection programs in their local jurisdictions. ACAMS is a secure, online database and database management platform that allows for the collection and management of CIKR asset data; the cataloguing, screening and sorting of this data; the production of tailored infrastructure reports; and the development of a variety of pre- and post-incident response plans useful to strategic and operational planners and tactical commanders.
  • Provided 2,018 State and local users with increased analytical capabilities for CIKR and the ability to view geospatial CIKR data. 

Strengthening Partnerships

  • Developed and executed the Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative (CFDI) which extends our protection strategy overseas to include important foreign infrastructure that if attacked or destroyed would critically impact the U.S.  The prioritized National Critical Foreign Dependencies List (NCFDL) currently contains over 300 assets and systems in over 50 countries.
  • Created the Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCIS) to provide a forum and sector alliances to address sector interdependencies, nurture regional integration on CIKR issues, and provide proactive leadership in cross-sector emergency readiness and response efforts.
  • Created the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council (SLTTGCC) to fully incorporate state, local, tribal and territorial government (SLTT) perspectives and interests into CIKR related National plans and Federal planning efforts.
  • Conducted 702 capability analyses of State and local bombing prevention units in 2008 (i.e., bomb squads, dive teams, canine units, and SWAT teams); 56 percent of bomb squads have been fully assessed; 175 assessments (37%) of the nation’s public safety bomb squads are being completed each year. It is anticipated that initial assessments of the 472 total State and local bomb squads will be complete by October 2009.
  • Developed with DOJ and other interagency partners the HSPD-19 Report to the President and supporting Implementation Plan — the first national strategy to fill identified gaps and improve capabilities to combat terrorist use of explosives in the United States.
  • Support Fusion Centers across the country to share information vertically and horizontally across all levels of government maximizing the chance that we will connect the dots before any attack on U.S. interests or U.S. persons is executed.
    • To date, DHS has deployed 22 intelligence officers across the country to state and local fusion centers with the goal to have 35 officers by the end of FY 2008.  Additionally, DHS plans to have 40 centers connected to the Intelligence Community via Homeland Security Data Network (HSDN) by the end of FY 2008 – HSDN is a SECRET network for communicating classified information.

Improving Preparedness, Security and Response

  • Conducted international vulnerability assessments in Canada, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago:
    • In support of Smart Border Accords of 2001 and Security and Prosperity Partnership of 2005 between U.S. and Canada, cross-border vulnerability assessments were conducted on 20 energy sector sites, 5 chemical sector sites, 2 dam sector sites, and 2 public health sector facilities;
    • Starting on January 2006, cross-border vulnerability assessments were conducted in Mexico on 5 energy sector sites and 2 dam sector sites with support from the Department of Energy, Government of Mexico, and the private sector owner/operators;
    • In January 2008, conducted liquefied natural gas (LNG) assessments in Trinidad and Tobago as part of an interagency team including Department of Energy, Homeland Security, Defense, State, and the Coast Guard, and representatives from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Initiated vulnerability assessment of metro areas with concentrated CIKR (i.e., Lower Manhattan Security Initiative; D.C. Metroplex Initiative).
  • Conducting first system-based Comprehensive Review for the California State Water System; examining 40 critical nodes vital to supplying water to the entire State.
  • Coordinated DHS implementation activities under HSPD-22, Domestic Chemical Defense.  HSPD-22 establishes a national policy and directs actions to strengthen the ability of the U.S. to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks employing toxic chemicals and other chemical incidents.
  • Published a library of 11 “on-the shelf” National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) hurricane analyses, covering the entire U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts, in order to identify CIKR, population, and economics impacts of future storms, enhance preparation and mitigation efforts in major population centers, and serve as a reference for DHS HQ and State and Local Emergency Operation Centers.
  • Manage risk and strengthen our nation’s rail and transit systems by providing more than $348 million to state and local partners for transit security; developed training for various teams including law enforcement personnel, canine teams, and inspection personnel to help deter and protect against potential terrorist actions; developed and tested new technologies such as a number of screening techniques and technologies which could be implemented or deployed quickly to systems facing a specific threat, or in support of major events such as National Security Special Events (NSSEs); and performing thousands of critical security assessments of systems across the country to determine best practices, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities across the nation.

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This page was last reviewed/modified on September 5, 2008.