Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Division of

In the context of the early years of the Cold War, as American forces were engaged in a war against communist North Korea and the country braced for a potential attack by the Soviet Union, civil defense became a significant focus at both the federal and state levels. In 1951, a year after the U.S. government passed the Federal Civil Defense Act, New York State crafted its own legislation known as the Defense Emergency Act (Chapter 784, and amended by Chapters 785 and 786). The law established the State Civil Defense Commission to prepare the state and its citizens in case of attack, and to coordinate statewide defense planning efforts.

The commission was transferred to the Department of Transportation in 1971 (Chapter 73), and some of its functions were dispersed to other agencies. In 1973 (Chapter 931), the commission was transferred to the Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA), with its former functions reinstated and with the additional responsibility for coordinating statewide disaster planning. By the late 1970s, lawmakers had recognized the need to not only broaden disaster preparedness from civil defense to include all man-made and natural disasters, but also to incorporate other government and private entities in planning efforts.

In this vein, the Disaster Preparedness Commission (Executive Law, Art. 2-B; L. 1978, Ch. 640, 641) was formed within the Executive Department to prepare and review disaster preparedness plans; coordinate state disaster response efforts with those of the federal government, local governments, and private agencies; and provide for "periodic briefings, drills, exercises or other means" to ensure that all officials were prepared to carry out their responsibilities during an emergency. Article 2-B also provided the groundwork for the formation of the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), which in 1983 took over the disaster preparedness functions previously handled by DMNA (Executive Order No. 32). SEMO was designed as the administrative arm of the Disaster Preparedness Commission, and its mission was to provide emergency management services to state agency, local, and private sector entities. These services included statewide disaster planning, training and exercise activities, as well as response, recovery, and mitigation assistance.

SEMO did not possess its own response force, but rather coordinated the resources of multiple agencies when responding to disasters such as the World Trade Center attack in 2001. Through SEMO, New York City received assistance from 5,000 National Guard troops and 500 state troopers, as well as from federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation personnel, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), and crisis counselors. SEMO also distributed state disaster public assistance funds to surviving families and local governments affected by the 9/11 attacks. 

As a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the New York State Office of Public Security (OPS) was created by executive order on October 10, 2001. The office was to assess the potential for terrorist attacks and the ability of the state to avert and or respond to threats. On July 23, 2004, the agency was codified and renamed the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). From January 2007- July 2010, the agency reported directly to the governor through the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety. In July 2010, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services was created through the consolidation of OHS, SEMO, Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC), the Statewide Interoperability Program (SIPO), and Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC). The consolidation allows the state to operate a single, multi-purpose agency focused on first responders and public safety. Each former office's specialized function continued to be supported under the new umbrella agency.