Homeland Security and Emergency Management

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 Cook County 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 other various Cook County departments are key role players and assets in this effort.
• The City of Chicago and,
• The existing 4 suburban local accredited municipal Emergency Management Agencies (Des Plaines, Evanston, 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.

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.