As a Division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Ohio Homeland Security (OHS) works in collaboration with the Ohio Fusion Center Network (OFCN), State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, as well as federal partners to analyze and share information, raise awareness, identify vulnerabilities and protect against threats. OHS supports developing strategies to prevent, prepare for, and disrupt threats or terrorist acts against critical infrastructure and public safety.

OHS is a collaborative team of cohesive units who share the goal of protecting against acts of extremism, violence, and terrorism. Each OHS unit has specific expertise and resources, ensuring partners receive the most effective coordination towards the unified goal of protecting Ohioans, critical infrastructure, and other key resources.

• Critical Infrastructure Unit: OHS plays a pivotal role in safeguarding critical infrastructure across the state. Central to this effort is the Critical Infrastructure Unit (CIU), which is subdivided into the Infrastructure Protection Unit and the Scrap Metal Unit. Each unit serves a distinct but essential function in enhancing the resilience and security of Ohio’s infrastructure landscape.

  • Infrastructure Protection: The Infrastructure Protection Unit is tasked with developing strong partnerships with owners and operators of critical infrastructure. This unit comprises regional security specialists and intelligence analysts who facilitate information sharing and collaboration. The partnership is reciprocal, where critical infrastructure partners share pertinent information with OHS, and in turn, receive actionable intelligence, alerts, bulletins, trainings, and notifications through the Communication and Information Management System (CIMS). CIMS serves as a vital online portal managed by OHS to disseminate sector-specific information crucial for security preparedness. To access CIMS and benefit from its resources, interested parties can visit CIMS – Application Form (ohio.gov).

  • Key services offered by the Critical Infrastructure Unit are Security and Vulnerability Assessments, provided at no cost to both public and private sector partners. These assessments evaluate physical security measures, emergency preparedness protocols, and vulnerability to various threats. By identifying weaknesses and proposing recommendations, these assessments significantly enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure assets. Moreover, the Infrastructure Protection Unit operates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be deployed for capturing high-resolution imagery and video of critical infrastructure facilities. These UAVs are instrumental in emergency planning, disaster damage assessments, crowd control during large events, and traffic management, thereby bolstering operational efficiency and response capabilities.

  • Scrap Metal Program: The Scrap Metal Program oversees the registration and regulatory compliance of all scrap yards across Ohio. This program maintains a comprehensive registry of all scrap transactions involving the public, which proves invaluable in investigating and curbing scrap metal thefts—a persistent challenge faced by many communities. By ensuring that all scrap yards adhere to administrative standards and regulatory requirements, the Scrap Metal Program mitigates the illicit trade of stolen metal and preserves the integrity of critical infrastructure components like telecommunications cables, utility lines, and transportation infrastructure.

• Education & Outreach Unit: Supports OHS goals by providing training and other educational opportunities as well as conduct outreach to develop and maintain partnerships that can expand and support the OHS mission and the OFCN function and capabilities.

  • Intelligence Liaison Officer (ILO) Program: Established in 2007, the ILO program supports the OFCN by cultivating local, regional, state, and federal partnerships throughout various sectors, enhancing information analysis and intelligence sharing. The ILO network encourages cross sector communication of trending vulnerabilities, concerns, and threats, with the goal of improving Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) and providing actionable intelligence to ILO partners.

  • Ohio Private Public Partnership (OP3): In an effort to serve Ohioans before, during, and after a disaster, the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) created the Ohio Public Private Partnership (OP3) in 2014 to provide the opportunity for state and local government agencies, businesses, associations, Ohio colleges and universities, and non-profits to work collectively as part of the whole community in order to promote business continuity, speed recovery, improve the quality of life, and build a safer Ohio for all its citizens. OP3 aims: to assist public and private sector entities with returning to normal operations in the wake of a disaster by sharing critical information; to provide situational awareness of imminent threats on a need-to-know basis through voluntary information sharing; to build a comprehensive network of public and private partners that jointly collaborate in prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery efforts.

• Private Investigation Security Guard Services (PISGS): PISGS supports OHS by establishing a standard of criteria for the licensing and registration of private investigators and security guards. Additionally, PISGS enforces the laws that govern the industry for the protection and safety of the citizens of Ohio.

• Statewide Terrorism Analysis & Crime Center (STACC): OHS opened the Strategic Analysis & Information Center (SAIC) in 2005 to serve as the state’s primary fusion center. In 2016, OHS and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) merged intelligence and analysis functions with other state and local partners to create the Statewide Terrorism Analysis & Crime Center (STACC). The STACC is co-located with the Ohio EMA Watch Office and state Emergency Operations Center, as well as OSHP’s Watch Desk and Columbus Communications Center. Known as the DPS HUB, this combined operation offers 24/7/365 statewide service.

  • Terrorism Analysis Unit (TAU): OHS TAU was established within the STACC with an emphasis on terrorism related intelligence. The TAU facilitates the collection, analysis and dissemination of intelligence information. Currently the TAU has 7 intelligence analysts and 1 manager. The unit provides first responders, the private sector, and other partners with quick, accurate, actionable intelligence and information.

Ohio Homeland Security stands as a cornerstone in protecting the state’s essential services and facilities. Through strategic partnerships with organizations such as OHIO811, OHS continues to provide resources and assistance to facility owners and operators to safeguard their assets against any threat.