41-4254. Department duties

The department shall:

1. Formulate policies, plans and programs to enhance the ability of this state to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism and other critical hazards.

2. Develop a statewide homeland security strategy.

3. Request appropriations or grants of monies for homeland security purposes.

4. Provide to the senior advisory committee members a summary of the amount of federal homeland security monies requested by this state for each grant program.

5. Receive all awards granted to this state by the federal government for homeland security purposes and provide to the senior advisory committee members a list of the allocations of federal homeland security grants to this state along with the project title and the amount of each subgrantee award.

6. Distribute monies to local jurisdictions and other organizations eligible under federal regulations based on criteria in the statewide homeland security strategy and federal grant guidelines.

7. Coordinate with other state and federal agencies to publish a guide for grantees that receive homeland security monies. The guide shall ensure that monies distributed by the department:

(a) Are coordinated across all levels of government.

(b) Avoid duplication of grant awards.

(c) Eliminate security gaps in every level of government.

8. Conduct preparedness training exercises to put state disaster plans into practice and identify shortcomings in the plans.

9. Assist in the development of regional response plans, including collaborative efforts with other states.

10. Partner with and involve the private sector in preparedness efforts.