The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) most important mission it to protect the American people. As part of this mission, DHS fosters collaboration between the private sector and the public sector to mitigate risk and enhance the security and resilience of public gathering sites and special events.
DHS provides expert counsel and recommendations on protective measures that organizations of all sizes can implement to protect facilities and venues. These tools and resources are offered free to communities because the Department recognizes that communities are the first line of defense in keeping the public safe and secure.
CISA’s Hometown Security program provides access to tools and resources to support community security and resilience; DHS recognizes that communities are the first line of defense in keeping the public safe and secure. For more resources to help be prepared, visit the products below.
- Personal Security Considerations fact sheet encourages critical infrastructure owners and their personnel to remain vigilant and report suspicious behavior that individuals may exhibit in order to thwart an attack.
- Pathway to Violence – Warning Signs and What You Can Do explains warning signs that may lead to violence and what individuals can do to mitigate a potential incident.
- Employee Vigilance Through the Power of Hello promotes employee vigilance to empower employees to observe and evaluate suspicious behaviors, mitigate potential risk, and obtain help when necessary.
- Protecting Infrastructure During Public Demonstrations provides security recommendations for infrastructure owners and operators who may encounter unlawful acts during public demonstrations.
- Suspicious or Unattended poster provides a process to safely determine if an item is a serious threat or just unattended.
- Bomb Threat Guidance provides site decision-makers with pre-threat preparation, threat assessment considerations, staff response guidelines, and evacuation and shelter-in-place considerations.
- Vehicle-Borne IED Identification – Parked Vehicles assists in recognizing potential indicators of a suspicious parked vehicle.
Securing Soft Targets and Crowded Places
Soft targets and crowded places are increasingly appealing to terrorists and other extremist actors because of their relative accessibility and the large number of potential targets. This challenge is complicated by the prevalent use of simple tactics and less sophisticated attacks.
Connect, Plan, Train, Report
The Department encourages businesses to Connect, Plan, Train, and Report. Applying these four steps in advance of an incident or attack can help better prepare businesses and their employees to proactively think about the role they play in the safety and security of their businesses and communities.
School Safety and Security
This page offers a starting place for DHS documents, resources and tools related to school safety and security.
Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP)
The mission of the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) is to protect life and critical infrastructure by building capabilities within the general public and across the public and private sectors to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate bombing incidents.
Employee Vigilance - Power of Hello
Industries face a variety of threats, both internal and external, from hostile governments, terrorist groups, disgruntled employees and malicious introducers. Alert employees can spot suspicious activity and report it. The power is in the employee, citizen, patron, or any person who can observe and report.
Faith Based Organizations - Houses of Worship
As citizens of all faiths come together to worship, engage in religious and social gatherings, and participate in community events safety and security should always be a part of the planning process. This page offers focused resources and tools designed to improve FBO-HOW safety and security.