DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction State Local Tribal and Territorial Engagement Strategy FY 2022- 2025 (Septembe.pdf

Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Engagement Strategy, FY 2022-2025 September 2021

Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction

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CMWD Office SLTT Engagement Strategy

FY 2022-2025

Table of Contents

I. CWMD Mission Statement

II. CWMD Values

III. CWMD Vision for SLTT Engagement

IV. Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Provide timely and actionable information on current and emerging CBRN and other health security threats

Goal 2: Strengthen and augment SLTT skills and capabilities to deter, detect, disrupt and rapidly respond to CBRN threats to the Homeland

Goal 3: Facilitate coordination of SLTT counter WMD and health-security planning and execution among and between local jurisdictions

I. CWMD Mission Statement

CWMD leads DHS efforts and coordinates with domestic and international partners to safeguard the United States against CBRN and health security threats.

II. CWMD Values

• Vigilance. We are alert to current and emerging threats because we must succeed in helping the Nation stop every WMD attack.

• Innovation. We counter current threats with advanced capabilities while planning for an uncertain future.

• Expertise. Our partners rely on us for mission knowledge, subject matter expertise, and best practices in the highly technical CBRN fields.

III. CWMD Vision for SLTT Engagement

DHS CWMD will assist SLTT communities in safeguarding the Nation from CBRN attacks or incidents through collaborative partnership building, knowledge sharing, and capability development.

CWMD SLTT Engagement Strategy Goals

Goal 1: Provide timely and actionable information on current and emerging CBRN and other health security threats

Goal 2: Strengthen and augment SLTT skills and capabilities to detect, disrupt, deter, and rapidly respond to CBRN threats to the Homeland

Goal 3: Facilitate coordination of SLTT counter WMD and health-security planning and execution among and between local jurisdictions

IV. Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Provide timely and actionable information on current and emerging CBRN and other health security threats.

CWMD, as part of the DHS intelligence enterprise covering CBRN issues, is a critical conduit between the Intelligence Community and SLTT stakeholders. CWMD’s intelligence analysis team monitors global trends in CBRN and other health security and the potential impacts of these trends on the homeland. For instance, through the National Bio-surveillance Integration Center (NBIC), DHS’ relationships to Fusion Centers, and a variety of other mechanisms, appropriate information is provided to SLTT customers. This information is critical to informing SLTT operational readiness levels and can provide early warning of threats and potential incidents, with time enough to act.

Leveraging the DHS risk assessment process, CWMD will work with SLTT officials to create a shared understanding of CBRN and health security risks and will spread knowledge about how best to counter risks posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD) at the SLTT level. This will help community officials ask the right questions and apply national or global trends to their communities. Combined with their unique local knowledge and the pattern recognition that is a mainstay of local law enforcement and other first responders/receivers, the information provided by CWMD will support SLTT officials to enhance their abilities to prevent, detect, deter, disrupt, and if necessary rapidly respond to a CBRN attack or incident. Establishing trust within these SLTT communities will allow for the bidirectional flow of information and a shared common operating picture of WMD threats across the Nation.

An improved overall awareness of threat and risk from across the CBRN spectrum will also help communities conduct their own operational and strategic planning, ensuring their current and projected future needs for specialized personnel, training, and equipment are based on both current and emerging CBRN and other health security threats. Likewise, through engagements with CWMD, SLTT officials will have the opportunity to provide their input, perspectives, and needs to help shape national level strategies, policies, and technology advancements.

Objective 1.1: Establish shared understanding with SLTT partners of the current CBRN threat environment.

Objective 1.2: Collaborate with SLTT, federal, and international partners to conduct and apply the results of CBRN risk assessments at the local and regional levels.

Objective 1.3: Synchronize long-term counter WMD strategic planning with SLTT stakeholders in coordination with national strategies and policies.

Goal 1 Milestones

• By the end of FY22, begin implementation of a joint scenario-based countering CBRN threats workshop with key SLTT stakeholders, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Counterterrorism Center nationwide to integrate regional law enforcement, fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), public health, emergency management, and elected officials, and inform all levels of information sharing protocols and concepts of operations.

• By the end of FY22, sponsor security clearances for 25 state and local health officials to enable sharing of classified CBRN and other health security threat information.

• By the end of FY22, establish one or more contractual relationships with a national SLTT partner agency/association to increase bidirectional flow of information with NBIC.

• By the end of FY22, conduct a virtual conference call with all BioWatch Advisory Committee chairs and CWMD Office leadership to discuss current biological threat posture and solicit feedback on jurisdictional concerns and assessed capability gaps.

• By the end of FY22, in coordination with DHS Intelligence and Analysis (I&A), provide CWMD situation reports and other analyses to all Fusion Centers. Receive Fusion Center products and distribute to CWMD programs involved in the SLTT mission.

Goal 2: Strengthen and augment SLTT skills and capabilities to deter, detect, disrupt and rapidly respond to CBRN threats to the Homeland.

National capabilities to safeguard the Homeland from CBRN and health security threats rely on layered defenses and multiple organizations across wide geographic and functional areas working together to accomplish a unified mission. CWMD is a key enabler of both federal and SLTT capabilities to deter, detect, disrupt and rapidly respond to CBRN and health security threats to the Homeland and is responsible for coordinating the development and deployment of these capabilities at home and abroad. Through unique authorities within the Department, CWMD can provide material and non-material solutions such as equipment, training, and technical assistance to SLTT first responder organizations that help integrate them into the larger national architectures and ensures gaps are quickly identified and addressed.

CWMD will continue to enhance its ability to expeditiously support SLTT capability needs in cooperation with other DHS Components and interagency partners and add value where our SLTT partners need us most. In times of heightened threat levels or emergent health security crises, CWMD will position itself to respond to requests to fill urgent technical or capacity requirements to support SLTT operations until the crisis is resolved. Through providing subject matter expertise, deploying capabilities operated in concert with SLTT counterparts, or granting program assistance during incidents, CWMD seeks to prove itself a nimble and flexible partner capable of filling urgent needs.

Objective 2.1: Build and enhance SLTT capabilities and integrate them into national CWMD technical systems and operational processes.

Objective 2.2: Augment SLTT capacity and coordination in response to emergent CBRN or health security threats or incidents.

Objective 2.3: Provide training, planning, and technical assistance to SLTT officials and national organizations.

Objective 2.4: Advise SLTT officials on technology and concepts of operations to assist SLTT-level strategic planning and investments.

Objective 2.5: Assist SLTT officials with conducting comprehensive locality/regionally based capability gap analysis based on current and predicted threats and attendant risks.

Objective 2.6: Demonstrate and publicize enhanced SLTT capability to deter CBRN attacks.

Goal 2 Milestones

• By the end of FY22, host a technical discussion with BioWatch laboratory Directors and key federal partners on emerging laboratory techniques and capabilities to further advance biosurveillance capabilities.

• By the end of FY22, establish a joint, interagency, classified working group involving key SLTT leadership within the 13 Securing the Cities (STC) regions and/or BioWatch jurisdictions to review national CBRN systems and processes.

• By the end of FY22, working with a national SLTT partner agency/association, develop and facilitate a survey to determine SLTT biosurveillance needs and create a long-term engagement strategy.

• By the end of FY24, host full-scale, operationally realistic regional CBRN exercises in five continental United States locations and two locations outside the continental U.S., to demonstrate enhanced SLTT capabilities and integration with federal agencies.

• By end of FY24, in coordination with S&T, establish a sustainable U.S. Government technical testbed to facilitate SLTT, federal, and international collaborative research, development, test, and evaluation efforts in full-scale evaluation of chemical and biological threats in public mass transportation modes.

• By the end of FY22, conduct two or more tailored CBRN risk and gap assessments in collaboration with SLTT officials at the metropolitan or regional level; conduct an additional five assessments by the end of FY23.

• By the end of FY24, deploy the Integrated Chemical Defense Assessment Toolkit to inform SLTT training, planning, and technical assistance to optimize readiness; inform jurisdictional strategic planning and technological/non-technological investments; and assist SLTT officials with conducting comprehensive locality/regionally based capability gap analysis based on current and predicted threats.

• By the end of FY22, in partnership with federal interagency partners, host a classified workshop for SLTT stakeholders to share best available information and establish a path to readiness for the fourth-generation agent chemical defense system and provide tools, guidance, standards and best practices to optimize the systems’ capabilities.

Goal 3: Facilitate coordination of SLTT counter WMD and health-security planning and execution among and between local jurisdictions.

CWMD, as the coordinator for DHS on WMD and CBRN-related issues, is a key player in the development and operational support of national CWMD and health security capabilities.

Although CWMD has programs and activities throughout the nation that work with big cities and local communities, it is working to broaden the methodological approach to engage with key regions, leaders, and national associations or groups to ensure all SLTT stakeholders are aware of the forms of assistance CWMD can offer their communities. CWMD seeks to broaden the range of stakeholders engaged on a regular basis, and to deepen the relationships with existing long-term partners. CWMD will leverage existing capabilities within cities and regions to build a holistic CBRN capability. This will include working to integrate our counter radiological and nuclear missions with biodefense and chemical defense capabilities, ensuring SLTT partners across the Nation are integrated at appropriate local, regional, and national levels.

Recognizing that engagement is most effective when all the relevant stakeholders are partners in the process, CWMD will also seek to build and expand networks of individuals and groups within and among key regions. Applying the lessons learned from early recipients of a program or project to new ones will accelerate the learning curve and more quickly integrate newer cities into national architectures and processes. Through DHS Components and other federal agencies with excellent existing relationships at the SLTT level, CWMD will also work to expand the network of stakeholders through an integrated and holistic approach.

Objective 3.1: Broaden the range and depth of relationships between CWMD and SLTT and related stakeholders.

Objective 3.2: Cultivate networks of subject matter experts within respective DHS Components and SLTT organizations within and among key regions.

Objective 3.3: Integrate CWMD activities with DHS Components and federal partners to more efficiently engage with SLTT stakeholders.

Goal 3 Milestones

• By 1st Quarter FY22 and thereafter, conduct semi-annual CWMD STC Program Review meetings collectively with all thirteen active STC regional Program Management Offices.

• By the end of FY23, expand and resource partnerships with major public health preparedness non-governmental organizations such as the National Association of County and City Health Officials and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

• By the end of FY23, host a national workshop with fusion center health analysts to facilitate sharing of best practices and challenges.

• By the end of FY25, complete build-out of the Regional Medical Operations Group to five full time employees and twelve special government employees to increase engagement with SLTT medical stakeholders on health security threats.

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