State Homeland Security Strategy

• 30 pages
• For Official Use Only
• January 17, 2006

The purpose of this strategy is to identify a strategic direction for enhancing our State, Region and Parish response capabilities and capacity to prevent and reduce the State’s vulnerability to all-hazard disaster events, to include Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive (CBRNE) incidents. This is an exceedingly complex mission that requires coordination, cooperation, and focused effort from the entire State (citizens, local, state, and federal partners) as well as private industry and non-profit voluntary agencies. To that end, each of the sixty four (64) parishes will update or will develop Memorandums of
Understanding (MOU) over the next year agreeing to assist each other in event of major CBRNE incidents.

The State of Louisiana consists of 64 parishes with each parish participating in one of the nine Homeland Security Regions designated by the State in 2002. In addition, the State is home to four federally recognized Indian tribes which for the purposes of this strategy are included in the parishes they reside.

This strategy was developed based upon the results of the assessments completed by the sixty-four
jurisdictions between July – September 2003. These included comprehensive risk, capabilities, and needs
assessments. The results of the assessments provided an insight into the requirements of the State.

Louisiana will apply the resources available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
through the Office for Domestic preparedness (ODP) and other state and federal grant associated
initiatives to address unique planning, equipment, training, and exercise needs to assist in building an
enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters, to include threats
or acts of terrorism.

We envision the State Homeland Security Assessment and Strategy Program as the implementation
mechanism of our Louisiana Homeland Security Strategy and a model endeavor toward protecting citizens
and property within our state. Our strategy has been forged from the strong partnerships with state
agencies, local governments and within the private sector, rooted in existing resources and capabilities
while leveraging new initiatives and deploying emerging technology.

The focus of the Louisiana initiative is to ensure the unified Homeland Security effort is a collaborative and
deliberate effort. The strategy may use the steps below, but with the consensus from representatives of
the State agencies and Regional Homeland Security Coordinators. The plan will:

1. Use an “all-hazards” approach;

2. Maintain an emphasis on incident command and unified command structure;

3. Enhance capabilities through planning, equipment, training, and exercises that include all disciplines;

4. Increase the capability of emergency responders to respond, detect, deter, contain, and recover from
the effects of a CBRNE incident;

5. Develop a coordinated mutual aid response team that allows local jurisdictions to protect responders
and save lives until additional mutual aid, state, or federal aid arrives;

6. Enhance the regional response capabilities of detection and decontamination, mass casualty care, and
Urban Search and Rescue teams;

7. Increase capabilities of current emergency response teams to a higher level response capability;

8. Develop a financing and resourcing strategy;

9. Working as a team to ensure better results.

The focus of Louisiana revolves around three priorities that have been identified in the Louisiana Homeland
Security Strategy: Vital, Important, and Peripheral.

The Vital interests identified for Louisiana are:

— Life and well-being of residents and visitors

— Governmental bodies and their ability to govern

— Uninhibited critical physical infrastructure

Important interests are next in the hierarchal intensity of interests. If unfulfilled, Important interest will
result in damage that will eventually affect critical Louisiana interests. Identified Important interests
include:

— Stable critical cyber infrastructure

— Economic stability

— Unconstrained Special Security Events

— Viability of Public/Private property

— Enduring Key Assets

The last category in the intensity of interests is Peripheral. These interests will result in damage that is
unlikely to affect critical Louisiana interests if unfulfilled. The identified Peripheral Louisiana interest is listed
below:

— Life and property outside of Louisiana

Strategic objectives outline what is to be accomplished. When accomplished these objectives would
create, or contribute to, the achievement of the desired end state and serve the attainment of our State
interests. The prevailing Louisiana Strategic Objectives are identified as:

– Prevent terrorist attacks within Louisiana (Prevention)

– Reduce Louisiana’s vulnerability to terrorism (Preparedness)

– Minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur (Response)

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