U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The DHS has an extensive history. There are two ways to learn more about the department's past: resources about the DHS itself and DHS publications as primary sources. Check out some featured resources below.

One way to learn more about the DHS is its past activities. Below are some selected resources.

• The Department of Homeland Security: A Primer
  • Read the Congressional Research Service's overview about DHS.
• Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared
  • See the 2006 special report by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Secretaries of Homeland Security
  • View brief biographies of past DHS secretaries.

Since its establishment, the DHS has documented information on a variety of topics. The following are some examples of DHS primary sources.

• Building Science Resource Library
  • Explore FEMA's hazard-specific guidance on a range of topics, from floods to high winds.
• Fire in the United States (9th to 20th editions)
  • View the U.S. Fire Administration's publication on fire-related services and information.
• The FLETC Journal (2007 to 2018)
  • Check out this magazine on law enforcement training.
• The Siren (2015 to 2018) 
  • See this first-responders newsletter highlighting projects by the Science & Technology Directorate.
• We Are FEMA: Helping People Before, During, and After Disasters (2019)
  • Read this capstone document that features FEMA employees and their roles in emergency management.

Photograph, "Members of a EPA/FEMA Hazardous Materials team, remove rotten meat from an elementary school freezer that lost power during Hurricane Katrina" on September 30, 2005 (Image source: NAID: 5691558)