Regional Partnerships and Mission Collaboration

DHS is dedicated to strengthening and expanding critical infrastructure expertise within and across the United States. Accordingly, CISA has set up IP regional offices in each of the 10 federal regions to better support regional partnerships and infrastructure security and resilience efforts.

To build and strengthen regional partnerships, CISA works with both voluntary and regulatory personnel and programs supporting states and regions:

• Protective Security Advisors (PSAs): PSAs are security experts located across the country who serve as direct links between the Department and critical infrastructure partners in the field. They assist state and local critical infrastructure security efforts by establishing and maintaining relationships with state Homeland Security Advisors and critical infrastructure stakeholders, as well as public and private sector partners. PSAs serve as the Infrastructure Liaisons at the Federal Emergency Management Agency Joint Field Office and in state and county emergency operations centers where they provide expert knowledge of the impacted infrastructure; maintain communications with critical infrastructure owners and operators; and prioritize and coordinate critical infrastructure response, recovery, and restoration.
• Geospatial Analysts: Homeland Infrastructure Foundation Level Data (HIFLD) in the IP regional offices provide critical infrastructure data and visualization capabilities to the PSAs and serve as field extension support to the HIFLD working group. Partners in this program include the Department of Defense, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
• Chemical Security Inspectors: Chemical Security Inspectors are positioned in regional offices across the United States and conduct security inspections and/or audits at facilities covered by the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). The Department inspects high-risk facilities at regular intervals, but inspectors from the Department may inspect a facility at any time based on new information or security concerns. Depending on particular circumstances, the Department will provide facilities 24-hour advance notice for compliance inspections, unless specific security concerns or exigent circumstances demand immediate attention. To contact the Chemical Security Inspectors in your area, call the CFATS Help Desk at 866-323-2957.
• Regional Resiliency Assessment Program: CISA’s Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (RRAP) evaluates critical infrastructure in specific geographic regions to examine vulnerabilities, threats, and potential consequences from an all-hazards perspective. RRAP assessments identify regional critical infrastructure dependencies, interdependencies, and cascading effects and critical systems’ ability to recovery quickly from an event. Participation in RRAP is voluntary, and the information collected is protected under the Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program.