President’s

Homeland Security

Advisory Council

Statewide Template

Initiative

MARCH 2003

★★★★★★★★★★★

★★★★★★★★★★★
President’s

Homeland Security

Advisory Council

Statewide Template

Initiative

MARCH 2003

★★★★★★★★★★★

★★★★★★★★★★★
Table of Contents

President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council Letter to the President........................................1

Statewide Template Initiative.............................................................................................................3

Statewide Template Graphic ............................................................................................................10

Members of the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council.................................................11

Members of the State and Local Officials Security Advisory Committee .......................................11

Members of the Emergency Services, Law Enforcement, and Public Health,

and Hospitals Senior Advisory Committee.................................................................................12

President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council Staff...................................................................12
THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 1

March 3, 2003

President George W. Bush

President of the United States

The White House

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Since October of last year, our State and Local Officials Senior Advisory

Committee (SLSAC) and Emergency Services, Law Enforcement, and Public

Health and Hospitals Senior Advisory Committee (ERSAC) have worked closely

in developing the “Statewide Template Initiative.” The initiative provides states a

foundation for preparing comprehensive and compatible state, local and tribal

Homeland Security plans. The Template is consistent with and supports implementation of the “National Strategy for Homeland Security.” It was designed

“from the bottom up,” recognizes that “one size does not fit all,” and enables the

emergency responders and state and local officials who bear the responsibility of

preventing terrorist attacks and protecting the Nation and its citizens. 

The SLSAC and ERSAC delivered the Template to the President’s Homeland

Security Advisory Council (PHSAC) in February 2003. The PHSAC deliberated

on the Template and believes it will strengthen and expand existing efforts to 

create integrated homeland security plans. Using the Template as a guide, these

plans will be adaptable enough to deal with terrorist attacks, no matter how

unlikely or catastrophic, as well as all manner of natural disasters and other 

hazards. This in turn will not only lead to a more safe and secure America, but 

a better one, too.

As your Homeland Security Advisory Council, we recommend that this template

be distributed to all Governors and Homeland Security Advisors of the fifty states

and territories through the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

We firmly believe that there is a sense of urgency, accountability, and readiness

that must drive the immediate distribution of the Template to State and Local

officials. For our part, we will immediately begin working with the Department

of Homeland Security to recommend an implementation process that will provide

for Homeland Security performance measures, the capture of lessons-learned,

and identification and adoption of best practices Nation-wide.

The President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council

Chair:

Joseph J. Grano

Vice Chair:

Judge William Webster

Members:

Richard A. Andrews

Kathleen M. Bader

David Bell

L. Paul Bremer

Jared L. Cohon

Ruth David

Lee Hamilton

Gov. Michael O. Leavitt

James T. Moore

James Schlessinger 

Sidney Taurel

Lydia W. Thomas

Mayor Anthony Williams

Ex Officio:

Norm Augustine 

John Chambers

Vance D. Coffman

Richard K. Davidson

Executive Director:

Frank J. Cilluffo

Executive Secretariat:

Karen A. Yeager
2 THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

Page 2 March 3, 2003

The Council thanks you for the opportunity to serve and looks forward to 

working with you in meeting the spectrum of the Nation’s Homeland Security 

challenges.

Sincerely,

Joseph J. Grano

Chair, President’s Homeland 

Security Advisory Council

William Webster

Vice Chair, President’s Homeland

Security Advisory Council

Richard A. Andrews

Chair, Emergency Services,

Law Enforcement, and Public

Health and Hospitals Senior

Advisory Committee

James T. Moore

Vice Chair, Emergency

Services, Law Enforcement, and

Public Health and Hospitals

Senior Advisory Committee

Michael O. Leavitt

Chair, State and Local Officials

Senior Advisory Committee

Anthony Williams

Vice Chair, State and Local Officials

Senior Advisory Committee

cc: Secretary Tom Ridge
PURPOSE

The Statewide Template Initiative is consistent with

and designed to support implementation of the

“National Strategy for Homeland Security.” 

➣ The primary objective of the Statewide

Template Initiative (STI) is to assist state1 and

local and tribal authorities in their development of coordinated and comprehensive

Homeland Security plans. The Template’s

questions, which were developed by leaders

of state and local governments and emergency response community, provide a foundation for the preparation of comprehensive

and compatible state, local and tribal

Homeland Security plans that maximize state

and local terrorism prevention and response

capabilities. 

➣ The Template’s questions (and additional

questions posed by state and local officials)

will expand and integrate existing homeland

security planning to deal with terrorist

attacks, no matter how unlikely or catastrophic, as well as all manner of natural disasters and other hazards. The resulting plans

will bolster everyday protection and response

capabilities and the states’ ability to better

serve its citizens in today’s environment.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

➣ Make America “Safer, Stronger, and Better.”

➣ Recognize the effects of all terrorist attacks

occur locally.

➣ Maximize collective efforts to prevent terrorist attacks, reduce risks, and respond effectively to attacks that do occur.

➣ Assure that efforts are State based but locally

focused and driven—flexible, scalable, and

adaptable.

➣ Recognize that our enemy is networked and

can only be defeated by a networked systemtherefore homeland defense must resemble

networked PCs rather than a mainframe

computer.

➣ Ensure that our homeland security efforts do

not result in significant alteration of our federalist form of government.

➣ Empower state and local officials’ Homeland

Security efforts, leveraging existing emergency preparedness and response programs

and capabilities to meet emerging threats to

the Nation and its citizens.

➣ Promote interoperable and reliable telecommunications capabilities nationwide.

➣ Promote integrated and collective training,

exercises and evaluations.

➣ Facilitate the adoption of best practices from

other jurisdictions.

➣ Enable government and private sector at all

levels the ability to carry out its Homeland

Security responsibilities. 

➣ Promote citizen participation in state, local,

private sector and regional homeland security

efforts through volunteer service activities,

preparedness, education and awareness.

➣ Ensure funding follows policy.

➣ Process matters—specific measures of performance in plans drive clarity, accountability, and success.

➣ The Homeland will be secure when

Hometowns are secure.

THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 3

Statewide Template Initiative
TEMPLATE QUESTIONS

The following questions are “outcome based” and

designed to assist state and local governments prepare their State Homeland Security Plans. The questions are intended to provide a common understanding of responsibilities of all participants, the

scope of issues, authorities, and responsibilities to

be addressed, required operational capabilities; and

to help provide an interoperable context to the

homeland security planning effort.

Expectations

➣ What does the state expect from the federal

government?

➣ What do local governments expect from the

state government?

➣ What should private sector entities expect

from federal, state and local governments?

➣ What should citizens expect from federal,

state and local governments?

➣ What should state and local governments

expect from their citizens?

Continuity of State and Local

Government

➣ Are plans in place to ensure the timely and

successful “Order of Succession” of state and

local leaders?

➣ What measures exist to ensure the continuity

of state and local government?

➣ Have alternative locations for state and local

government operations been identified?

➣ What collaborative agreements are in place

with private industry to ensure business 

continuity?

➣ Do state or local mutual assistance compacts

address the continuity issue?

Continuity of Critical State Services

➣ Have critical state services (e.g., hospitals,

emergency medical services, critical infrastructure and associated personnel) been

identified?

• Are contingency plans in place to ensure

their reliability, and have they been

recently tested?

➣ What are your plans to include key representatives of the private sector and those specifically responsible for critical infrastructures in

the development of plans supporting the

continuity of government, business and critical infrastructures?

Critical Infrastructure

➣ What are the critical key assets and infrastructures (cyber and physical)?

➣ Who owns them and who is responsible for

their operation?

➣ Do regionally located critical infrastructures

and infrastructure services have the capacity

to impact adjacent regions?

• Have these infrastructures been identified

to all potentially affected regions and

Federal Government?

➣ What are the multi-region critical infrastructures single points of failure and interdependencies?

• How are they being addressed?

➣ What measures need to be taken to assure

state and local critical infrastructure 

reliability?

➣ Is state and local government partnering with

critical private sector industries and infrastructures to help ensure their protection and

survivability?

➣ Has a method been established to allow critical infrastructure owners to query the backgrounds and help ensure the reliability of

4 THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
new employees and periodically those in sensitive positions?

Law

➣ Do you have an active system of law reform

to identify and address issues related to terrorism? 

➣ Do you have a system for education of individuals affected by legal reforms related to

terrorism?

➣ Do you have a plan for continuity of your

legal system in the event of a terrorist attack?

Information Sharing and Technology

➣ What is the state information-sharing 

structure?

➣ What requirements for specific Homeland

Security related information have been provided to local, State, and Federal authorities

and the private sector?

➣ What policies and mechanisms (beyond law

enforcement) are in place to ensure timely

and reliable exchange of intelligence and

information among and between local, state,

and federal authorities and the private sector?

➣ What communications limitations currently

exist that requires upgrading to take advantage of emerging Homeland Security related

information sharing.

➣ Are local, state and federal law enforcement

agencies aware of the mechanisms for intelligence sharing that support homeland security efforts (education process)?

➣ Do local and state plans provide for outreach

to the media before, during, and after terrorist incidents, natural disasters, and all matter

of hazards?

➣ Are commercial Information Technology reliability standards sufficient to ensure systems

performance in emergency environments?

➣ Is there a requirement for secure communications?

• If so, are there assigned/protected frequencies available for use by the emergency response community?

➣ Has each sector identified and defined the

information needed to carry out its homeland security mission?

➣ Has each sector identified and defined what

information needs to be shared among entities within sector and with other sectors?

➣ Have the differences between the needs of

urban and rural responders been identified

and accommodated?

➣ What are the plans to continue communication with appropriate private sector and critical infrastructure representatives in the event

an emergency precludes normal means of

communication?

Borders

➣ Do state and local Border Security plans

clearly define the roles and responsibilities of

federal, state, and local jurisdictions?

➣ Where do federal and state responsibilities

coincide?

➣ Where do federal and state responsibilities

diverge?

➣ How are different federal/state roles and

responsibilities defined?

➣ Have lines of communication been 

established with the Department of

Homeland Security?

➣ Are procedures in place to track high-risk

interstate traffic/cargo?

THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 5
First Responders and Emergency

Services

➣ Who are they?

➣ What do they require/need?

➣ How are requirements/needs determined and

prioritized?

➣ How is consensus gained for requirements/

needs?

➣ Is there any process to monitor training and

equipment acquisition for responders for

standardization and quality?

➣ How is standardization of equipment 

purchasing achieved?

➣ How are requirements tied to capability?

➣ How are new capabilities obtained and 

sustained?

➣ Have protected/exclusive communications

paths and command authorities been 

established?

➣ Is there a standard, unified, system for 

incident command?

➣ Are the command systems implemented 

and trained across city, county, and state

agencies?

➣ Have homeland security information requirements been documented?

➣ Are public utility services, public health,

hospitals and other medical care providers,

and emergency medical service providers

involved in planning and training?

• Are their emergency plans tested and

training evaluated?

National Guard

➣ Is the National Guard included in state

plans?

• How many Guardsmen are also first

responders?

➣ Are they included in local and multi-state

mutual assistance compacts?

➣ What is the understanding between state and

local governments regarding the use of the

National Guard to support homeland security operations?

➣ Are Title 10 and Title 32 US Code authorities

and responsibilities clearly understood?

Public Health and Chemical/

Biological/Radiological Terrorism

➣ Who is responsible for chemical/biological/

radiological defense efforts?

• Do chemical/biological defense efforts

include decontamination of human, 

livestock, crops, water supplies, and

facilities? 

• Are agricultural products inspected at

the borders and ports?

• Are there laboratories readily available

that can quickly test for agents affecting

humans as well as vegetable and livestock diseases?

• Is there a rapid means to communicate

critical communicable disease information to appropriate agencies (federal,

state and local)?

• Are chemical/biological/radiological antidotes and prophylaxes, antidotes and

other emergency pharmaceuticals readily

available?

• Are distribution systems reliable and in

place and are they exercised?

➣ Is there a comprehensive public health plan

that addresses, federal, state and local

resources, legal, economic and operational

components?

➣ Are hospital and other medical care

providers, emergency medical services, and

veterinarian and agricultural inspectors

included in the plans?

6 THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
➣ What methods are used to ensure timely

equipment purchasing?

➣ Is the public safety community inoculated?

➣ Have biological, chemical, and nuclear attack

exercises been conducted?

➣ How are new capabilities obtained and 

sustained?

Private Sector

➣ How is the Private Sector being incorporated

into your planning process?

• What public/private sector agreements

are in place to ensure effective partnerships between state and local governments and the private sector?

• Have key private sector leaders been

identified?

• Have critical private sector industries

been identified in terms of their specialized resource capability or economic

value?

• Have private sector resources been 

identified for potential government use

through appropriate agreements and

contracts?

• Are small and medium sized enterprises

integrated into state and local plans?

Volunteer Service

➣ Are Private Volunteer Organizations, NonGovernmental Organizations and federallysponsored volunteer programs (e.g., Civil 

Air Patrol, Red Cross, community and faithbased, Americorps, and Senior Corps)

included in terrorism strategic and operational plans, such as through state and local

Citizen Corps Councils?

➣ Have volunteers with specialized expertise

and supplemental equipment (e.g., hi-mobility transportation, communication, etc.) been

identified?

➣ Do your state and local communities have

Citizen Corps Councils to coordinate citizen

participation in homeland security activities

(see www.citizenscorps.gov)?

Schools

➣ Are homeland security issues factored into

public and private school operations?

Citizens with Special Needs

➣ How do your plans deal with citizens with

special needs?

Operations and Information Security

➣ What activities are divulging information

that could support planning for, conduct of,

and enhance the effects of terrorist operations?

• What is being done to correct the 

practice(s)?

➣ What resources are required or are being utilized to help improve state, local and private

sector operations and information security

procedures?

➣ What mechanisms are used to disseminate

secured information?

➣ What are your priority information systems

and how is their performance assured?

Homeland Security Advisory System

(HSAS)

➣ Has the HSAS been adopted by the state

and/or local governments?

➣ Has the HSAS been tailored for regional

needs?

➣ Has the HSAS been integrated into the state’s

emergency public information plan?

➣ Has the media been informed of the basic

characteristics of the system?

THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 7
➣ Have you translated the advisory system into

actual operational use?

➣ Is there a standardized system of tasks for

each level?

➣ What can state and local governments do to

tailor the HSAS for their policy-makers,

emergency planners, first responders, and

public information officers?

Public Information and

Communications

➣ Does the state’s emergency public information plan integrate the public information

resources of all state and local agencies?

➣ Does the emergency public information plan

extend to local authorities?

➣ Are there agreements between state and local

jurisdictions regarding who has the lead for

various categories of public information?

➣ Is the media being consulted and included in

public information planning?

➣ Does the emergency public information plan

include pre-scripted messages designed for

rapid dissemination through the media to

inform, reassure, and protect the public?

➣ Is there specific emergency information

training available for elected and appointed

officials?

Lexicon

➣ Is there an accepted, commonly used and

universally understood, language among the

multiple disciplines of the State and local

and response communities?

• Is the lexicon consistent with the

Emerging National Incident 

Management System?

Funding

➣ How are local operational needs identified,

developed, prioritized, and presented to state

authorities?

➣ How is bottom-up funding consensus

achieved?

➣ How is the state working with local governments to identify and support local priority

needs?

➣ How is the state ensuring local priorities

are met?

➣ How does consensus support budget 

priorities?

➣ Are budget priorities supported by the

Governor’s Office and State Legislature?

➣ How are federal funds monitored and distributed to meet operational needs of the state

and local jurisdictions? 

➣ What are the roadblocks to the efficient and

timely distribution of Federal resources?

Training, Exercising and Evaluating

➣ Is there an integrated testing/evaluation 

program?

• Are Emergency Management

Accreditation Program (EMAP) evaluation standards utilized?

➣ Are “lessons-learned” integrated into new

performance standards?

➣ Have minimum terrorism training, exercise,

and evaluation standards been established

for state agencies?

➣ Are those same standards required at the

local level?

➣ How is success determined?

➣ Will Field Exercises and Tabletop Exercises

be a component of the evaluation 

methodology?

8 THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
➣ Have state level documents been refined to

reflect the changing response requirements

of terror related incidents?

• Field Operating Guide? 

• Standard Operating Procedures? 

• Modifications to the state Comrehensive

Emergency Management Plan?

➣ Is there a joint training program for 

responding to acts of terrorism that involve

appropriate representatives from critical

infrastructures?

➣ Is there a process to review and provide 

recommendations to corporate security 

officials for enhancing security at critical

infrastructure sites?

➣ How is standardization of training/equipment and interoperability both vertically 

and horizontally assured?

➣ What training and maintenance programs

are in place to sustain new capabilities?

Planning and Change Management

➣ How are strategic processes adapted to

changing capabilities and conditions?

➣ How are plans adapted to sustain new 

capabilities and ensure long-term success?

➣ How are specific goals identified and measures of performance applied to objectively

assess and manage existing efforts and track

new initiatives in statewide plans?

1The “National Strategy for Homeland Security” defines “State” to mean

“any state of the United States, The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,

the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the trust territory

of the Pacific Islands.” The Strategy defines “local government” as “any

county, city, village, town, district, or other political subdivision of any

state, any Native American tribe or authorized tribal organization, or

Alaska native village or organization, and includes any rural community or unincorporated town or village or any other public entity for

which an application for assistance is made by a state or political subdivision thereof.”

THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 9
10 THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

Statewide Template Initiative

Daily Operations

Methods of

Effectiveness

Outcomes/Execution/

Lessons Learned

Best Practices

Critical

Functions & Assets

THE TEMPLATE SUPPORTS THE NATIONAL

HOMELAND SECURITY STRATEGY AND INCLUDES:

• Expectations

• Continuity of State and Local

Governments

• Continuity of Critical State Services

• Critical Infrastructure

• Law

• Information Sharing and Technology

• Borders

• First Responders and Emergency

Services

• National Guard

• Public Health and Chemical/

Biological/Radiological Terrorism

• Private Sector

• Volunteer Service

• Schools

• Citizens with Special Needs

• Operations and Information Security

• Homeland Security Advisory System

• Public Information and

 Communications

• Lexicon

• Funding

• Training, Exercising and Evaluating

• Planning and Change Management
PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND

SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

MEMBERS

Joseph J. Grano, Chair (Chairman and Chief

Executive Officer, UBS PaineWebber)

Judge William Webster, Vice Chair 

(Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy)

Richard A. Andrews (Senior Director Homeland

Security Project, NC4)

Kathleen M. Bader (Business Group President &

Corporate Vice President, Quality & Business

Excellence, Dow Chemical Company)

David Bell (Vice Chairman, The Interpublic Group

of Companies)

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer (Jerry) (Chairman 

and CEO, Marsh Crisis Consulting)

Dr. Jared L. Cohon (President, Carnegie Mellon

University)

Dr. Ruth David (President and CEO, Anser)

Lee Hamilton (Director, Woodrow Wilson

International Center for Scholars)

Governor Michael O. Leavitt (Salt Lake City, UT)

Commissioner James T. Moore (Tim) (Florida

Department of Law Enforcement)

Dr. James Schlesinger (Chairman, Board of

Trustees, The MITRE Corporation)

Sidney Taurel (Chairman & CEO, Eli Lilly and

Company) 

Dr. Lydia W. Thomas (Member, Board of Trustees

& President and CEO, Mitretek Systems)

Mayor Anthony Williams (Washington, DC)

Ex Officio Members:

Norm Augustine (PCAST, Chair of the Panel on the

Science and Technology of Combating

Terrorism, President’s Council of Advisors on

Science and Technology)

Richard K. Davidson (Chairman, NIAC, National

Infrastructure Advisory Committee) 

Vance D. Coffman (NSTAC, National Security

Telecommunications Advisory Committee) 

John Chambers (Vice Chairman, NIAC, National

Infrastructure Advisory Committee)

STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS

SENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Governor Michael O. Leavitt of Salt Lake City, UT,

Chair

Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington, DC, 

Vice Chair

James Dunlap of Oklahoma, State Senator

Robert Eckels of Texas, Harris County Judge

Donna Finn of Ohio, Jefferson Township Trustee

Glenda Hood of Florida, Orlando Mayor

Don Knabe of California, L.A. County Board of

Supervisors

Bill Pryor of Alabama, Attorney General

Representatives:

Governor Michael Huckabee of Arkansas, President

of the Council of State Governments

Karen Anderson of Minnesota, Immediate Past

President of the National League of Cities

David Mora of California, Immediate Past

President of the International City-County

Managers Association

Angela Zoe Monson of Oklahoma, President of the

National Conference of State Legislatures

THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL 11
EMERGENCY SERVICES, LAW

ENFORCEMENT, AND PUBLIC

HEALTH AND HOSPITALS

SENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Richard Andrews of California, Chair

Commissioner James T. “Tim” Moore of Florida,

Vice Chair

Chief George Brown of New York, New York City

Chief of Counter Terrorism

Sheriff Michael Carona of California, 

Sheriff of Orange County

Chief Michael Freeman of California, Fire 

Chief of Los Angeles County Fire Department

Chief William Gaughan of Pennsylvania, District

Fire Chief of Peters Township Fire Department

Ellen Gordon of Iowa, Administrator, Iowa

Emergency Management Division and Iowa

Homeland Security Advisor

Chief Phil Keith of Tennessee, Knoxville 

Chief of Police

Dr. Scott Lillibridge of Texas, Director of Center 

for Bio Security at University of Texas, School of

Public Health

Paul Maniscalco of New Jersey, Adjunct Assistant

Professor, George Washington University School of

Medicine and Health Sciences

Judith Mueller of Virginia, Director of Public

Works for Charlottesville, VA

Chief Jane Perlov of North Carolina, Raleigh 

Chief of Police

Chief Edward Plaugher of Virginia, Fire Chief 

of Arlington County Fire Department

Chief Gary Scott of Wyoming, Chief and

Administrator of Campbell County Fire

Department

Dr. John Williams of the District of Columbia,

Dean of the School of Medicine at George

Washington University

PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND

SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL

STAFF

Frank J. Cilluffo, Special Assistant to the President,

Office of Homeland Security & Executive Director,

President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council

Karen A. Yeager, Executive Secretariat, President’s

Homeland Security Advisory Council

Cynthia Gismegian, Special Assistant

Tim Nank, Executive Secretariat, Academe and

Policy Research Senior Advisory Committee

Mike Miron, Executive Secretariat, State and 

Local Officials Senior Advisory Committee

Jeff Gaynor, Executive Secretariat, Emergency

Services, Law Enforcement, and Public Health 

and Hospitals Senior Advisory Committee 

Catherine Anderson, Associate Counsel

12 THE PRESIDENT’S HOMELAND SECURITY ADVISORY COUNCIL