GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency

Open Government Report 2014
To institutionalize a culture of transparent, open, and accountable government, and to
expand opportunities for resident participation and collaboration, this Report describes
how the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
has and will continue to develop and enhance transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. In accordance with Mayor’s Order 2014-170, this report addresses the
following topics:
1)

Transparency
The District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
(HSEMA) is dedicated to our mission to promote and protect life safety by ensuring
that the District of Columbia is prepared to prevent, protect against, respond to,
mitigate, and recover from all threats and hazards. To this end, HSEMA will publish
the final versions of the District Preparedness Framework and associated documents
on both our Publications webpage and the HSEMA Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) Reading Room. The public can view all HSEMA Press Releases and other
important news on HSEMA’s Newsroom webpage. HSEMA keeps District
constituents informed via our Facebook page and Twitter feed, as well as, through the
use of our electronic application (available on both Apple and Android devices) and
AlertDC, the official District of Columbia communications system that sends
emergency alerts, notifications, and updates directly to user devices.
HSEMA is fully committed to responding to FOIA and District Department of
Transportation (DDOT) Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Traffic Camera Feed
requests from the public. HSEMA’s Open Government, FOIA, and CCTV webpage
describes the process for requesting this information and the timeline for responses.
In order to ensure timely response to FOIA requests, HSEMA has developed a robust
FOIA Response Procedure (attached) that sets out the process for HSEMA employees
to respond to FOIA requests in a complete and timely manner, through the HSEMA’s
designated FOIA Officer.
HSEMA continues to maintain the public’s access to information by providing
finalized public planning documents as detailed above, in addition to providing
emergency preparedness guides on our Emergency Preparedness webpage. The
HSEMA Community Outreach Team works closely with citizens, employees,
visitors, communities and businesses to provide vital emergency preparedness
information.
HSEMA works closely with the Office of the City Administrator (OCA) and the
Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) to identify a significant number of
datasets which OCA and OCTO expect to publish online later this year. If no dataset
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from HSEMA is selected to be included in this 2014 release, we will continue to work
with OCA and OCTO to identify datasets appropriate to publish in 2015. In the
future, requirements for open data reporting will be provided by the Chief Data
Officer.
2)

Public Engagement and Participation
Although HSEMA generally does not promulgate rules or regulations that affect the
public, we will accept public commentary on published planning documents.
Comments received will then be considered and may be incorporated during the next
planning cycle.
HSEMA shares information and resources that keep the public informed by
consistently conducting Community Outreach events throughout the District’s eight
(8) wards. HSEMA maintains an active social media presence via our Facebook
page, Twitter Feed, and electronic application (available on both Apple and Android
devices). HSEMA encourages all District residents, commuters, businesses, and
visitors to sign up for AlertDC, the official District of Columbia communications
system that sends emergency alerts, notifications, and updates directly to user’s
devices. In 2013 and 2014, HSEMA launched a comprehensive campaign urging all
residents and visitors to sign up for AlertDC, which resulted in a significant increase
in user sign-ups. Additionally, HSEMA’s website remains up-to-date with important
emergency preparedness related information designed to keep the public informed on
what to do in an emergency, including how-to videos and instructions for making an
Emergency Go Kit. Additional preparedness resources can be found on the Agency’s
Emergency Preparedness webpage.
In 2013, HSEMA established the Business Emergency Management Operations
Center (BEMOC) to help facilitate the interaction between the public and private
sectors before, during, and after an emergency.

3)

Collaboration
In 2014, HSEMA established an unprecedented coordinated planning process that
incorporates the expertise of various District, federal, regional and non-governmental
entities to ensure that the needs of the whole community are appropriately addressed.
Throughout the revamped planning process, HSEMA includes representatives from
non-governmental and community organizations to provide commentary and input on
mass care services and business preparedness.

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