The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) is the agency responsible for homeland security and emergency preparedness in the State. To accomplish this, GOHSEP coordinates the State’s activities to prepare for, prevent where possible, respond to, recover from and mitigate against future emergencies or disaster events.
The Director of GOHSEP is appointed by the Governor to carry out programs for homeland security and emergency preparedness for the State of Louisiana. The Director coordinates the activities of all agencies and organizations within the State and maintains liaison with and cooperates with agencies and organizations of other States and of the Federal government. The Director acts on behalf of the Governor in the event of an emergency or disaster.
The Director of GOHSEP serves as the Homeland Security Advisor (HSA) for Louisiana and the Governor's Authorized Representative (GAR) with FEMA.
The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) is operated within and staffed by GOHSEP. The State’s response during a crisis is managed through the SEOC.
While organized around five (5) focus areas: Prepare – Prevent – Respond – Recover – Mitigate, GOHSEP is comprised of the Executive Office and five (5) divisions:
- Grants and Administration
- Emergency Management
- Homeland Security and Interoperability
- Public Assistance
- Hazard Mitigation Assistance
The GOHSEP leadership team is noted below. Click on either name or photo to learn more about each. Click on the envelope icon to email. Further contacts by focus areas can be found at Contact Us.