SACRAMENTO – Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Nancy Ward, who serves as California’s Homeland Security Advisor, released the following statement on the efforts underway to protect the well-being of all Californians:
“As California’s Homeland Security Agency, we are actively monitoring the developing situation in Israel and Gaza and closely coordinating with our security partners to track potential impacts on the domestic threat environment.
“The situation remains dynamic and evolving. I continue to actively brief the Governor on the current situation and state intelligence and law enforcement officials are working around the clock to safeguard the safety and security of all Californians.
“We are in touch with faith leaders and communities across the state to provide support, listen to their concerns and offer the full resources of the state.
“While we are aware of statements made about potential threats on Friday, October 13, I want to emphasize that no specific and credible threat to California has been identified at this time.
“As with any potential threats to our state, Cal OES will coordinate with our partners at the local, state and federal level to ensure they have the resources and information necessary to keep our communities safe.
“All Californians have an important role to play in protecting our communities, and I encourage everyone in our state to be alert, vigilant and prepared and immediately report any suspicious activity through proper channels.”
DHS is closely monitoring unfolding events in Israel and Gaza and will share relevant information with our partners and communities to ensure they are prepared for any impacts to public safety. On October 7, DHS and the FBI jointly issued a public safety notice indicating that no specific and credible threats have been identified at this time.
DHS encourages communities to be alert, vigilant and prepared. Below are a variety of DHS resources that may be helpful to organizations:
- Resources for Community Organizations and Service Providers
Training and course offerings, services, and funding resources for community organizations to address targeted violence. - Security and Resilience Resources for At-Risk Communities
Provides a range of physical security and community resources, including PSAs, Faith-Based/Houses of Worship, School Safety, and broader counterterrorism/targeted violence programs related to at-risk communities and soft targets/publicly accessible locations. - Protecting Houses of Worship Landing Page
This webpage is a first stop shop for guidance and resources to inform Faith-based organizations and places of worship on security-based decisions. Included on this page are numerous resources, which provide building blocks for effective safety and security programs. The resources include a self-assessment tool, trainings, exercises, and other materials focused on a wide range of man-made threats (e.g., bombing, active shooter, vehicle ramming, etc.) that could be used against communities. - Protecting Places of Worship: Six Steps to Enhance Security Against Targeted Violence
This document outlines actions that faith-based organizations and community leaders can take to increase security. These six steps can help protect places of worship against potential threats of targeted violence in a cost-effective manner that maintains an open and welcoming environment. - Protecting Places of Worship: Perimeter Security Considerations
This infographic outlines low-to-no cost solutions to help implement these suggested practices and highlights ways to identify funding for security improvements. - Immigration Relief in Emergencies or Unforeseen Circumstances | USCIS
Unforeseen circumstances, such as natural catastrophes (hurricanes, wildfires, severe weather, etc.), national emergencies (public health emergencies), or severe illness (including COVID), can sometimes affect the processing of your USCIS application, petition, or immigration request. - Allied Against Hate: A Toolkit for Faith Communities
This toolkit describes practical steps faith communities can take to prevent acts of hate, discrimination, and bias, and to demonstrate solidarity with targeted communities if such acts tragically do occur. - “If You See Something, Say Something© Campaign Resources
This national public awareness campaign offers free materials (posters, social media graphics, videos, etc.) to help community leaders, public safety officials, and faith-based organizations/places of worship encourage community members to immediately report signs of suspicious activity to local authorities and help prevent terrorism-related incidents. - Prevention Resource Finder
The Prevention Resource Finder provides stakeholders with information on the resources needed to help prepare for and prevent targeted violence and terrorism across our country. Government-wide resources on the website include community support resources; grant funding opportunities; information-sharing platforms; evidence-based research; and training opportunities for communities to reduce the risk of targeted violence, including hate-based targeted violence.
