Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

**About HSEM** The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management helps Minnesota communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. **History** Minnesota created its Department of Civil Defense in 1951, when C. Elmer Anderson was governor and color television was introduced. Today, the division is called Homeland Security and Emergency Management. How we do business has changed dramatically in the last 60 years, but the reason we do it has remained constant—keeping Minnesota ready for disasters. **Mission** Help Minnesota prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. **Vision** A resilient Minnesota – prepared to respond and recover. ****Overarching Strategic Goals**** - Prepare for emergencies and disasters. - Assist communities during emergencies. - Help communities recover from disasters. - Prevent or reduce the effects of future disasters. - Develop our workforce and build a more effective organization. **Values** - **Communications** – We speak with one voice. We actively listen. We get the right information to the right people at the right time, so they can make the right decisions. - **Service** – We are available to help promptly and respectfully with reliable information and solutions. - **Teamwork** – We work together. We build trust by sharing our experience and expertise and respecting each person’s perspective. - **Excellence** – We are dedicated to delivering top quality results. We pursue personal growth and continuous improvement. - **Professionalism** – We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of conduct.