Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security

The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security (OKOHS) is an agency

Government agency

A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...

of State of Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

that is responsible for reducing the State's vulnerability to acts of terrorism

Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

and for minimizing and recovering the damage caused by terrorist attacks. OKOHS is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...

.

The Office is headed by a Director of Homeland Security who is appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma

Governor of Oklahoma

The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...

. The inaugural Director, Kerry Pettingill

Kerry Pettingill

Kerry Pettingill is currently an American police officer in the state of Oklahoma. Early on in his career, Pettingill joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and has since served in a number positions. Pettingill served as the Oklahoma’s State Homeland Security Director for seven years...

, was appointed by Governor Brad Henry

Brad Henry

Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...

in January 2004.