The Office of Component Services

Overview

The Office of Component Services (OCS) leads the initiatives that support the Department’s employee health and workforce protection and provides medical oversight for health care delivery and operational medicine. The OCS integrates speed and effective coordination with coordinated oversight to save lives when preparing for or responding to a natural or man-made incident.

Organization

Supporting the Department’s Incident Response Capabilities
To strengthen the Department’s planning and incident response capabilities, the OCS creates and establishes consistent standards for emergency medical care delivered by the more than 2,500 emergency medical technicians, doctors, and other health professionals.  The physician medical oversight, general and specific treatment protocols, education and training standards, quality management and improvement programs, and a Department credentialing system assure that the workforce is able to meet the Department's incident response needs and able to provide medical services in all areas where the Department operates.

Protecting the Workforce
Department employees serve a critical public health role as they interact with travelers, screen cargo, and patrol and secure the waterways, ports, coasts, and borders. Since these jobs may expose Department employees to potentially hazardous material and dangerous people, the Department has medical and health policies and procedures to protect its employees.

Additionally, to ensure the workforce is physically able to support the Department’s mission and minimize health threats and work-related disability, the OCS integrates workforce health protection programs. The OCS promotes a culture of wellness through programs such as health screening, mechanisms to support a physical fitness culture, and a wellness newsletter. 

Providing Effective Occupational Medicine, Health, and Safety Programs
In collaboration with Department components, the OCS assists in establishing appropriate policies, standards, and requirements for health and safety programs that affect the workforce. To minimize the affect of employee illness or injury to the Department’s mission, the OCS ensures compliance with existing regulatory requirements for public safety positions and workforce safety.  The OCS also partners with the Department's Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer to incorporate health and medical considerations in position descriptions and post-incident analyses. 

Leadership

The Office of Component Services is led by Kathryn Brinsfield, M.D., MPH, F.A.C.E.P.