U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Safely connect using HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Publications Library
  3. Best Practices Collection

Best Practices Collection

Information promoted by the department as being correct or most effective.

  • Sample Letters from AllClear ID

    The following are a sample of the letters that have been mailed by AllClear ID.  Please note, not every letter is the same, depending on the circumstances.  The letter will have the name of Catherine Emerson, representing DHS, but will not be signed. If you have questions about the letter you received, please contact your component Privacy Officer.

  • Guidance for Accommodating Religious Beliefs in DHS Policies Requiring Fingerprinting or Photographic Identification

    There are many circumstances in which the Department, in the execution of its missions, requires individuals to pose for or provide a photograph or provide fingerprints. This guidance outlines accommodating religious beliefs in DHS policies when fingerprinting or photographic evidence in required.

    These documents outline guidance for accommodating religious beliefs in DHS policies requiring fingerprinting or photographic identification. The work underlying the memo was done by the Religious Accommodation Working Group I.

  • Guidance for Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Regarding the Use of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, National Origin, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Disability

    This 2023 Guidance supersedes the Department of Justice’s 2014 Guidance regarding the use of race and other protected individual characteristics by Federal law enforcement agencies.

  • The First Responder Guidance for Improving Survivability in Improvised Explosive Device and/or Active Shooter Incidents

    The First Responder Guidance for Improving Survivability in Improvised Explosive Device and/or Active Shooter Incidents translates evidence-based response strategies from the U.S. military’s vast experience in responding to and managing casualties from IED and/or active shooter incidents into the civilian first responder environment. This guidance also incorporates civilian best practices and lessons learned from similar incidents, both in the United States and abroad.

  • DHS Security Authorization Templates

    This page contains templates that are used in the Security Authorization process for the Department of Homeland Security's sensitive systems.

  • Audit of Eligible Stafford Act Claimed Costs

    This covers the timing of recording eligible Stafford recipient costs related to Hurricane Sandy that are reimbursable under the Stafford Act on a recipient’s Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA).  The recording of recipient’s expenditures under  SEFA relating to Stafford Act funds should be based on when the fund are approved.  

  • DHS Campus Resilience Pilot Program

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), and Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) are developing a web-enabled Campus Resilience (CR) system which will provide practical and immediately useable processes and tools to a wide array of campus communities. The CR system will be developed through targeted community engagement with six selected university and college campuses via the Campus Resilience Pilot Program (CR Pilot). With a final goal of making America’s campuses more resilient, the CR Pilot must include these elements: (1) promote FEMA’s Whole Community philosophy, (2) draw upon existing DHS resources and also those originating from the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and (3) assist American schools to proactively assess and plan for major man-made or natural incidents.

  • Tips for Effectively Communicating with the Whole Community in Disasters

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners remain in close coordination with state, local, and tribal governments to coordinate and provide resources as needed in connection with preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation associated with Hurricane Harvey impacting Texas and Louisiana.

  • Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following A Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued guidance, based on a federal interagency working group effort, to educate first responders on protective actions they should take in the event of a wide-area anthrax release.  The document, “Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health during the First Week Following a Wide-Area Aerosol Anthrax Attack,” focuses on a specific scenario of a large-scale aerosol anthrax release in a major U.S. city and the immediate post-attack environment.

  • DHS Complaint Avenues Guidance

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has many avenues for the public to make complaints involving DHS employees or programs, alleged violations of civil rights and civil liberties, immigration filing, travel redress, and other types of grievances. This guide brings together information about these avenues.