HSEM Policies

Notice of Nondiscrimination

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management complies with Federal civil rights laws and is committed to providing its programs and services without discrimination in accordance with:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin (including language).
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based on disability.
• Title IX of the Educations Amendments Act of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities.
• Age Discrimination Act of 1975, which prohibits discrimination based on age.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulation 6 C.F.R. Part 19, which prohibits discrimination based on religion in social service programs.

For additional information, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

Information and Services for Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Limited English Proficiency 

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

• Provides free aids and services, such as qualified sign language interpreters and written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, etc.), to communicate effectively with persons with disabilities.
• Provides free language services, such as qualified foreign language interpreters and information written in other languages, to ensure meaningful access to programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency. 

If you need these services, please contact: 

To File a Complaint 

If you think that the department has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way based on race, color, national origin (including language), disability, sex, or age, you can file a complaint in person or by mail, fax or email with Larry Gioffredi.

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL). 

Email is the fastest method to submit your complaint.

Terms & Conditions

The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEM) website and associated web services are provided as a public service by HSEM.  Information presented herein is considered public information and may be distributed or copied, however, use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested. HSEM, its officials and employees make no warranty, representation or guaranty as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the information provided herein. HSEM and the Iowa Department of Public Defense expressly disclaim any and all liability for any loss or injury caused, in whole or in part, by its actions, omissions, or negligence in procuring, compiling or providing the information contained in this site, including without limitation, liability with respect to any use of this site, or the information contained herein. Reliance on the information contained on this site, is solely at your own risk.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Privacy Statement & Policy

Personally identifiable information which may be collected by use of this site includes IP numbers, date/time, stamps, methods, path, status code and size of request. The information that is available from governmental websites is subject to these principles and policies:

Access to personally identifiable information in public records at state and local levels of government in Iowa is controlled primarily by Chapter 22 of the Code of Iowa. Information generally available under Chapter 22 – and not made confidential elsewhere in the Code of Iowa – may be posted for electronic access.

Persons concerned with regard to information about them should contact the custodian of the record, which typically is the state agency or other governmental entity that collects and maintains the information.

The information collected should only be that necessary to provide the information or services sought by a requester, just as a person might provide such information when visiting a governmental office in person.

The information collected is subject to the same controls and uses as that collected by governmental offices visited in person, again subject to the access and confidentiality provisions of Chapter 22, or to other applicable sections of the Code of Iowa. You do not have to provide personal information to visit the web sites or download information. The IP (Internet Protocol) numbers of computers used to visit these sites are noted as part of our statistical analysis on use of our web sites and how to better design services and facilitate access to them. No marketing databases are created nor are any commercial uses made of any such data. Government agencies may request personally identifiable information from you in order to provide requested services, but such information is handled as it would be on an in-person visit to a government office.

Various other websites may be linked through this site. Private sector sites are not subject to Chapter 22. Visitors to those sites may wish to check their privacy statements and be cautious about providing personally identifiable information.

Accessibility Statement

The Iowa Dept. of Homeland Security and Emergency Management seeks to bring HSEM websites into basic compliance with Section 508 code. To achieve compliance with the Section 508 Standard, you need to adhere to Paragraphs A thru P of Section (1194.22).

If any file format prevents you from accessing information, please contact us for assistance. In order to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please contact us and note the nature of your accessibility concern, the format in which you prefer to receive the material, and the web address of the requested material.

We also welcome any feedback on how to improve the site’s accessibility.

Links to Other Sites

This site has links to other websites as a convenience to our customers. These links may be operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses. When you use one of these links you are no longer on this site and this Privacy Statement and Policy will not apply. When you link to another website, you are subject to the policies of the new site.

When you follow a link to one of these sites neither HSEM, Iowa Department of Public Defense, or any other agency, officer, or employee of the State warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by the external sites, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from these systems, and cannot be held liable for any losses caused by use of or reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of the information. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from these systems does so at his or her own risk.

Warranties

The information contained on this web site is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. The state of Iowa assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this publication or other documents which are referenced by or linked to this publication. References to corporations, their services and products, are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. In no event shall the state of Iowa be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information. This publication could include technical or other inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of this publication. The state of Iowa may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time.