The Secretary oversees twelve state agencies, which are charged with a variety of responsibilities, including enforcing criminal, highway safety, and alcoholic beverage laws; protecting the public through confinement, treatment and re-entry preparation; training firefighters and other first responders, and planning and coordinating the state's emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation efforts.

Works with local government, state and federal agencies and voluntary organizations to provide resources and expertise through the four phases of emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.