Chris Essid

Chris Essid currently serves as the Senior Advisor for Public Safety Information Technology for the CISA Emergency Communications Division (ECD). Previously, Chris served as the Emergency Communications Chief within the Integrated Operations Division (IOD) of CISA, where he led emergency communication services delivery for the 23 states that comprise Regions 4-7. Chris first joined DHS in 2007, standing up what is now ECD as the first ECD Director and Deputy Director. He also served as the Acting Director of the Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience Division within CISA. He led efforts to develop the first National Emergency Communications Plan, stood up the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC), established the SAFECOM Grant Guidance as the required common guidance across federal grants, and supported the stand up of the First Responder Network Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee. Chris championed the adoption of Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans (SCIP) and inclusive Statewide Interoperability Governance Bodies (SIGB’s) nationwide. Chris served as the co-chair for the Canada United States Communications Interoperability Working Group, supporting the President’s Beyond the Border bilateral effort to increase communications along Canadian border. Chris was selected to serve as a Civil Expert to support the NATO Civil Communications Planning Group to support civil emergency planning efforts, championed the Southwest Border Communications Working Group, established the One DHS Communications Working Group to support our international partners.