About this Blog

Joshua D. Filler is the founder and President of Filler Security Strategies, Inc., (FSS), a homeland security consulting firm in Washington, DC. FSS provides consulting services to State and local governments, federal agencies, transit agencies, ports, Fortune 500 Companies and smaller technology firms. Mr. Filler has a wide array of senior homeland security and government operations experience at the local and federal level and has published numerous articles and given speeches and lectures on homeland security and emergency preparedness across the U.S. This blog will provide insights and perspective into a variety of homeland security issues, particularly those involving terrorism prevention and protection, based on Mr. Filler’s experience inside and outside of government.

Mr. Filler served as the first ever Director of the Office of State & Local Government Coordination for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Washington, DC. Mr. Filler was a founding member of DHS, senior advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security, a member of the Department’s senior management team and a member of the Secretary’s Emergency Response Group for incident management and high threat periods. As Director of the Office of State & Local Government Coordination, Mr. Filler was the Department of Homeland Security’s primary point of contact for state, local and tribal homeland security leaders, including Homeland Security Directors, Mayors, Governors, Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Emergency Managers and other leaders and was responsible for coordinating the programs and policies of the Department as they relate to local, state and tribal governments.

Mr. Filler worked regularly with senior DHS leaders and other federal officials on national preparedness, grant funding issues, intelligence and information sharing, policy development, communications, and anti-terrorism operations and security planning within the United States and its territories. This included numerous Homeland Security Presidential Directives, the creation of the Urban Areas Security Initiative, the Transit Security Grant Program, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Framework and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Mr. Filler also represented DHS before Congress, the news media and was a regular public speaker at national and international conferences on homeland security.

Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Filler was Director of Local Affairs for the White House Office of Homeland Security (OHS) in Washington, DC. As Director of Local Affairs, he was responsible for coordinating with local governments around the country on homeland security matters including the National Strategy for Homeland Security, federal legislative and budget issues, and serving as a member of the OHS Incident Response Group, which managed domestic incidents for the White House.

Before joining the White House, Mr. Filler served in the Cabinet of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in New York as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations and Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. His work included oversight of the New York Police Department, Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management and numerous other city agencies. After September 11, 2001, Mr. Filler was responsible for emergency operational issues and managing contacts with local, state and federal officials on behalf of New York City in connection with the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Prior to his government service, Mr. Filler was an attorney in private practice in New York. Mr. Filler graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in political science. He received his law degree from St. John’s University School of Law where he was President of the Moot Court Honor Society.