In March 2006, Governor Corzine issued an executive order creating the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness as a cabinet-level agency for the State of New Jersey. The executive order defined the office’s mission as being responsible “to administer, coordinate, lead, and supervise New Jersey’s counter-terrorism and preparedness efforts." The executive order also set the office’s goal as coordination of "emergency response efforts across all levels of government, law enforcement, emergency management, nonprofit organizations, other jurisdictions, and the private sector, to protect the people of New Jersey.

Governor Corzine then appointed Richard Cañas, a career law enforcement and counter-terrorism expert, as director of the office. The director serves as the principal advisor on homeland security and preparedness issues.

The office absorbed the functions of the former state Office of Counter-Terrorism, which include investigations, as well as information and intelligence gathering and analysis, and intelligence and information-sharing functions.

The office also now oversees the New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force, the state’s multi-agency cabinet-level policy body for homeland security, counter-terrorism and preparedness issues. The director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness serves as the Task Force’s chair.

The Office has a mission to coordinate its activities among state department and agencies, and between:

The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness works closely with the State Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), housed in the Division of State Police.

While the office has responsibility for overseeing statewide emergency response coordination, the NJOEM continues as the state’s primary operational agency in terms of managing the consequences of emergencies and the post-event response to emergencies.