DHS launches YouTube channel

The Homeland Security Department has a new YouTube channel with links to YouTube videos by FEMA, the Coast Guard and other agencies.

The Homeland Security Department has started a YouTube Channel to publicize several dozen videos produced by headquarters and links to several hundred videos produced by its component agencies.

The DHS YouTube Channel has links to YouTube channels sponsored by four of the department’s agencies — the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Transportation Security Administration, officials said July 22.

The Coast Guard’s 467 videos are the most popular, with nearly 200,000 views. FEMA ranks second, with 163 videos and about 44,000 views, they said.

“Social media plays an increasingly large role in our engagement with the public, especially in the event of an incident or disaster,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. “These new tools will facilitate an open dialogue about the department’s security efforts across the nation and around the world.”

The channel showcases about two dozen videos, including several on topics of emergency preparedness for families, infrastructure protection and swine flu. It also has videos about department operations, speeches and events.