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JEFFERSON CITY - Seven years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Missouri's Office of Homeland Security is still making efforts toward preventing future attacks.
Kyle Allen has lived in Jefferson City all his life. For him, 9/11 shaped his outlook. It did not measure his safety.
"I don't think my safety has changed any way whatsoever. I mean, I take a different look at riding an airplane, driving a car, dealing with the average person, but honestly I don't feel my safety has changed from that day until now," Allen said.
Although some feel safe, 9/11 is an event that still has Missourians more cautious of their surroundings. And officials say cautiousness is key.
"The real key to preventing terrorism is not necessarily organizations like the FBI or the CIA. It's about making sure our first responders are out there on the street everyday. If they see suspicious activities, they report it. If citizens see any activity they know what's appropriate to report," Homeland Security Coordinator Paul Fennewald said.
This is an issue Homeland Security officials said they've worked hard to teach citizens.
"I think that something major like this had to take place in order for Americans to wake up and say 'Oh! We do have a problem with terrorism,'" Fennewald said.
Missouri was the first state to create an Office of Homeland Security in response to 9/11.
Reported by: Cierra Obioha
Posted by: Jayme Wilson
Published: Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 10:26 PM |
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