WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Homeland Security and Defense Business Council today released its 13th monograph as part of its "9/10/11 Project," describing the history of homeland security, the stand up of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and how the landscape has evolved over the past decade.
While the term "homeland security" was not part of the American lexicon until after 9/11, the concept of securing our homeland and borders from terrorism and disasters has long existed in U.S. history, albeit under the guise of different names and government agencies. Although Americans tend to view terrorism at home as a post 9/11 threat, it is not a new phenomenon. Perhaps it was the extended passing of time without any incidents, but on September 10, 2001, most Americans did not anticipate the new world our country would face the next day.
The work of streamlining our homeland security efforts began almost immediately, without the time to have a comprehensive and exhaustive debate on the best ways to organize and structure our efforts. The formation of DHS occurred less than 18 months after the attacks, and all or part of 22 different federal departments and agencies were to be integrated into a unified, single department.
"The commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the events of 9/11 allows us all to reflect on how much has changed and consider how much more prepared we are a decade later," said Marc Pearl, Council President & CEO. "Industry and government have worked together to confront the challenges, develop solutions and deploy products, technologies and services to create a more prepared, responsive, resilient, and secure homeland. Today and every day, we remember and honor those that lost their lives 10 years ago, and give thanks to the individuals, companies, and government agencies that have dedicated their time to protecting and defending our nation. But we must also view this as an opportunity to look forward, build on the lessons learned, and be ready to confront the ever-evolving challenges to our safety and security."
On the 10th of each month since the fall of 2010, the Council has released specific-topic monographs that provide a brief history of our nation's homeland security efforts on each issue; how far we have come since 9/11, and how industry solution providers and the government have worked together to address that topic. Each monograph has included a running timeline (interactive on the Council's website) illustrating the events, incidents, and critical government responses pertinent to that month's topic.
To view this month's monograph visit: http://homelandcouncil.org/the91011projectevolutionofhls.html
For more information on the project visit: http://www.homelandcouncil.org/91011-project.html
About the Council
The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization of the leading companies that bring homeland security solutions to the marketplace. The Council works to ensure that the perspective, innovation, expertise and capabilities of the private sector are recognized, respected and integrated with the public sector. For more information, please visit: www.homelandcouncil.org.