December 12, 2001—Leading design and construction industry groups and several federal agencies have agreed to collaborate on issues related to the security of the nation’s structures and other types of man-made infrastructure in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The collaboration is known as The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP).
The group’s key objective is to use the collective technical expertise of professionals in the design and construction industry and government, as well as the group’s research and development capability. Members will engage in regular forums to share information and build professional relationships, working cooperatively to protect America’s citizens. The partnership plans to hold quarterly discussion forums on key issues, as well as a yearly conference.
More than forty organizations, ranging from the American Institute of Architects to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have expressed interest in joining TISP, and more are expected to respond to letters of invitation.
“We must examine the vulnerability of our infrastructure systems,” said H. Gerard Schwartz, Jr., president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which is co-coordinating the efforts. “The events of September 11 have issued a wake-up call to the nation, providing a unique opportunity to the civil engineering profession to take a leadership role in responding to the need to protect and enhance our infrastructure.”
A signing ceremony involving all the participating organizations is tentatively planned for late January 2002. For more information, contact Lawrence P. Delaney, chief architect of the US Army Corps of Engineers, at 202/761-4945.
