The AIA, design and construction industry groups, and several federal agencies formed The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) last week to collaborate on issues related to the security of the nation's buildings and infrastructure in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

"Each participating organization wants to do what it can to assist the nation's war on terrorism," said AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA. "As architects, we firmly believe in building security through innovative design. If we can share this expertise and, in the process, demonstrate that design makes a difference, we can help make the partnership a huge national asset."

"It's going to take both government and the private sector working together to meet the challenges we face as a nation," said Robert F. Shea, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration. "We need to find a role for all who want to help."

Collective technical expertise
Stated in its charter, the group's key objective is to employ the collective technical expertise of professionals in the design and construction industry and government, as well as the group's research and development capability. The partnership members plan to hold quarterly forums and a yearly conference.

"Events have provided the engineering community—the professions, the industries, and all public and private entities—an unprecedented opportunity to combine and share their enormous capabilities to serve our nation and free world," said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Henry J. Hatch, PE, chair of the Federal Facilities Council (FFC). "Not since World War II has a renewed collaboration been so needed."

Many groups taking part
Some 40 organizations already have expressed interest in joining TISP, and more are expected to respond to invitations to join. "Together, we are a tremendous resource of expertise," said Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Pat Stevens, executive director of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). "Our society has stood for engineering in the nation's defense for over 80 years and brings thousands of military and civilian engineers and over 2,400 corporate members to the table, so of course we are eager to build a more secure environment for our nation and its people. Perhaps the partnership can even assist the new Office of Homeland Security."

"We must examine the vulnerability of our infrastructure systems," added H. Gerard Schwartz Jr., president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). "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."

The partnership's steering committee authored the charter and will plan the initial forums. The committee consists of representatives from the AIA, American Council of Engineering Companies, ASCE, Associated General Contractors of America, FEMA, FFC, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, SAME, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Strong support
The partnership has the strong support of Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, who visited the World Trade Center's ground zero in the days following the attack. "If architects and engineers can work together to prevent another disaster like this one, we should not hesitate," he said. Dwight A. Beranek, PE, ACE chief of engineering and construction, proposed establishing TISP on September 21 at a joint forum, where the idea received unanimous support.

The steering committee's first discussions included the scope of the partnership, which they decided to limit to the built environment. "The more you think about security, the bigger it gets," said Beranek. "We decided we had to focus on our source of expertise--security in design and construction--without losing sight of all the factors that can influence that."

A signing ceremony for all participants is planned for late January 2002. For more information, contact Lawrence P. Delaney, AIA, chief architect of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 202-761-4945.

This article is drawn from a press release issued jointly by the:
• AIA
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• American Council of Engineering Companies
• Associated General Contractors of America
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Federal Facilities Council
• Naval Facilities Engineering Command
• Society of American Military Engineers
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.