9-11 after 7

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Fact Box

"Since 9/11 we have made great strides to better protect our nation and our state. I have fought hard and successfully to fund the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program which gets critical resources to our communities' first responders. Also, I was proud to author and see my Visa Waiver Program reforms become law. And I have worked hard to reform our intelligence community. But we have to understand that our work will never really be done as long as there are extremists looking to hurt us and destroy our way of life."

George Voinovich,

U.S. senator, R-Ohio

Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001? Most people probably know. The seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks occurs this week.

Two highjacked airplanes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third highjacked airplane crashed into the Pentagon. Passengers on a fourth highjacked plane were credited with preventing a similar attack elsewhere. While most people may remember where they were or what they were doing seven years ago, a more relevant question for today is: What has changed since then?

"Before Sept. 11, we all thought 'terrorism' was just a big buzz word," said County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Stahl.

"The government has taken great steps now to raise our level of preparedness. They've done that in quite a few different ways, by the services they provide, with our federal security, coast guard, surveillance, intelligence, all that type of stuff. Clear down to the county level too with the local emergency management agency. We now have a 'terrorism planning team' in the county. We've had that since probably 2002."

Stahl said the terrorism planning team began its work by preparing for possible terrorism attacks locally, then became transformed into a team preparing for various types of disasters or large-scale emergencies.

"It probably really doesn't matter if it's terrorism or a major chemical spill, transportation accident, tornado coming through," Stahl said. "We're going to be faced with many of the same issues to try to recover from that incident."

Stahl said new grant money became available after Sept. 11. In Seneca County, the biggest investment of grant money and local funds during the post-Sept. 11 era has been in communication equipment.

As the county prepares to build a new communication tower in the Attica area,

Stahl said the county is nearing $1 million in investments in communication equipment.

Stahl said prior to Sept. 11, the county had a "hodge-podge" of communication systems on three different radio bands. The county now has a more centralized system with more than 950 radios operational.

Other new equipment purchased with grant money in the post-Sept. 11 era include protective equipment for responders, radiological detection equipment, heavy rescue equipment, chemical detection equipment, equipment to decontaminate individuals exposed to hazardous materials and various other items.

Stahl said efforts are under way to gain greater community involvement as well. Citizens Corps meeting are scheduled for Sept. 18-20.

Sheriff's office

Seneca County Sheriff Tom Steyer has seen changes as well.

"The biggest change I have seen is the state of Ohio has its own homeland security department now," Steyer said. "All the sheriffs are involved in that. We've come up with different emergency plans and so forth that we are keeping up to date with, in case of some type of disaster.

"The other thing I've seen, that has probably effected the sheriff's office more, is the daily population of immigration detainees."

The Seneca County Jail has an agreement with the department of Immigration Customs Enforcement to house immigration detainees. Steyer said ICE seems to be much more aggressive since Sept. 11 about detaining illegal immigrants. Recently, three illegal immigrants were detained after fishing in the river north of Tiffin. Steyer said prior to Sept. 11, immigration officials probably would not become involved.

The United States and Seneca County may be a safer and better prepared place seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, but life is not necessarily better for everyone. For Hispanic migrant workers who travel to the area each year, the post Sept. 11 era has been more difficult than before.

Migrant workers

"It's very sad to see these people suffer because of what others have done," Amelia Nava said.

Nava, a Tiffin resident, is an advocate for migrant workers in the area and around the country. One wall in her living room is covered by awards, civic citations, resolutions from Ohio legislators, and other documents of appreciation for her work over a many years. Her efforts began years ago in her original home state of Texas, where she interpreted for Spanish-speaking workers on her father's farm.

Nava said many of the migrant workers feel as though they have been labeled as terrorists in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

"They were not the ones who destroyed the buildings," Nava said. "They (the attackers) came by air, not by the river."

Illegal immigrants are among the migrant workers, Nava said. Migrants cannot get medical care without several minutes of "interrogation" to determine their legal status. Education for migrant children is also a problem.

Nava said Mexicans with darker skin are more likely to be detained and questioned in the U.S. than lighter skinned Mexicans.

Part of what Nava does in her efforts to assist migrant workers is to teach them about laws in the United States.

She knows about the three men detained for fishing in the river without fishing licenses. Fishing licenses are not needed in rural Mexico where the men came from, Nava said. Nava acknowledges the men were illegal immigrants and were detained for being in the U.S. illegally. Nava said they only came to the U.S. to work, not cause trouble.

"The majority come to work," Nava said. "Immigration is scaring them."

Nava said most of the workers who come from Mexico plan to return to Mexico.

"Sept. 11 affected every person in the country," Nava said.