On Thursday October 30, 2003, Delta, Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, and Grand Junction recorded exceedances of the twenty-four-hour PM10 standard with readings of 215 ug/m3 at Delta, 177 ug/m3 at Crested Butte, 165 ug/m3 at Mount Crested Butte, and 234 ug/m3 at Grand Junction. The exceedances were caused by a combination of dense smoke transported from the massive wildfires in Southern California and blowing dust from the desert Southwest and local sources. A local wildfire near Aspen also contributed to elevated particulate levels in the area.
For the emergency management community, the incredible events of September 11, 2001, and their many outcomes have led to changes so extensive they are hard to document. A gross indication of the impacts of these changes is evidenced simply by counting the important legislative and bureaucratic changes that have occurred since September 11, 2001. Along with new threats have come new resources, and those resources have new requirements connected to them. Additionally, new intergovernmental and inter-organizational relationships are necessary to achieve greater safety and security for U.S. citizens.
