Most Americans remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001 vividly. One Treasure Valley man was outside of Washington D.C. on that day, attending a FEMA conference on combating terrorism.
Retired Boise Airport Police Chief Mike Johnson says, at first, the class he was in thought what they were seeing on television was part of a training scenario.
They quickly realized the reality and severity of those tragic events.
"I knew right then, the world as we knew it was going to change," Johnson said.
Johnson said while members in his class from New York and New Jersey rushed to contact family members, he called the Boise Airport, which had been placed on lock-down.
Johnson says prior to the attacks on 9/11, the Boise Airport was undergoing an upgrade. After the attacks, builders were able to reconfigure plans to accommodate for heightened security measures such as large X-Ray machines for baggage.
