Shortly after the 9/11 attack in 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned of a possible threat that could be directed to our area. Public officials from Allen County, Shawnee Township, and Lima and leaders from the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, the refinery, and chemical plants in the area started meeting to talk about security. While the threat was deemed not credible, what grew out of the meetings did. The Lima Area Security Emergency Response or LASER Task Force was formed to strengthen the security around some high-value targets in the county.