9/11 brings enhanced security to US-Canada border

By WILSON RING

The Associated Press

RICHFORD, Vt. — Just south of the U.S.-Canadian border in the Vermont town of Richford is a giant outpost, an imposing symbol of the changes wrought by the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

In this Aug. 10, 2011 photo, the helicopter pad is seen at the Border Patrol station in Richford, Vt. A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, Vermont’s border is a more secure place, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in homeland security funding that has beefed up security on the U.S.-Canadian border and elsewhere in Vermont. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2008 file photo, a border agent checks a vehicle in Highgate Springs, Vt. A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, Vermont’s border is a more secure place, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in homeland security funding that has beefed up security on the U.S.-Canadian border and elsewhere in Vermont. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2010 file photo, Border Patrol Agent in Charge John Pfiefer looks over security screens in the command center in Swanton, Vt. A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, Vermont’s border is a more secure place, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in homeland security funding that has beefed up security on the U.S.-Canadian border and elsewhere in Vermont. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

Election 2012: Across the nation

• Romney won't reject Trump on birther issue
• Campaigns dig through online data to target voters
• GOP ties Obama to NH student debt, ignores origins
• Warning signs for Obama on path to electoral votes
• A state-by-state look at the road to 270
• Delegate count: Who's leading GOP?

More Nation & World stories »

• APNewsBreak: FEMA trailer litigation nears end
• Air Canada plane makes emergency landing
• Police say man is charged in deaths of 4 in W.Va.
• Michigan wildfire destroys nearly 100 buildings

Built by the Border Patrol on 35 acres of land, the 26,000-square-foot structure is the base of operations for agents patrolling about a 25-mile stretch of the international boundary between Vermont and Quebec. It has state-of-the-art communications, a kennel for law enforcement dogs, a booking area with holding cells and office space for up to 50 agents. Outside there's a helicopter pad.

The boundary has been described as the longest undefended border in the world. The enhanced security is probably the most visible change since 9/11 in northern Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York. Surveillance from helicopters and airplanes bolsters the border protection on the ground.

___

September 10, 2011 12:36 PM EDT

Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.