The roles and responsibilities of the local community changed after September 11, 2001. Shortly after 9/11, President Bush equated Homeland Security to a nationwide neighborhood watch program. The President encouraged citizens and communities to be more diligent in their awareness of neighborhood activity, to report reasonable suspicions to their local police, and to become more involved in emergency preparedness. To that end, several residents participated in the Citizens’ Police Academy and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs.

In March 2006, the city and entities that provide services to the areas hosted an emergency preparedness seminar at St. John's Mercy Medical Center. Speakers emphasised that, if a catastrophic incident should hit, residents should be able to take care of themselves for at least three days. Seminar topics also included an overview of the city's Emergency Operations Plant, the role and capabilities of fire service, incident command procedures, and how citizens can prepare for such difficult times through planning, preparation, and education.

Moreover, every school within the city has developed or improved its critical incident plan. Every hospital has also improved their plan, adding a response to bioterrorism and even researching a regional patient tracking program in the event of a major disaster. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has provided a handbook on security for community institutions, including churches and synagogues.

More small businesses have started to appreciate their need for emergency planning, while many larger businesses have bolstered their emergency response plans. Monsanto hosted two emergency preparedness seminars in 2002 - one for police, fire, and medical personnel, and one open to the public. Several local entities cosponsored the events including the City of Creve Coeur, the Creve Coeur Fire Protection District, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, the Chamber of Commerce, the county Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the county Health Department.

The community has become quite involved, and the city is doing even more. In 1999 the city updated its Emergency Operations Plan in preparation for Y2K, and in 2002 the Terrorist Incident Response annex was added. Eighty percent of Police Department personnel are trained in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as Creve Coeur Police Department is only one of four local law enforcement agencies committed to the St. Louis County WMD/Terrorism Response Unit. In fact, two Creve Coeur officers train others in the proper use and wearing of WMD personal protective equipment. The Creve Coeur Police Department and the fire district participated in multijurisdictional, multidiscipline practical WMD exercises in May 2002 at the Washington University campus and in August 2002 at Millennium Park, which included an Army WMD response team from Ft. Leonardwood.

In generations past, it was the commitment of citizens that made communities grow and prosper. It is that same sense of community, a willingness to get and stay involved, that is still needed to keep our city and our country safe and strong today.