Notes on Society History

The Origin of Society Chapters

Abstract

As the membership of the International System Safety Society began to include those living outside of the Greater Los Angeles area, it became evident that there was a need for chapters in order to provide a more direct interaction of individuals attempting to understand and implement the nebulous field of system safety. As previously noted, nearly all the charter and earliest subsequent members of the Society were associated with the Southern California Aerospace/Air Force complex. During the first few years, there was little thought given to the need for chapters, since most members lived in the L.A. area and could attend the annual Society dinner meetings.

As time went on, the need to find qualified individuals to respond to the contractual requirements of MILS- 38130 and other system safety requirements challenged contractors elsewhere. At the same time, the surge by governmental agencies to initiate system safety practices accelerated. This need led to the recruitment of many of the early system safety practitioners for key positions in other locations, especially in the DC and other Northeast locations. This altered the demographics of Society membership, and enthused the desire for local chapters.