"This is an example of where there were enough eyes and ears that were paying attention to what was going on that this was a plot that didn't go any further than a plot," Lance Clem, public information officer for the Colorado Department of Public Safety, said.

The Terrorism Liaison Officer program is designed to maximize the eyes and ears that watch for suspicious activity. To date, 370 law enforcement, fire and health officials from around the state have been trained in the program.

Every county in Colorado has had at least one individual trained.

The purpose of the program is to have people on the ground in every county work with citizens who report suspicious behavior. They help determine how to handle the report and who to notify.

"The idea is: this is kind of like a big neighborhood watch program and anyone who sees anything that looks odd to them, that doesn't fit, should call the Colorado Information Analysis phone number and report it," Clem said.

The telephone number for the Colorado Information Analysis Center is 720-852-6705. That phone line is staffed 24 hours a day.

The arrest of Zazi points to the need on the part of Coloradoans to be watchful. Not all terrorist activity takes place in New York City and it is possible that terrorists could try to fly under the radar of federal authorities by plotting attacks in smaller cities.

"Terrorists know that we're thinking: 'Oh, it is only New York and the rest of the country doesn't need to be worried about it,'" Clem said. "We do need to be worried about it. We do need to be mindful. We don't need to panic. We need to watch, listen and report."