Introducing Catherine Toohey, Emergency Management & Security Consultant

by Charles Hueter

We are pleased to announce a new addition to the Loss Prevention Services staff. Catherine Toohey is the Senior Emergency Management and School Security Consultant for Loss Prevention Services and comes to TASB with the experience and knowledge to help our members grapple with the difficult issues of campus security and emergency management planning.

Catherine earned her Bachelor of Arts in education from the University of Northern Iowa and her M.Ed. in Educational Administration from Texas State University. She spent over two years as a School Safety Specialist with the Texas School Safety Center (TXSSC) at Texas State University and was instrumental in developing the School Safety and Security Audit Toolkit. Before joining the TXSSC, Catherine was a teacher for 10 years and a campus administrator for 8 years in the central Texas area.

I met with Catherine recently to ask her about the new program she’s developing for the Fund.

Emergency management planning can be a daunting subject. Where do you suggest our members begin tackling this issue?

I believe training is critical. Senate Bill 11 (79R) started the ball rolling with the mandate for Emergency Operations Plans (EOP), School Safety and Security Audits, and School Security Design Criteria. Many schools struggled to meet those mandates by the deadlines and, perhaps, put having a plan in front of the planning process itself. With the additional requirements of House Bill 1831, schools must now create a School Safety and Security Committee to oversee their emergency plans and audit action plans. Training the members of this committee is crucial to ensure they have the skills to do their jobs well.

Regarding campus security, what are the biggest challenges facing our members?

Schools are traditionally the heart of the community. They are used as polling places, club meetings, religious services and other community gatherings. However, this “openness” of schools makes them vulnerable to many hazards, including being a soft target for violence and terrorism. The perception that “it won’t happen here” is one of the biggest obstacles schools must overcome. In addition, Texas has added legislation in the area of school safety but has not provided funding to help districts meet those mandates. With current budget constraints, schools need to be creative in finding ways to ensure the safety of their students and staff.

How often would you recommend a school district review their security plans?

According to law, an EOP must be reviewed at least once each year – but may need revision anytime it is activated and an after-action review indicates the needs for changes. The same holds true of campus emergency plans. The plans should be developed and reviewed in concert with local emergency response agencies, including police, fire, EMS, the health department, and any other entity that will be relied on to respond or assist in an emergency. The School Safety and Security Committee should definitely be involved in reviewing the plan.

Were there any recent legislative changes or mandates that would affect our membership?

As mentioned above, HB 1831 made some changes that schools should keep in mind. Key changes are:

• The addition of the School Safety and Security Committee at the district level and the functions they will serve
• Adding the EOP and Audit requirements to public junior colleges
• The addition of the language “mandatory drills and exercises” to the EOP requirements for public schools
• The establishment of a registry for persons providing school safety or security consulting services
• Clarification about the confidentiality of the emergency operations plan and safety and security audit and direction about what information schools must release

To best serve our members, we recently conducted an emergency management and school security needs assessment survey to gather data to influence program development. We hope that in the near future, we will have a program of training and resources available to our members to help fill some of the most critical needs.

If you would like to contact Catherine about campus security, emergency planning, or related subjects you can call her at 800.482.7276, extension 2054.