ASIS-HOUSTON CHAPTER MINUTES

6/15/06

The luncheon meeting was held at the Renaissance Hotel Chairman John Brady presiding. 49 members and guests attended.

Prayer and Pledge: John Brady

The meeting included the introduction of guests and new members. New member certificates have been mailed.

COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

Web: Mike Crocker CPP: The funding is almost complete. There are (3) sponsorship spots still available; (1) $600, (2) $300. As RVP for Region 6, he also announced a new regional web page at www.asisregion6.org.

Golf: Bob Cascino CPP announced we will be making $20,500 in scholarship donations, $1,000 more than last year. A special Chapter thank you to Bob Cascino, Darin Dillon CPP, Bill Ewing, Andrea Laughlin, Charles Hutchinson and the remaining volunteers for their time and efforts to make the Tournament such a success.

Treasurer’s report: Distributed.

Training Opportunity: Mark your calendars for the first week in November for our annual training seminar. There will be 5 days of training available.

Certifications: The next PSP review ill be held on June 7, 21 and 28. The location is TBD. Contact Geoff Mules PSP at securityconsultants @houston.rr.com for more information.

Public Service Award:

Richard Vacar; Director of Aviation, Houston Airport System

Mark Mancuso; Deputy Director of Aviation, Public Safety and Technology

David Poynor; Coordinator of the Airport Rangers Program

Greg Walker, Esq., ARM, CPP introduced our honorees.

The three awards are in recognition of the creation of The Airport Rangers Program, the largest all-volunteer security-oriented program in the country. This program has been the focus of numerous articles in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, Fox News and other local media.

For many years, horse enthusiasts have been riding on the Bush Intercontinental Airport property, which encompasses over 10,000 acres. There are over 25 miles of woodland trails and another 25 miles of fence line property that is open for riding. After 9/11, the honorees creatively organized this group into a formalized volunteer organization. Every participant must sign a contract, pass a background check, check in/out with Security while on patrol and carry a cell phone at all times. Their observations have enhanced overall physical security by contributing to the arrest of car thieves, discovery of illegally dumped chemical barrels, trespassers riding 4-wheelers, and even hunters.

Both Director Vacar and Deputy Director Mancuso helped in the creation of the program and have provided exceptional on-going support. David Poynor personally oversees 750 volunteers; providing administrative record keeping, training, orientation, and semi-weekly email communication with each participant. The program has now expanded to include the Houston Area Search and Rescue Dog Team.

Each honoree accepted a plaque in appreciation of their outstanding service to the community.

SPEAKER: Cecilia Sinclair, Chief Meteorologist, KRIV Fox 26

Topic: Hurricane Weather-casting

A Category 5 hurricane is rare; only three have hit the U.S. in recorded history. The most recent was Hurricane Andrew, which hit southern Florida in 1992. The adage is “run from the water, hide from the wind”, yet 85% of those in Andrew’s strike zone did not evacuate. Surprisingly, there were few fatalities because they sought shelter in the most structurally safe areas of their homes. Most houses can withstand up to 110 MPH winds. 25 mph winds exert 50 pounds of pressure; 75 mph winds exert 450 pounds of pressure and 125 mph winds exert 1250 pounds of pressure. However, anyone in a coastal area (under 30’ above sea-level) must evacuate because they will not be able to withstand the 1700 pounds per cubic yard of water rushing in due to storm surge. Storm surge can arrive up to a day before landfall.

A Category 4 is the strongest storm to hit the Texas coast. The last one was Carla in 1964. There were 28 named storms in 2005, breaking the 1933 record of 21 named storms. Katrina was a high-end Level 3 and Rita was a low-end Level 3. The forecast for Katrina was amazingly accurate even 5 days out. However, if Katrina had made landfall 10 miles further west, the loss of life (particularly in New Orleans) would have been far greater. Katrina destroyed over 275,000 homes (28,000 in Andrew). Rita was the strongest storm ever to enter the Gulf and the forecast was not as accurate for this storm because of its size and changing course. It actually made landfall 70 miles east of the forecast (of Galveston). Remember to always look at the total area in the cone of error, not just the center pathway.

We all know that the area evacuation did not go as well as planned. Previous plans only included approximately 1 million people in the storm surge area. However, over 3.5 million people in the Houston area evacuated, primarily out of fear from the recent devastation caused by Katrina. Flood zones need to evacuate a day or two before the storm surge arrives; those in a wind-zone can evacuate on the day the wind arrives or even after the storm if their utilities are affected. Early in the season, storms tend to stall causing large rainfall and flooding. Higher intensity storms tend to strike later in the season.

Preparation is the key to comfort, even survival. Every week buy extra water, batteries and non-perishable supplies and restock as you use them. You need to have a two week supply of all necessities, including medication. Be sure to purchase a battery powered radio and/or TV. There are even hand-cranked power-generated models available that will also charge your cell phone. Organize your important papers in a quick-to-grab case, with copies stored in an out-of–storm-range location. Ms. Sinclair provided a handout with more detailed instructions.

Several agencies predict storm activity. The average prediction for 2006 is 11 storms, with a 74% chance of a tropical storm hitting the Texas coast and a 40-47% chance of a hurricane strike. The next 2-3 decades will see an increased period of activity, similar to the 11 storms that hit the upper Texas coast during the 1940’s.

Channel 26 has added 700 AM radio to its simultaneous broadcast. They will be launching new state-of-the-art radar in July and a new web-site in August. Ms. Sinclair also talked about the new Houston Weather Museum on Caroline Street. Stay tuned!

Ms. Sinclair accepted a plaque in appreciation of her time and presentation.

The next meeting is July 20.