HOUSTON ASIS Meeting Minutes

2/27/02

Chapter 012

Pamela Duncan, Secretary

The Chapter met February 27, 2002 at the Doctor’s Club. Chairman Mike Mason CPP presided. 83 members and 5 guests attended. Prior to the meeting, several members of the Executive Committee participated in Leadership training presented by Region 6 VP Lisa Smith.

Opening Invocation and Pledge: Mike Crocker CPP

Business Issues:

• RVP Lisa Smith, visiting from Austin, announced the International Conference will be held in Philadelphia. The dates are slightly different than usual due to scheduling conflicts at the Convention Center. They will be Tuesday September 10 through Friday September 13. Paul Revere and the Raiders will be the entertainment guests.
• CPP Review: Karim Vellani CPP; The first session starts March 5. The classes have been moved to accommodate the larger class of 45. They will be held at the Pinkerton-Burns offices (directions are posted on the web page).
• Web design: Mike Crocker announced our web designer, Bruce Rodriquez, A+, CNA, MCSE will be putting the new web page on-line early in March. It will have new links, reservation and fax broadcasting capabilities. Mike recognized each donor and sponsor who made the redesign possible.
• Training opportunities:

1. Metroplex 2002: Terrorism in America sponsored by the North Texas Chapter of ASIS on March 20 at City Place in Dallas. For more information call 972-496-2090.

2. Bud Covert announced a seminar sponsored by the Energy Security Council on April 2-4. Call 713-296-1893 for further information.

• Nominations: Our vice-chairman, Pete Van de Gohm, has resigned. He has accepted a position with the Bayer Corporation and is moving to Pennsylvania. Rick Davis, Nominations Committee Chairman, accepted the nomination from the floor for Mike Crocker. Rick will accept any other nominations through March by calling him at 713-528-5200. The election will take place at the next meeting.
• Treasurer: Bob Cascino presented the treasurer’s report. Copies were distributed.
• Golf Tournament: Shadow Herman will be the Committee Chairman again this year and is in the process of organizing the location and dates.

Speaker: David Dewhurst

Texas Land Commissioner since 1999

Chairman, The Governor’s Task Force on Homeland Security

Candidate for Texas Lieutenant Governor

Governor Ridge, National Chairman for the Task Force on Homeland Security, recognizes to be successful there is a need for a strong relationship between private and public sectors. The Task Force’s goal is to conduct the risk assessments, make recommendations and facilitate effective communication between the two sectors. The Texas Committee focused on three areas:

· Coordination of agencies without duplication of efforts

· Ability to detect terroristic threats

· Assessment of response to those threats

A report was submitted on January 31, 2002 with 44 recommendations including 13 ways to improve threats to infrastructures, 6 in training, 9 in response to bioterriorism, 2 in communication/public announcements. The Federal 2003 budget includes a request for $38 billion for Homeland Security.

Texas has an excellent Office of Emergency Management headed by Tom Millwee. Mr. Millwee has focused on improving the relationship between the State OEM and local governments. There is a fine line between scaring people and being more vigilant. One area requiring focus is the alert system and how to classify an alert. For example, the Task Force risk assessment discovered there was an inability to notify schools immediately and simultaneously of a threat and no method to alert private schools. That void has since been corrected. Another area of focus is efficiently channeling a threat through the different agencies to assess its credibility.

The American public needs to learn to pay attention and be vigilant as they have in Europe. As much as we would like to return to the pace before September 11, the reality is we receive new threats to America daily. Industry needs to use its imagination to devise potential threat scenarios so that we can develop more creative methods to protect our infrastructures. How can we work together?

After a brief question and answer period, Mr. Dewhurst was given a plaque in appreciation of his time and presentation.

The next meeting is March 27 at 11:30 at the Doctor’s Club. Our speaker is Cliff Grumbles, the new Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Private Security.