Does Katy ISD have an Emergency Management Plan?

Yes. For many years the district has had emergency plans and procedures in place in order to address emergency situations that a campus or the district may face. The district has a School Safety Task Force which reviews these plans annually. The School Safety Task Force includes representatives from each campus, as well as from Emergency Service Agencies (EMS, Fire, and Law Enforcement) in the Katy area. 

In August 2005, the Katy ISD Board of Trustees passed a resolution adopting the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as the standard used by Katy Independent School District for the effective management of situations involving natural disasters, man-made disasters or terrorism, as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 5 (HSPD-5).

 What type of situations does the district’s Emergency Management Plan address?

Katy ISD uses an all-hazards approach to emergency management planning. This means that the district has a formal process to identify threats and hazards, to reduce the risk from those threats and hazards, and to prepare should a disaster occur. Some of the hazards addressed in the plan are fires, violence and crime, utility failures, floods, tornadoes, accidents, and technological failures such train derailments or pipeline leaks.

Is the Katy ISD Emergency Management Plan current?

Yes.  In 2009 the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid for a team from the District to attend the pilot presentation and help evaluate the Emergency Management Institute’s “Multihazard Emergency Planning for Schools” course.  When the team returned from the Emergency Management Institute the District revised and updated its plan. 

Does Katy ISD have someone to oversee the district’s emergency management activities?

Yes. In 2009 the District reassigned the Safety Manager from the Risk Management Department to Emergency Management Coordinator in the Police Department. 

Does the District have to report its plan to the State?

Yes. The Texas School Safety Center requires the district to file a report with the state that includes an audit on safety and security, as well as Emergency Management Plans. The Texas School Safety Center has such confidence in the Katy ISD plan that they recently asked the district to assist another district in the Houston area with the development of that district’s hurricane planning.

Does Katy ISD have partners in its emergency planning?

Yes. The District recently approved an agreement for emergency mutual assistance with the City of Katy.  That agreement is in addition to existing agreements with Harris County, Fort Bend County, and the United States Coast Guard.  Katy ISD has hosted regional emergency exercises that have included over thirty of these partner agencies.  Those partners include local fire departments and hospitals, city and county emergency services and public health, state emergency services, and even federal responders.  The District is set to again host an emergency exercise in May at Seven Lakes High School to practice plans for a public health emergency. 

I have heard that my school is currently working on an emergency plan. If the district has a plan why is my school working on a plan?

Each school is unique in its needs. The schools have all assigned an individual, usually an assistant principal, to school safety. These individuals are working to create plans that address the unique situation at each school in a way that is consistent with the District plan.

What guides the schools when an emergency occurs?

Katy ISD has an emergency response guide in every classroom and is accessible from the desktop of every staff computer in the district. In addition, to ensure that critical supplies are available in time of emergency, every classroom has an emergency kit, which includes a notebook, flashlight, first aid kit, whistle, and other supplies specific to the school’s needs.