February 4, 2022  9:55am CT

Evanston Township High School District 202 will work with an independent consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive security review and analysis of the high school this winter and spring. On February 7, 2022, a recommendation will be made at the ETHS Board of Education meeting to contract with Paul Timm of Facility Engineering Associates (FEA) to perform the firm’s patented physical security assessment methodology.

The results of the assessment and analysis will be used to develop a unique plan based on the needs and priorities of ETHS. The project will launch in February and will include site visits to the ETHS campus. FEA will evaluate a wide range of areas from facilities to response plans and will make recommendations about the ways that ETHS can deter, detect, delay, and respond to crisis situations through a systems level approach.

In response to the lockdown at ETHS in December 2021, immediate steps were taken to review and assess processes, including student interventions and crisis planning, along with gathering information from internal and external stakeholders. ETHS District 202 continues to work regularly with the Evanston Police Department and other local first responders on the school’s safety and emergency preparedness. The independent analysis by FEA is designed to strengthen, enhance, and further prioritize safety for the high school’s 65-acre campus.

Paul Timm Biography

Paul Timm is Vice President of Facility Engineering Associates. A nationally acclaimed expert in physical security, Timm is a board-certified Physical Security Professional (PSP) and the author of School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program. He delivers frequent keynote addresses, is an experienced Crisis Assistance Team volunteer with the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA), is certified in Vulnerability Assessment Methodology (VAM) through Sandia National Laboratories and the ALPHA™ vulnerability assessment methodology, and is a member of ASIS International’s School Safety & Security Council and the Illinois Association of School Business Officials’ Risk Management Committee.