{"id":2032,"date":"2019-11-01T12:48:23","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T19:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2023-06-26T13:34:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T20:34:22","slug":"be-prepared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/2019\/11\/01\/be-prepared\/","title":{"rendered":"Be prepared"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of you know that I am inherently optimistic. I look for and hope for the best in people and situations.\u00a0 However, in this job I have had to adjust my approach slightly to \u201chope for the best but prepare for the worst!\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, I am very excited that our local wildland fire season has ended with the fall rains and cooler weather.\u00a0 It was a very mild fire season and we did not have either the fires or smoke in Pierce County like last year.\u00a0 (Please keep our friends in California in your thoughts as they are battling several serious fires and related power outages.)<\/p>\n

But as the fire season fades into the background, floods and winter storms step up to take its place!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m especially pleased to see the work we are doing to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies that may come our way.<\/p>\n

I recently attended a new meeting developed by Jody Ferguson, our director of Emergency Management. She pulled together a wide range of people and organizations into what she called the Quarterly Emergency Management Summit \u2013 and she took the meeting on the road.<\/p>\n

About 50 of us gathered at the City of Puyallup\u2019s Emergency Operations Center to connect, learn and develop the kind of partnerships that will pay huge dividends if, and more likely when, we need them in an emergency.<\/p>\n

Pierce County was well represented with folks from Planning and Public Works, Economic Development, Facilities, Human Services, and Communications, as well as our DEM colleagues. We were joined by many representatives for cities in the County and our first responder community.\u00a0 But, would you have expected to see representatives of a food bank and several school districts in such a meeting? \u00a0Their participation is critically important both from the perspective of who is impacted by AND who has capabilities to respond to an emergency.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The highlight of the meeting was hearing from Kirsten Hofmann from the City of Puyallup\u2019s Emergency Management department.\u00a0 Kirsten walked us through the comprehensive work her team did to launch a recent realistic emergency exercise.\u00a0 The result of 8 months of planning, the day focused on how to shelter people after an evacuation from flooding.<\/p>\n

Her drill was so thorough that they had provisions in place for how to shelter people unwilling to leave their pets, communicating with folks with hearing or language challenges, and how to care for people in trauma.<\/p>\n

Our own FAST Team (https:\/\/www.piercecountywa.gov\/995\/Functional-Assessment-Service-Teams-FAST<\/a>) was key to this effort \u2013 and drew praise from Kirstin.\u00a0 I saw several in the room furiously taking notes when the FAST team was being discussed!<\/p>\n

Our Human Services department also provided \u201cactors\u201d for the simulation, based on the kinds of clients they work with and care for daily.<\/p>\n

It was chilling to hear Kirsten talk about how they prepared for and intentionally had \u201csex offenders\u201d and other threats come to the shelter to see how the team would manage through those challenges.<\/p>\n

The result of the 5-hour intense exercise was an 80-page after action report filled with important lessons learned and areas for improvement.\u00a0 I\u2019m grateful to Kirsten and her team for their skillful work, and to Jody for bringing together a critically needed network of collaborators and partners.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking forward to attending the next Quarterly Summit.<\/p>\n

Before I move on, I want to encourage each of you to make sure you and your family (and pets) are prepared for an emergency.\u00a0 Have you reviewed your emergency plan?\u00a0 Refreshed your emergency kit in your car?\u00a0 Office?\u00a0 Home?\u00a0 Signed up for PC WARN and ALERT?\u00a0 Remember, our residents are counting on us to help them in an emergency, and that starts with us making sure we are personally prepared! (https:\/\/www.co.pierce.wa.us\/945\/Personal-Preparedness<\/a>)<\/p>\n

_____________________<\/p>\n

One of the best parts of being the County\u2019s Executive is seeing firsthand the amazing work our employees do and the challenges they face.\u00a0 And you know I like to share these experiences through this blog.\u00a0 This week, I had the chance to see one of our Sheriff\u2019s units in action, but sadly can\u2019t tell you everything I saw.<\/p>\n

Lieutenant Cynthia Fajardo invited me to see some of the work our Special Investigations Unit (SIU) does.\u00a0 Among other things, the SIU spearheads our drug investigations and arrests \u2013 hence why I can\u2019t blog too freely.<\/p>\n

Last Tuesday, I had the chance to see the team \u201cbust\u201d an illegal marijuana operation in Parkland.\u00a0 Some of you may be thinking, \u201cMarijuana is legal in Washington. Why would we be \u2018busting\u2019 it?\u201d\u00a0 Because not only are they violating our laws around marijuana production and many other laws, but they are using harmful chemicals that will make the end-user sick and potentially kill them.\u00a0 Interestingly, our SIU team believes the marijuana in this \u201cgrow\u201d is intended for sale outside Washington.<\/p>\n

So, what can<\/strong> I tell you?<\/p>\n