Crossposted from the DES Express

Last month, two staff members from King County Emergency Management had the unique opportunity to join the University of Oregon incident management team which was supporting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field. Nathan Emory and Edan Edmonson, both Emergency Management Program Coordinators, spent three days observing and lending a hand to the emergency management team.

The experience gave KCOEM staff the opportunity to see how the University of Oregon’s emergency management team connected with local first responders, facilitating a coordinated and effective response to potential incidents. They also got to observe the integration of emergency management within the university system.

With the World Cup coming to the Seattle area in 2026, as well as other large events between now and then, the Olympic trials in Oregon highlighted the importance of strong partnerships in managing large-scale events.

Pictured: Nathan Emory, left, and Edan Edmonson, both Emergency Management Program Coordinators, at the University of Oregon for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.