Fall officially arrived on Sunday, Sept. 22 so it’s time to get ready for changes in the weather and less daylight. Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. which means turning your clocks back one hour on Saturday, Nov. 2 before you go to bed. It is important to prepare for these seasonal changes. If you drive, you should have an emergency kit in your vehicle, including extra clothing, food, water, and a flashlight. If you work on site, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making commute decisions. King County cares about the safety of our employees so please familiarize yourself with the safety programs listed below:

Walking Bus: King County’s employee “Walking Bus” pilot program offers five afternoon departures from the King County Courthouse to King Street Station and Colman Dock via the Pioneer Square light rail station. In this pilot phase, which started last November, King County employees can join their colleagues and a Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Escort each weekday evening walking from the Third Avenue entrance of the King County Courthouse to the King Street Station and Colman Dock via a stop at the Pioneer Square light rail station entrance at Jefferson Street and Yesler Way. Download this flyer for routes and departure times and learn more here.

Escort Program: Upon request, King County provides security escorts in downtown Seattle for individuals moving between their workplace and their commute. Please contact the Emergency Dispatch Center (EDC) at 206-296-5000 to arrange for a security escort whether coming in to work or leaving work. Escorts are limited by available staff.​

Walkpool: Walkpool is a program where you can walk to and from work with a buddy. Visit the Employee Transportation Program website for more information.

Home Free Guarantee: King County employees who come to work via bus, rail, streetcar, carpool, vanpool, biking, or walking are eligible for eight free taxi rides home each year in cases of personal emergency or unexpected requests to work overtime. Visit the Home Free Guarantee website to learn about who is eligible and how to arrange a ride.

Stay informed about county emergencies

• Sign up for KCInform, King County’s employee alert and warning system. KCInform is used to reach County employees during an emergency with timely information about infrastructure disruptions, facility impacts, changes in your department’s business operations, and other critical impacts. Your King County desk phone and @kingcounty.gov email are already in the system. It is important to register your County-issued cell phone (if applicable), personal cell phone, and personal email address to ensure you receive time-sensitive messages. This service is free, and your personal contact information is secure and protected. To sign up, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Visit the KCInform website to learn more or watch our short video.

• Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now).

• Check your King County email for information on business operations, delays, and closures. Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.

• Contact your supervisor for specific instructions.

• Visit the Emergency News page at KCEmergency.com for regional impacts.

Resources for travelers

• Metro, Water Taxi, Streetcar: Sign up to receive transit alerts (via text and email) for routes you use regularly or during inclement weather. Visit MetroWinter.com to learn about snow routes, and review bus route changes before traveling on Metro’s service advisories web page. Recent transit alerts can be viewed in Metro’s RSS feed via desktop or mobile RSS reader.

• Sound Transit: If you travel on Link light rail, Sounder or ST Express buses, Sound Transit keeps riders informed of disruptions at their Service Alerts web page, where you also can sign up to receive alerts via text and email.

• Roads: Visit Roads’ Snow and Ice resources and sign up for King County Road Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcroads)

To report a non-emergency incident, use our online form, call 206-296-5000, or email FMD.Security@kingcounty.gov. In case of emergency, call 911. See additional resources and programs for personal safety at work.