Crossposted from King County Local
When record rain and flooding hit our region, the Department of Local Services worked around the clock to keep our communities safe—monitoring conditions in real-time; responding quickly to hazards to our roads and bridges like flooding, slides, and debris; reinforcing and fixing levees; sharing critical health and safety information; and providing uninterrupted support to the countywide Emergency Operations Center.
The department’s Road Services Division is responsible for more than 1,500 miles of roads and 192 bridges in unincorporated King County. These roads are lifelines for residents, businesses, and emergency responders. Crews stay vigilant year-round, and when storms strike, that readiness turns into action. Read more.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced that King County has begun shifting from 24/7 emergency response to monitoring and recovery, following weeks of flooding and hazardous weather conditions.
“Our region has experienced a significant natural disaster that has upended many people’s lives and greatly strained our infrastructure, such as roads and levees,” said Executive Zahilay. “We know that the damage caused by this flooding can feel overwhelming and stressful, which is why we want to make sure our residents have the resources and support they need as we begin to recover.” Read more.
If you enrolled in one of the new voluntary benefits during Open Enrollment—accident, critical illness, or hospital indemnity insurance—your coverage became effective on Jan. 1, 2026. Watch your inbox this week for an email from Securian with specifics about your new voluntary benefit(s), including:
If you have general questions or need assistance, call Securian Financial Customer Service at 855-750-1906. For claims assistance or to file a claim over the phone, call Securian Claims at 888-658-0193. If you have other benefit questions, contact the King County Benefits Team at 206-684-1556 or kc.benefits@kingcounty.gov.
On Jan. 1, 2026, Ventegra replaced CVS Caremark™ as the pharmacy benefits manager for employees on a Regence medical plan—both KingCare and KingCare Select.
Ventegra offers a large nationwide pharmacy network including all the major chains and independent pharmacies, mail order and specialty drug services, and highly trained clinical and member support services. See the Ventegra Brochure for an overview. Read more.
Crossposted from the Noxious Weeds blog
2025 has been a bittersweet year for the Noxious Weed Control Program. After long careers with the Program, both the Program Manager, Steve Burke, and County Lands and Regional Supervisor, Roy Brunskill, made the choice to retire. To reflect on their time with the program, and to celebrate their incredible achievements, this post will reflect back on how the Program has grown since its inception in 1997.
The jump from six part-time staff with paper maps and an inkling of where weeds might be, to 22 full time staff with GIS maps on their phone and a database of information was no fast feat. This change took time, and was largely thanks to community support, funding increases, specialized staff, and technological advancements. Read more.
When scientists study a lake, they usually expect more people to mean more phosphorous in the water, often from fertilizer, detergents, septic systems, dog poop, and other human-related sources. And more phosphorous can mean more problems for water quality, as nutrient-hungry algae thrive when there is more phosphorus to feed them.
But between 1998 and 2022, something different happened in Lake Washington, even as the surrounding population boomed. Read more.
Crossposted from the DES Express
King County International Airport (KCIA), along with the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), hosted the third Inclusion in Aviation Conference last month. Held in Bellevue, the conference’s first visit to the West Coast attracted more than 100 attendees from across the country, with some coming from as far away as Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The conference was jam-packed with sessions, including a keynote by Valerie Alexander, founder and president of Valerie Alexander Ventures, breaking barriers and building bridges, several panel discussions, and much more. Read more.
The atmospheric river and associated flooding events this month have impacted King County and other areas across Washington State in ways we have never experienced before. We hope you and your community are safe during this time. King County has created a series of resources and ways to deal with flood damage safely and effectively – go to kingcounty.gov/flood-recovery for more information. Read more.
Happy New Year to all our employees, their families, and the people of King County. May you have a happy, safe, and rewarding 2026!
Crossposted from the DES Express
Airport travelers rarely see them, but a specialized team of firefighter-deputies stands ready every day for the worst-case scenario: an aircraft emergency. The crew also responds to structure, vehicle and dumpster fires on and around airport property. Call volume is much lower than in a typical fire district, but the stakes are high.
Most emergencies are medical. About 70% of calls involve passengers, airport staff or contractors needing medical help, according to Clint Herman, a sergeant in the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting unit (ARFF) of the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), based at King County International Airport-Boeing Field. Calls can also shift into problem-solving and customer service, such as helping with disabled aircraft that blocks a runway.
The sergeant said the most rewarding part of his job is the human side. Read more.
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