King County and the City of Seattle are jointly opening a shelter in Seattle for homeless persons with conditions vulnerable to smoke, and there is an urgent need for employees to fill positions starting today and tonight.

There is an immediate need to fill roles through temporary redeployment at the shelter site in SoDo as we respond to wildfire smoke in our region. Both medical and non-medical volunteers are sought for the temporary emergency smoke shelter from Friday afternoon through Monday morning. The site is located at 1045 6th Ave South, Seattle.

Employees will continue to be paid at their current rate of pay, and employees will not receive a reduction in pay for the emergency redeployment.

Medical volunteers (RNs, ARNPs, MAs, PAs, MDs, EMTs (including non-agency affiliated), and paramedics): One medical professional is needed per shift to provide support at the shelter, including assisting the clients to feel safe and comfortable, preventing health conditions from worsening, supporting client intake and rooming, providing general administrative and operational support (including monitoring the site, providing food/water, and notifying medical staff if there is an emergency), monitoring the activities of clients to ensure the safety of clients, volunteers and staff, helping clients resolve any issues as they may arise, and assisting with, and triaging, any emergent medical needs. The shelter will be open 24 hours each day, but medical volunteers are only needed between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. for morning and swing shifts. Experience working with individuals living homeless is preferred. All PPE will be provided, and volunteers will be trained in specific responsibilities on site.

Non-Medical volunteers: Five to six non-medical volunteers are needed each shift including morning, swing, and overnight to provide shelter support. Expected tasks include intake and registration, orientation to the shelter space, attendance and recordkeeping, serving meals, and shelter monitoring. Experience working with individuals living homeless is preferred. Volunteers will be trained in specific responsibilities on site.

Dates and Shifts:

Friday, Sept. 11

• Swing 2 – 10 p.m.
• Overnight 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. (non-medical only)

Saturday, Sept. 12

• Swing 2 – 10 p.m.
• Overnight 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. (non-medical only)

Sunday, Sept. 13

• Swing 2 – 10 p.m.
• Overnight 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. (non-medical only)

Monday, Sept. 14

• 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. (medical and non-medical)

If you are a King County employee who can fill one these roles, and have capacity to help, please follow these instructions:

1. Receive permission from your supervisor to apply for this redeployment, and
2. Once approved, email EmergencyStaffing@kingcounty.govand CC your supervisor.
3. Indicate which date and shift you are volunteering to fill, and in which role.
4. For questions or for more information, contact EmergencyStaffing@kingcounty.gov.

Thank you for helping to keep our community safe during this challenging time.

Dear employee,

Our region is experiencing significant levels of wildfire smoke today, which is expected to continue through the weekend. Wildfire smoke can cause a range of health problems, including chest pain, coughing, fast heartbeat, headaches, and asthma attacks. Some people need to be outdoors for their work or other responsibilities. With our current unhealthy air conditions, it’s recommended that you limit your time outdoors. If you are concerned about doing field work in these conditions, please consider these tips and guidance:

• Talk to your supervisor about possible options to reduce the amount of time you spend outdoors by performing desk work or alternate work assignments on smoky days.
• Departments should evaluate planned field work to determine whether some work should be postponed, where possible, to next week when conditions are expected to improve.
• The air quality level can change quickly, so check air quality conditions regularly and if possible, adjust your schedule to avoid travel and working outdoors during periods when air quality is the most impacted by smoke conditions (keep in mind air quality is typically the worst in the middle of the day during wildfire smoke).
• If you must work outdoors, limit time outdoors to a minimum and find a safe location to breathe filtered air while maintaining social distancing during breaks from outdoor work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be more difficult to find public spaces to take clean/cool air breaks this year.
• Drink plenty of water.
• If you have medical conditions that could be worsened by wildfire smoke, consult with your medical provider and speak with your supervisor to work out the best options for your work schedule on smoke days.
• You may be able to use accrued vacation or comp time when there is wildfire smoke instead of reporting to your designated work location. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Please refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather to learn more.

It is not known how much protection cloth face coverings or surgical masks provide from wildfire smoke. N95/N100 masks can provide protection to some people when worn properly but can also worsen conditions for people with existing respiratory conditions. Due to COVID-19, N95/N100 masks may not be available and those available are in need by medical professionals. KN95 masks are available through your agency’s Safety Officer where needed. Safety Officers may contact Fleet Stores for masks at fleetstores@kingcounty.gov.

If you are working indoors, Public Health has provided some guidance on How to Keep Indoor Air Clean on Smoky Days.

More information from Public Health – Seattle & King County about wildfire smoke and your health can be found here. Additional information from WA Department of Health and EPA on indoor air filtration during wildfire smoke can be found here and here. We will provide additional updates as conditions warrant.