Crossposted from Public Health Insider

We are writing a three-part series on the health of one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in our region, the Chinatown-International District (CID). With a one year nationally-funded grant, The BUILD Health Challenge has led to a robust community partnership that will take a deep look into the health and vibrancy of the CID. 

To start us off, Nadine Chan, Epidemiologist from Public Health, shares some of her insights from taking a close look at what our health data can tell us about the neighborhood.

The BUILD Health Challenge grant—which funds InterIm Community Development Association’s Healthy Communities Program and its partners—selected grantees to work on “bold, upstream, integrated, local, and data-driven” solutions for healthy communities.

Read more at Public Health Insider

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC

RASKC is excited to share the first of nine segments which Univision Seattle, KUNS channel 51, will be proudly airing each Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Univision is the fifth largest network in the U.S. with the largest Spanish-speaking audience in the world. This amazing opportunity, which starts by highlighting RASKC’s success in saving 9 out of 10 lives, will serve as a public service announcement to engage and inform the community on the various services provided by King County’s Regional Animal Services.

Read more at Tails from RASKC

Crossposted from Metro Matters

Bus riders who are deaf or hard of hearing and use cochlear implants or hearing aids now can use a newly installed hearing ‘loop’ system at King County Metro’s Customer Service Office at 201 South Jackson Street in Seattle. The induction hearing loop system allows customers who use the system to better communicate with Metro employees when they are buying or reloading ORCA cards or getting other help to better ride Metro.

Installing the induction hearing loop system demonstrates Metro’s continued commitment to accessibility for all of our customers. Loop systems help people better hear sounds at a distance and in environments where there is a lot of background noise.

Read more at Metro Matters

King County will participate in the Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill on Thursday, October 20. At 10:20am, a PA announcement will go out in most County buildings, asking you to Drop, Cover, and Hold On just like you would do in a real earthquake. Expect more information about the drill in next week’s Employee News. For details about the Great Washington ShakeOut, visit www.shakeout.org/washington.

Crossposted from King County Wastewater Treatment Division

URENCO staff here in Seattle are taken on a tour by King County WTD.

Many developing Asian countries face unique challenges delivering quality wastewater services. In an effort to mentor these communities, a team of Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) employees participated in information sharing with a growing utility called URENCO in Dong Hoi, Vietnam.

After visiting Vietnam, Dave Jurgens, reliability engineer, realized it’s not only an infrastructure challenge, but also one of culture. “The treatment plant is within a river delta with a lot of farmland. Waste is conveyed primarily from Dong Hoi, a fishing town of about 120,000 people,” he said.

King County WTD staff tour the URENCO facility in Vietnam.

“With just 10 percent of sewage being treated throughout the country, public awareness and regulatory oversight is still being developed. Programs like these are even more important in a region whose economy relies heavily on environmental resources… where sewer overflows can literally be within 100 feet of commercial shrimping nets.”

Read more at King County Wastewater Treatment Division