Helping King County’s older adults prepare for emergencies
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Every September organizations and local governments across the country observe National Preparedness Month to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. This year, the nationwide theme “Take Control in 1, 2, 3” focuses on preparing older adults for disasters, specifically older adults from communities that are disproportionally impacted by hazardous events. To learn more about the Department of Community and Human Services’ (DCHS) work to prepare older adults for emergencies in King County, Taylor Gaston, the Veterans, Seniors and… Read More
2023 Salmon SEEson
The Salmon SEEson program shares the best stream and river locations in King County where people can see salmon as they return from the ocean in late summer and fall. Some locations are self-guided, while others feature volunteer naturalists to guide visitors in seeing salmon and learning about their lifecycle, efforts to protect them, and restoring habitat. Salmon are an important cultural, economic, and environmental resource for our region, especially to indigenous people. Local governments, Tribes and community groups around King County and Puget Sound are working to recover salmon populations by… Read More
Celebrating employees who provide customer service
National Customer Service Week is Oct. 2-6 and an opportunity to recognize the hundreds of employees at King County who serve and support customers on a daily basis. “We focus on the customer” is one of the County’s core values. To standardize the customer service approach at King County, a new Customer Service Playbook offers guidance and tips for employees who support customers, both internal and external. Employees who want to further develop their customer service skills are encouraged to take the Customer Service Fundamentals training in NEOGOV. Providing exemplary customer service is what we aspire… Read More
Accessing naloxone (NARCAN®) nasal spray in King County
With dramatically increasing overdoses in our community, knowing how to access and administer naloxone—a lifesaving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose—is critical. King County employees are permitted to carry and administer naloxone, while on the job, if they so choose. Here’s your guide to finding naloxone in King County and Washington, and how to access overdose prevention training. For those who can, King County encourages accessing naloxone over the counter or through pharmacies with medical insurance, rather than using free sources. This helps ensure adequate availability for our community members who… Read More
Celebrating National Senior Center Month
Every September the National Council on Aging celebrates National Senior Center Month by shining a light on senior centers and showing the nation how vital they are to the health and well-being of a community. In King County, senior centers support a growing population of older adults by providing essential services such as food and nutrition, cultural and social activities, information and assistance, education opportunities, celebratory events, health and wellness programs, and connection for isolated seniors. The Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) funds senior centers to serve as recognized resource centers on… Read More
Don’t leave history behind: Celebrate Archives Month
October is Archives Month, and King County Archives wants to celebrate it with you. We’re offering county staff tours of our beautiful space, including the areas where we store and preserve historically significant county government records. What is Archives Month? Many people don’t realize that the historical county government records at King County Archives are publicly accessible. Archives Month is a reminder to explore and make use of them. Why should I sign up for a tour? Because you want to see the cool records that were created by other county employees: Oldest marriage… Read More
A ‘New Energy’ arrives as Executive Constantine unveils new colors for Metro’s electric fleet
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Executive Dow Constantine unveiled one of Metro’s next-generation battery-electric buses wrapped in the new colors of the fleet today at Metro’s South Base. Called “The New Energy,” the livery design is a mix of electric yellow and seafoam blue, is a visual representation of Metro’s commitment to helping combat climate change and will be outfitted on all the new vehicles joining the fleet. Along with Executive Constantine, Metro General Manager Michelle Allison, King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, and Teague Livery Design Manager Katie Ryan, helped unveil… Read More
Greg Wilson receives award from Washington Alliance for Better Schools
Greg Wilson, a Program Manager within Public Health’s Environmental Health Services Division, won the inaugural Outstanding Leadership Award from the Washington Alliance for Better Schools (WABS). WABS is a collaborative of school districts and industry leaders working to support students. They give this award in recognition of a person or team who has demonstrated outstanding engagement with WABS over time. Greg was selected due to his collaboration with WABS for over a decade, providing instructor support and coordinating teacher externships, and for his consistent advocacy for partnerships between WABS and Public Health…. Read More
Public Health program transforms into collaborative troupe, empowering employees and engaging the community
The Employee Engagement Strategy (EES) Program at Public Health – Seattle and King County has recently undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving into a dynamic collective known as the EES Troupe. The Troupe brings together participants from various divisions and departments throughout King County, with the aim of fostering effective employee engagement and strengthening collaborative strategies. The EES Troupe has been working diligently to create a robust working environment that promotes teamwork, innovation, and productivity among colleagues internally. By encouraging employees to work together and leverage their diverse expertise, the Troupe aims to… Read More
Building community and wellness at Metro
King County Metro’s Wellness Team recently hosted the 2023 Metro Wellness Fair to provide in-person support and resources on wellness, safety, and workplace benefits to Metro employees. The Wellness Fair (formerly known as the Health & Safety Fair) took place at the Atlantic/Central Base over the course of three days and offered a fun and engaging experience that focused on the health and wellbeing of Metro employees. By hosting the Wellness Fair, Metro’s Wellness Team aims to bring awareness to the amazing health and wellness benefits that are available to employees and… Read More
Employee News 