Former Metro drivers take on new role as King County Health Ambassadors to slow the spread of COVID-19
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Fatigue from months of quarantine and welcome summer weather have spurred an alarming rise in COVID-19 infection rates compared to early Spring, making it more difficult than ever to observe public health guidance to slow the spread of COVID-19. Taking quick action, King County is launching a new COVID Health Ambassador Program next week to offer community outreach, education and health promotion resources to prevent COVID-19 transmission. The first ambassadors already know King County: they are former METRO bus drivers redeployed to engage and inform neighborhood and community groups… Read More
Firefighters train in Moses Lake
By Clint Herman, Sergeant, ARFF Recently the KCIA Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) firefighters participated in a live fire training scenario at Big Bend College in Moses Lake. This type of training is required by the FAA for ARFF personnel to hone our skills in the event of an actual emergency. Moses Lake is the closest and most realistic training prop available to us in the Pacific Northwest. A training prop is a steel mock-up of an airplane with fuel-ignited fires so we can practice putting them out. Here’s a video to give you… Read More
Get to know the Voluntary Separation Program
During challenging budgetary times, King County’s Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) allows approved agencies to offer retirement-eligible regular employees a financial incentive of $20,540 to leave County employment in a mutually beneficial agreement. Currently, there are a few agencies that have been approved to offer the program for a limited time in 2020. In order to be eligible for the program, an employee must: Have at least five years of continual current County service, Not be a temporary employee, and Be eligible to apply for a pension from the Law Enforcement Officers and… Read More
Providing guidance during an unprecedented pandemic
King County Emergency Management (OEM) is like an orchestra, with a conductor directing the work of many virtuosos. Their work is helping us carefully move forward in Washington’s Safe Start plan, so we can all get back to our favorite tunes. Stand together, six feet apart. Learn more in the video below and visit the OEM website here.
Pet of the Week: Peter
Here’s looking at you, cat! This is Peter, our Pet of the Week. This young shorthair was brought in by an animal control officer in late June. Peter’s personality color is “Rambunctious Red,” meaning he is a spirited cat with a fun-loving personality. He is an independent kitty who likes to do his own thing, and prefers getting attention on his terms. Peter can get overstimulated with petting, so his new family will need to keep an eye out for signs that he might need a break. Because of this, he would do… Read More
King County a leader in PeopleSoft update processes
Crossposted from the DES Express It takes a lot to keep PeopleSoft, the software the county uses for timekeeping, payroll and a host of other services, updated and usable by all departments and DES divisions. “We’ve been striving to keep it up to date. Oracle moved it to continuous release, putting out updates four to five times a year,” said Hannah Gacey, PeopleSoft Release Set and Project Manager in the Business Resource Center. “We make sure that the new stuff aligns with our business processes.” Read more.
Featured Job: Bridge Engineer (Engineer II)
Salary: $80,870.40 – $102,523.20 Annually Location: Seattle, WA Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Department: DLS – Local Services Job Number: 2020AF11817 Division: Road Services Closing: 8/16/2020 11:59 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
Retirement educators innovate to meet demand during coronavirus
The coronavirus is fundamentally changing the way millions of people live and work. Facing the challenges of the new workplace landscape, King County retirement educators Carmen Johnson and Matt Munson have made innovative adjustments to better meet the needs of employees looking toward retirement. Carmen and Matt, members of the Benefit Engagement Team supervised by Brian Czerwinski, began modifying their retirement classes, Road to Retirement and Rev Up for Retirement, so they could be offered to employees who are telecommuting or working different schedules. “We identified a set of urgent challenges facing… Read More
Featured Job: Nutrition Assistant (C9A : PTE L17-DPH, DCHS-Health Prof)
Salary: $23.07 – $29.25 Hourly Location: Various Locations throughout King County, WA Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2020ML11890 Division: Community Health Services Closing: 8/10/2020 11:59 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
FMD security officers step up to the challenges
Crossposted from the DES Express As COVID-19 unfolded, the Facilities Management Division developed a strategy to manage changing security needs in the county. The county originally contracted out security to help secure about 18 locations that were set up quickly in the pandemic, including Isolation and Quarantine sites, Assessment Centers/Recovery Centers, de-intensification sites for the homeless, and other COVID-related sites. “As part of our effort to ensure the highest level of service and support, FMD began a recruitment process for security officers to augment contract security at the sites. We’ve been able… Read More
Employee News 