EMAP Accreditation awarded to King County OEM
King County Office of Emergency (OEM) has earned full accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) – a validation of the capabilities of our disaster preparedness and response systems. Accreditation from this internationally recognized program represents a significant achievement and compliance with sixty-four industry-recognized standards. The rigorous EMAP process required a year-long internal self-assessment of OEM’s organizational programs, plans, and procedures, capped by an on-site peer-review by a team of EMAP assessors drawn from programs across the U.S. “For the past five years, OEM has completed a top to bottom assessment… Read More
Doubling down on equity and social justice
Crossposted from Inside Transportation King County’s ambitious program to extend fairness and opportunity to all is rolling out to departments and agencies. First came the six-year strategic plan, adopted last year as a blueprint for putting equity and social justice (ESJ) at the heart of every county activity. Now each department is creating its own specific plan for meeting the goals the county has set. These fall into six areas (see box at left). This far-reaching program aims to transform the way we do business—both internally (hiring, promotions, training) and externally (customer… Read More
Mother’s Day special offer – LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil
In celebration of Mother’s Day, King County Employees can take advantage of a special offer to see LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil at Marymoor Park before it ends on May 21. Click on this link to receive 20% off select show dates on price levels 1-2-3.
Remember Mother Earth when celebrating your mother
Crossposted from Go, Green Team! May 14 is Mother’s Day! Celebrate your mother and Mother Earth. Mother Earth has a place in many different cultures. The Greek version is Gaia from whom all live sprang and who personifies the interconnected ecosystems of Earth. The Earth on Turtle’s Back is a story from Native American tradition about a world of all water in which animals bring soil up from its depths that grew to become the Earth. Mothers, cultural histories, and healthy ecosystems, are all cause to celebrate. What better way than with… Read More
Nurses Week focus on good health for nurses, promotes resilience
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Burnout is a problem in many professions – and particularly in nursing. For National Nurses Week this year, the focus is on promoting good health for nurses themselves. Within Public Health – Seattle & King County, this fits squarely with many efforts to help people overcome the impacts of burnout and “secondary trauma” (which comes with providing intensive, compassionate care to vulnerable populations). At the core of this work is resilience – the capacity to recover from adversity. Anneleen Severynen, a Public Health Nurse with Health Care… Read More
National Correctional Officers and Employees Week
This week, May 7 – 13, is “National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.” To honor their service, today the DAJD Food Services Section will be providing King County Correctional Facility staff a specially prepared meal. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation creating “National Correctional Officers’ Week” to honor the work of corrections officers and correctional personnel nationwide. In 1996, Congress officially modified it to be more inclusive, to “National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.” President Reagan said, “Historically, correctional officers have been viewed as ‘guards,’ occupying isolated and misunderstood positions… Read More
Tech Tip: Multimedia version: The Rule of Thirds
Most of the time, you can instantly get a sense of whether or not a given photo was taken by an amateur or someone with a lot of photographic experience. This is because amateurs don’t have a feel for composition, and good composition is the soul of a great photograph. Composition is the placement of every element in a photograph. It describes how a photo is “composed,” which implies intentionality. Someone who pays no mind to composition can only take good shots by coincidence. On the other hand, once you truly have a… Read More
Exciting opportunity for motivated employees to take their career to the next level
The Bridge Fellowship Program, or Bridge, is a multi-week program where participants are challenged by not only classroom learning, group projects and presentations, but also participate in interviews and site visits to explore King County agencies and their priorities. By stretching themselves to grow up and out, participants gain the skills needed to see the bigger picture. Bridge teaches employees who are considered “emerging leaders” to tackle issues head on and create future successes from current challenges. It’s a lesson past participants have taken to heart. Linda Morales, currently a RideShare Coordinator… Read More
9 Ounces – A social justice play that carries weight
This article is featured courtesy of Donna Miscolta, Project/Program Manager, King County Solid Waste Division Luna, Alice, and Saraphina are friends. They live in the same building. They’re of different generations – Luna is a kid, Alice an adult, and Saraphina a 90-year-old widow. But these three black females are bound together by something burdensome – a fear of not being safe in the world. They’re fictional characters in a one-woman play by local writer, performer, and educator Anastacia Tolbert. In 9 Ounces, the characters come alive, expressing in realistic actions and… Read More
King County commemorates May Day and International Workers’ Day
King County employees had the opportunity to attend an April 26 May Day celebration focused on protecting immigrants and refugees that featured a panel of guest speakers and a spoken word artist. More than a seasonal holiday celebrating the arrival of warm weather in the Northern Hemisphere, May 1 has also shared its stage as International Workers’ Day since the 1880s. “It’s interesting that in much of the rest of the world, May Day is Labor Day. But, increasingly, there is more activity and things that are happening around May Day here,… Read More
Employee News 