Featured Headlines
DCHS-led Health Through Housing initiative hits major milestone
In the field with Executive Zahilay: Listening to staff and empowering solutions
Tap to pay: Puget Sound region transit systems to accept credit and debit cards, and digital wallets as fare payment
Major ‘Revive I-5’ repairs continue for Ship Canal Bridge
News
Pet terrier helps employee lose weight, get healthy
When Debra Billups’ nurse practitioner told her she wouldn’t keep her as a patient unless she changed her eating habits, Billups decided it was time for a lifestyle overhaul. “I had to make the life change. I had to make that decision, it had to be mine,” Billups said. Billups, who helps customers with questions about their ORCA card auto-load in Metro Transit’s Customer Communication and Services group, was diagnosed in 2009 with osteoporosis, a condition of thinning bones and then diagnosed with asthma shortly thereafter. In January of 2012, she had… Read More
Employee’s work helps to save a veteran
Jodi Riley-Kauer, a Social Worker with the Department of Community and Human Services Veterans Program, recently helped a veteran (“John”) who was homeless and having a really hard time finding work. “Jodi said she would help me, but on the condition that I would follow her direction, which I did,” John said. After a few meetings, Jodi recommended that John go to the Veterans Administration medical center to be screened for mental illness. “I knew she was probably right because I had thoughts of hurting myself and had some anger built up… Read More
Home Repair Program makes life easier for local family
Before the King County Housing Repair Program, Shawn Price had to carry her son Elijah, who suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, up and down the stairs to her home. “I would take him out of the wheelchair, pick him up and carry him up the stairs,” Price said. “You have to do it so I took muscle relaxers and I would just do it, it was a lot of pain.” Now, thanks to the program, Price was able to install a ramp leading to her front door. “It’s a… Read More
FBI honors probation counselor for work with sexually exploited youth
In late 2013, Deb Stuckman, a Juvenile Probation Counselor with Superior Court, was recognized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for her work to help commercially sexually-exploited youth. Deb received the award “…for your excellent work with the Central Sound Child Exploitation Task Force that has achieved notable success in major crime control efforts. Your close cooperation with officers from other jurisdictions also contributed to the Task Force’s successes on behalf of the public. These operations are complex and sensitive, and the FBI is grateful for your outstanding contributions.” Deb began working… Read More
Featured Job: Contract Specialist II
Application Deadline: Thursday 6/5/14 Salary: $71,905.60 – $91,145.60 Annually Department: Department of Executive Services – Finance and Business Operations Division Description: King County’s Procurement & Contracting Service Section (PCSS) is looking for a detail oriented Contract Specialist. A successful candidate for this position will have knowledge of contract administration, possess positive negotiation and project management skills and have experience in improving operations. Some of the responsibilities for this position include determining and developing a procurement approach, working with client groups to analyze and develop the scope of work, holding public pre-proposal meetings,… Read More
Victim Advocates help abused women escape, start again
Emily Elting, a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, helps abused woman find their way out of domestic violence through the justice system and into new lives. One of those women is Jane Gregory, who was beaten nearly to death by her partner in 2012. Jane got the help she needed from Emily and was able to testify at her abuser’s trial. Watch the KCTV video here. Note: the video contains some graphic images.
Wastemobile makes hazardous waste disposal easy
When the permanent hazardous waste facilities weren’t enough to deal with all of King County’s hazardous waste disposal demands, the Wastemobile was created. “We didn’t know how big the demand was; we needed a better plan of doing it,” said Henry Draper who was the original project manager of the Local Hazardous Management Program’s Household Hazardous Wastemobile. “That was the genesis of the Wastemobile.” Now, celebrating its 25th anniversary, two Wastemobiles serve rural and suburban areas of King County, accepting residential and small business hazardous waste materials. The Wastemobile is dedicated to… Read More
Kudos! Public Health Preparedness gets perfect score in CDC review
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded Public Health’s Preparedness Section a perfect score of 100 in a recent assessment of its ability to receive, stage, store, distribute, and dispense medications during a public health emergency. In 2004, the CDC established the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) to increase preparedness for biological disasters and protect the public if there is a public health emergency in the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. A public health emergency could include an anthrax attack, an influenza pandemic, or a natural disaster that affects the health of a… Read More
Responders help King County achieve world’s highest cardiac arrest survival rate
King County’s emergency responders have long been recognized as among the best in the world and that standing was enhanced even further this week when it was revealed that the cardiac arrest survival rate in King County, already the world’s best, has reached an all-time high. Someone who has a cardiac arrest in King County has a greater chance of survival than anyone else in the world, with the survival rate in King County up to 62 percent in 2013, according to the latest analysis by county officials. By comparison, the cardiac survival… Read More
Weddings at Brightwater Stories Go Global
Wastewater Treatment Division recently had great success getting information out about its Brightwater Treatment Plant when a story posted on its Facebook page about weddings at Brightwater went viral. A KIRO-7 story about wedding availability at Brightwater’s Environmental Education and Community Center led to coverage from FOX News, Huffington Post, TIME.com, and newspaper websites galore including the Washington Post, New York Daily News, the UK Daily Mail, the Times of Malta and the Irish Examiner. WTD was even interviewed for A3 Radio’s morning show in Melbourne, Australia! The context was playful but… Read More
Annual Report Highlights Employees’ Work to Help Solve Crimes Using Fingerprints
The King County Regional AFIS Program, or Automated Fingerprint Identification System, just published its 2013 annual report. AFIS is a regional levy-funded program that has been operational since 1986 under the administration of the King County Sheriff’s Office that provides criminal identification services to all cities and incorporated areas of King County. Program employees collect and search the fingerprints of arrested individuals to locate unknown aliases and warrants prior to their release. Staff also recover, process, search, and compare fingerprints from crime scenes. The AFIS Program aids in solving crimes throughout King… Read More
Solid Waste and KCIT making strides in small business contracting
When King County’s Solid Waste Division (SWD) put out a contract to build the new Shoreline Recycling and Transfer Station eight years ago, there wasn’t a specific goal or target for including small businesses in the project. “We paid a contractor $24 million, but we don’t know what went to a small firm,” said Ann McFarlane, a contract specialist for SWD. Today, King County agencies are working to make sure that there are more opportunities for small, disadvantaged, and minority- and women-owned businesses to compete for and obtain County contracts – a… Read More
Employees Are Key Players in Improving Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates
Way back in 1974 the TV show “60 Minutes” declared Seattle “The Best Place to Have a Heart Attack.” That remains true even to this day. The Seattle & King County Emergency Services System, MEDIC ONE, consistently achieves survival rates for witnessed out of hospital sudden cardiac arrest higher than anywhere else in the world. In 2013 the rate was 57% compared to an overall national survival rate of approximately 10% across the U.S. “One of the many reasons behind this success is that we’ve taken a collaborative and comprehensive approach to… Read More
Five Questions with Mark Isaacson, Director, Water and Land Resources Division
1. What was your first role with King County? I came to the county in the early 1990’s in the heady days after the Growth Management Act became state law. I worked in the director’s office of the Department of Public Works as a program analyst on plans to meet the state mandated concurrency requirements for public facilities. I came to that job as a city planner – and the attraction was taking the color maps of the county and working to build infrastructure considerations into the planning process. 2. What does… Read More
Community Activism and the International District – Thursday, May 15, noon – 1 p.m.
To celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Program, King County is hosting a lunch and learn discussion for employees with Bob Santos called “Community Activism and the International District.” Robert “Bob” Santos is the most publicly-recognized spokesperson and leader of the movement that began in the 1970s to preserve Seattle’s Chinatown/International District. He served as president of the Catholic Interracial Conference, HUD Regional Director, and was Executive Director of Inter*Im from 1972 to 1989, and 2002 to 2006. Santos will describe the local civil rights movement related to the Asian American Community in… Read More
Sheriff’s Office Honors Young Victim of Gang Violence
King County Deputy Brian Barnes wanted to make sure that a young victim of gang violence was not forgotten – so he worked to post a permanent reminder outside the King County Sheriff’s Office West Hill storefront. KING 5 News recently featured the story of 12-year-old Alajawan Brown who was shot and killed four years ago in Skyway in a case of mistaken identity, and the work of Deputy Barnes in getting a sign dedicated in Alajawan’s honor. Watch the story. (Image courtesy KING5.com).
Meet King County’s Small Business Advocates
Four years ago King County Executive Dow Constantine issued an Executive Order that aimed to reform the County’s procurement and contract business processes, and included a goal of providing greater opportunities for small, disadvantaged, and minority- and women-owned businesses to compete for and obtain County contracts. As we get ready to celebrate National Small Business Week from May 12 – 16, we spoke to some of King County’s small business advocates in the Business Development and Contract Compliance group in the Department of Executive Services to see what the County is doing… Read More
Featured Job: Wastewater Engineer – Journey (modeler)
Application deadline: Fri. 05/16/14 4:30 PM Salary: $75,400.00 – $95,576.00 Annually Department: Department of Natural Resources & Parks – Wastewater Treatment Division Description: Perform computer modeling of King County’s wastewater service area and conveyance system in support of the Wastewater Treatment Division’s capital projects. Modeling will simulate both the hydrologic responses of the basins as well as the hydraulic behavior of conveyance facilities. Modeling work will be performed for a variety of WTD projects, such as developing Design Flow Technical Memoranda for Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) projects and for WTD’s Conveyance System… Read More
Kudos! Tino Brown, Metro Transit Operator
I would like to compliment driver Tino Brown. Tino operates his bus (Route 197) as if it is an extension of himself. As I see it he is comfortable driving and is alert to other drivers informing them that the bus is near them. He gets us to our destination as quick as safely possible. He also has a “good morning” for everyone as they enter and leave the bus; very refreshing. Please let Tino know that he is doing a great job – Kathleen
Save the Date for upcoming Services Days
On May 12 (Chinook) and May 20 (King Street Center) KCIT and DES are teaming up once again to present Service Day. Don’t miss this opportunity to talk with your internal service owners to better understand KCIT & DES internal services and rate structures. You can also get a copy of our 2015 Service Catalog and join the discussion on Mobility, the cloud, ESJ in IT, Energy Efficiency (SVE, Data Center), Bring your Own Device & Mobile Device Management, SharePoint, Unified Communications and more! May 12, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Chinook… Read More
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