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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
Employee discounts available for Washington State Fair
Employees can save on tickets to the 2024 Washington State Fair, Aug. 30 – Sept. 22. To purchase your discount tickets: Visit thefair.com/corporate Click the “Buy Tickets” button Enter access password: king24 Under “Corporate Perks – 2024” click “Buy Tickets” for Admission & Ride deals. Get full details here. See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Meet King County Fire Marshal Eric Urban
Crossposted from King County Local Eric Urban isn’t new when it comes to fire safety in the Puget Sound area, but he is relishing (and keeping busy) in his new role as King County Fire Marshal. Eric was appointed to the position earlier this year, following Chris Ricketts’ retirement. Eric’s appointment came after he served more than a year as Deputy Fire Marshal for King County. Read more.
Deadline to complete dependent eligibility verification extended to Aug. 12
To ensure that all employees have the opportunity to complete the dependent eligibility verification process so that their family members can continue their coverage on their King County medical, dental, or vision plan, the deadline has been extended to Aug. 12, 2024. If you haven’t completed the process, please use this two-week grace period to verify the eligibility of each person enrolled to make sure they do not lose coverage on Sept. 30, 2024. If you have coverage questions, please contact King County Benefits. Using the Audit ID sent to you by Mercer,… Read More
King County launches first extreme heat strategy to prepare region for more intense heat waves caused by climate change
King County and local partners recently announced a new countywide strategy to prepare for and respond to the impacts of extreme heat. Development of the Extreme Heat Mitigation Strategy began two years ago following the unprecedented heat wave in 2021 that killed over 30 people in King County, marking the deadliest climate-related disaster in the region’s history. The strategy includes 20 immediate and long-term actions that range from increasing urban tree canopy and expanding access to parks and green space, to creating community cooling locations, making schools more resilient to heat, updating building codes… Read More
Records management reminder: Every County employee has a responsibility to manage records
As government employees, managing records is a job requirement for each of us. It is not just a role assigned to admin folks; it’s a part of all jobs, including those at every level of county government. If you are curious about what those basic responsibilities are, we encourage you to take the Basic Records Management online training. The online class takes just 15 minutes to complete, can be taken anywhere with internet access, and can be retaken at any time. Learn more here in this document, Key Takeaways – Basic Records Management. For more information,… Read More
Supervisor Spotlight: Highlighting those behind the scenes who keep us moving
Crossposted from Metro Matters It takes a lot of people to keep a transit system running smoothly across 150 routes and over 300,000 boardings a day. Bus drivers are the most visible part of any transit system, but there are people behind the scenes who are just as vital in the day-to-day operation of King County Metro. Their responsibilities range from training operators, planning the routes that run throughout the region, and literally being “traffic controllers” keeping track of the buses on their daily runs. Read more.
Emergency Management goes to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Crossposted from the DES Express Last month, two staff members from King County Emergency Management had the unique opportunity to join the University of Oregon incident management team which was supporting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field. Nathan Emory and Edan Edmonson, both Emergency Management Program Coordinators, spent three days observing and lending a hand to the emergency management team. The experience gave KCOEM staff the opportunity to see how the University of Oregon’s emergency management team connected with local first responders, facilitating a coordinated and effective response to… Read More
King County awarded $50 million EPA grant to cut greenhouse gas emissions from buildings
Today King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a $50 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to lower greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and construction throughout the region. King County will partner with local governments to help multifamily and community buildings across four counties — King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish — transition to clean energy. The funding will also be used to reduce emissions in new building construction and create systems to reuse wood when a building is deconstructed to avoid emissions. “We’re leading on climate action by cutting emissions, creating resilient frontline communities,… Read More
Employee discounts: Washington State Fair and Benaroya Hall presents
Washington State Fair: Employees can save on tickets to the 2024 Washington State Fair, Aug. 30 – Sept 22. To purchase your discount tickets: Visit thefair.com/corporate Click the “Buy Tickets” button Enter access password: king24 Under “Corporate Perks – 2024” click “Buy Tickets” for Admission & Ride deals. Get full details here. Benaroya Hall presents: esperanza spalding, Sunday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. Emphasizing simplicity and intimacy of her voice, bass, and songs, in this special configuration of two musicians and two dancers, esperanza performs songs from all eight of her previous albums,… Read More
Sheriff’s Communications Team brings awareness to Vehicle Theft Prevention Month
Cross-posted from the KCSO Newsletter As July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) communications team thought this would be a great time to teach the community how to keep their vehicles – and everything inside – safe from would-be thieves. The team invited the media for something of a ‘show-and-tell’ where Sergeant Eric White (pictured above) provided great tips and tricks for protecting property. Three of the four local TV stations covered the event, resulting in some great stories and ‘news you can use’ for their… Read More
King County study of Lake Washington sediment shows decline in once-common dangerous chemicals, offering a roadmap to address newer health risks
A King County study of Lake Washington’s lakebed sediment shows levels of PCBs, the once common and dangerous chemical are expected to fall below currently detectable levels within the next two decades. Researchers say the findings reaffirm the effectiveness of regulations and personal actions and offer a strategy for addressing emerging environmental threats, including stormwater pollution. The pilot study, including lakebed coring conducted by scientists aboard the King County research vessel SoundGuardian, also showed how the techniques for collecting and analyzing samples could be used in other research projects to detect human-caused… Read More
Discounts available for Seahawks and Huskies
King County employees can now purchase discounted tickets for several upcoming football games for the Seattle Seahawks and University of Washington Huskies. For the Seattle Seahawks, tickets are available for four home games on Aug. 24, Nov. 3 and 24, and Dec. 22. Ticket prices start at $35, plus a $3 handling fee. Use promo code KING24. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. For the UW Huskies, tickets are available for three home games on Aug. 31, Sept. 21, and Nov. 15. Ticket prices start at $18. Click here for more… Read More
Black Women’s Experience Project examines equity at King County
Crossposted from the DES Express The Black/African Women’s Affinity Group, co-chaired by DES’s own Miesha Vaughn, Tort Claims Investigator in Risk Management, and by Ebony Frazier, EIB Manager in the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), recently released a report with the Wright Resource Group, “An examination of the experiences of Black women employees at King County.” From the Executive Summary: “The purpose of the project is to understand the current state of Black Women employed at King County and to provide recommendations to address possible inequities and promote a healthy… Read More
Maple Valley Bike Rodeo teaches kids about safety
On the beautiful morning of Saturday, June 22, the Maple Valley Police Bicycle Rodeo at Lake Wilderness Park provided an excellent opportunity for new bicycle riders to hone their skills. Children ages 10 and under were able to practice essential cycling skills, such as navigating around distracted pedestrians in crosswalks and maneuvering around “boulders,” painted foam pieces on the road. Sixty-two kids took turns overcoming these obstacles under the guidance of Officer Baldwin and Master Police Officer Olmsted, along with the assistance of the Maple Valley Explorers, a volunteer program for young… Read More
FMD Security Officer Brian Pollack saves man from overdose
Crossposted from the DES Express Security Officer Brian Pollack from the Facilities Management Division (FMD) saved a life last month outside the Robert Clewis Center (RCC), a low-cost medical clinic in downtown Seattle. An RCC customer was overdosing outside the center, which was closed at the time. The man’s friends had tried to administer Narcan but weren’t successful. Pollack acted quickly due to training he recently received. “I am grateful for the Opioid Reversal Training I received from Public Health, which proved invaluable during a critical incident,” said Pollack. “I’m thankful I… Read More
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month, a time to highlight the unique strengths and challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in relation to mental health. Named in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, a journalist, teacher, author, and mental health advocate, this month is dedicated to continuing her legacy by focusing on the mental health needs and experiences of BIPOC communities. Fear of judgment, cultural beliefs, generational differences, and lack of access to resources often prevent people of color from addressing mental health… Read More
In their own words: Meet the dynamic AANHP Leadership Council
Since its inception, the American Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pasifika (AANHP) Affinity Group has flourished under exceptional leadership: Sung Cho and Stephanie Santos (2019 – 2020), Renee Hosogi and Phoebe Naguit (2020 – 2022), and Helen Potter and Guru Dorje (2023 – 2024). As we transition into a new phase, a collective decision has been made to establish a joint leadership structure known as the AANHP Leadership Council (ALC). This council aims to honor the collective identity of the AANHP community through collaborative leadership. The ALC comprises the following members: Allen Ikua Gomes,… Read More
New Mindfulness offerings for King County employees
Balanced You is excited to share that we heard employees’ requests for more class variety to accommodate busy schedules. As such, Balanced You worked with CuriosityBased and SolJoy to offer shorter class options at varied times beginning in August. Initially, all classes will be online and there will be in-person classes in the future. A schedule and class registration for summer 2024 can be found here. We look forward to offering new mindfulness programing to all King County employees as we continue our mindfulness journey together. For more information on mindfulness and other… Read More
Remembering DNRP’s Steve Bleifuhs
The Seattle Times recently published a tribute for Steve Bleifuhs, a longtime member of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Water and Land Resources Division leadership team who died July 7 in a small plane crash in Eatonville. The article shares: Steve Bleifuhs worked as a bicycle mechanic while studying economics at the University of Wisconsin, and later in Seattle’s University District, where he moved to in 1994. He then started a nearly 30-year career working at the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, where he eventually managed… Read More
“The Southard:” Homeownership that is inclusive and sustainable
Patti Southard, a nationally-acclaimed pioneer in her field, as a Green Building Program Manager for King County Solid Waste Division in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks for 14 years, until she passed away in 2019. Homestead Community Land Trust held a ribbon-cutting event on Friday, June 28, 2024 to celebrate the completion of the Southard, named after Patti. Located in the Cascade View neighborhood of Tukwila, the Southard is Homestead’s latest net-zero energy, Salmon Safe, affordable homeownership development. June 28, also Patti’s birthday, was commemorated as Patti Southard Day by… Read More
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