Acknowledging that King County is a leader in advancing equitable policies and practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed June 2023 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month. “I urge everyone to honor the fight against discrimination and the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to our County and our society,” the Executive said in his proclamation. Read the full proclamation below.

Part I explored the evolution of the King County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT). Part II told the story of how a mental health professional became an official part of the team after years of volunteering. The final segment illustrates how they put it all together. An incredible partnership Over the last several years, there have been many improvements implemented in the partnership between TAC 30 and the Crisis Negotiation Team that have made KCSO into a leader in the crisis field. “We’re ahead of our peers in having a mental… Read More

Cross-posted from Executive Services Express The Fleet Services team is working to update technology that will allow motor pool dispatch users to reserve and access the vehicles using their mobile phone, making access to vehicles more efficient than the current system using lock boxes in our King County garages. The next phase of the project is to pilot this new technology with customers. Fleet Services is looking for frequent users in King Street Center and Goat Hill Garage to test out the new process and provide feedback. Read more.

The IT Helpdesk homepage (Cherwell) now offers a “Known Issues” section that lists non-urgent issues impacting employees. The next time you experience a tech issue, quickly scan the Known Issues list to see if the problem has already been reported. If so, you can click the “View Knowledge Article” link to learn more about any available workarounds. A handy “This Affects Me Too” button automatically generates a pre-filled Helpdesk ticket that quickly routes your ticket directly to the technicians working on the issue. This new feature is designed to streamline your ticket submissions, and… Read More

Part I explored the evolution of the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT). Part II brings the story of how a mental health professional (MHP) became an official member of the team after years of volunteering. Read Part III here. Part II: A mental health professional’s perspective “There was a suicidal gentleman on an overpass, just leaning and staring at the pavement below,” said mental health professional Susie Kroll. “We had to stop traffic for five or six hours.” The first 90 minutes were like talking to a wall, she added, but negotiators were… Read More

This article is the first in a three-part series highlighting the KCSO Crisis Negotiation Team. Read Part II here, and Part III here. When the King County Sheriff’s Office TAC 30 team is called on, it’s because there is a potentially dangerous event that requires highly skilled personnel. Whether it’s an active shooter or hostage situation or virtually any serious case, TAC 30 — commonly called a SWAT team in most places — is sent in to secure and resolve the situation.  What’s unique about the KCSO TAC 30 is whenever they… Read More

King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed May 21-27 as Emergency Medical Services Week in recognition of the important work these medical professionals provide to our community, including saving lives, responding to crises, and serving as a model for the federal Emergency Medical Services System Act of 1973, now celebrating its 50th year. Executive Constantine encourages all residents of King County to show their gratitude and appreciation to these valuable providers. Read the full proclamation below.

King County is committed to supporting employees with mental health conditions in the workplace. A key part of this focus is to provide employees who experience limitations due to a mental health condition with reasonable accommodations in the workplace to be able to perform their job duties productively and effectively. Examples of reasonable accommodations that may be provided to employees with mental health conditions include the following: An employee with depression may benefit from noise-cancelling headsets to help with concentration and focus. An employee coping with an anxiety disorder may need to… Read More