Association News
- Membership: I could try to guilt you into renewing. Or flatter you. Or promise eternal professional glory. But honestly, being part of WSEMA is just that good and I’d hate for you to miss it.
- Keeping with the drama theme: This is your official dramatic movie trailer voice: “In a world…where professionals collaborate, advocate, and caffeinate…one hero forgot to renew their WSEMA membership.” Don’t let that be you. Renew today and stay part of the story.
- October 31st is the deadline to renew.
- Treasurer: Today is the due date to submit a letter of interest if you’d like to serve as Treasurer this year.
- If interested, please submit a letter (no more than one page) to president@wsema.orgoutlining your interest and any relevant experience or skills that would support you in carrying out the Treasurer’s duties. The WSEMA Board will review submissions and vote on the appointment at our October 27th board meeting.
Emergency Management in Washington
- Remembering Cheryl Bledsoe Many in our community are remembering Cheryl Bledsoe, a former WSEMA President and a remarkable leader who made a lasting impact on emergency management. From her pioneering work at CRESA to her leadership at Clackamas County 911, Cheryl was a force for employee recognition, innovation, mentorship, and compassion in every role she held.
Our thoughts are with Cheryl’s family, friends, and the many colleagues whose lives she touched. Her leadership and light will be deeply missed.
- White River Bridge Reopens (Finally!) After months of detours and patience-testing traffic, the White River Bridge between King and Pierce Counties is finally open again after $4 million in emergency repairs. I know all of our EM friends and partners in Pierce and King Counties are celebrating this one.
- The Great Washington ShakeOut! This year’s ShakeOut showcased some fantastic campaigns and creative social media posts from across the state!
- If you or your partners participated, Lexi is putting together a photo collage highlighting EMs and partners statewide. She has asked if people could please share any photos of your participation by sending them to info@wsema.org. We don’t want to let Lexi down!
- In conjunction with The Great ShakeOut, MRSC had a great blog post on five key actions local governments can take to strengthen earthquake preparedness.
- Earthquake Probabilities and Hazards in the PNW Great USGS fact sheet on earthquake probabilities. Some interesting “sciencey” stuff and just enough fascinating stuff for the rest of us to feel smart and informed.
- “Fix the Bricks” campaign A couple of weeks ago Seattle officially launched the “Fix the Bricks” campaign with the goal of passing HB 1810 that will complete the state’s inventory of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (URMs) and make retrofits more affordable through various financial incentives. This campaign consists of weekly social media posts and legislative advocacy, creating statewide awareness of URM vulnerability and the need for retrofits, utilizing the upcoming 25th anniversary of Nisqually and 15th anniversary of the Christchurch, NZ earthquakes. POC: Amanda Hertzfeld, URM Program Manager, M: 425-606-8807 Amanda.Hertzfeld@seattle.gov
- Nuclear waste officially being turned into glass at Hanford Site Waste Treatment Plant is operational and treating radioactive and hazardous waste for safe, permanent disposal for the first time in history
- Have something you’d like me to feature? Send it my way at president@wsema.org by 8:00 a.m. on Fridays. Trainings, news, shoutouts, or anything you think WSEMA should know about!