Happy Friday the 13th!
Apologies for the slightly delayed update this week. I’ve been outside playing in the snow with my dogs, which felt like a far better life decision than sitting behind a keyboard.
This will be a short one this week…not because the dogs demanded it (though they definitely tried), but because it’s Friday the 13th, and it feels wise not to push my luck too much today.
Let’s do this.
Association News
- Legislative Watch: The 2025-2026 legislative session has wrapped up! A big thank you to everyone that tracked bills, provided feedback, and helped elevate emergency management throughout the session.
These are the bills we were watching that made it out of session:
· SHB 2089 (Supporting wildfire mitigation): Delivered to Governor on March 12th
o https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?year=2025&BillNumber=2089
· SB 6046 (Civil Air Patrol): Delivered to Governor on March 10th
o https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=6046&Chamber=Senate&Year=2025
National EM Updates and Misc.
- Partial Government Shutdown Affecting DHS: The U.S. Senate adjourned on March 12th without resolving the ongoing DHS funding standoff.
- BRIC Funding Court Development: A federal judge has ordered FEMA to release BRIC grant funds after an earlier move to end the program was found unlawful. For jurisdictions tracking mitigation dollars closely, this is a notable development and one worth watching for what it may mean in practice for project timelines and fund access.
- NDC Announces RFI on Disability EM Toolkit: The National Council on Disability has put out a request for information related to an emergency management toolkit focused on the needs of people with disabilities. That may be of interest to anyone working on inclusive planning, whole-community engagement, or access and functional needs integration.
- COVID-19 Anniversary: COVID-19 anniversaries are generally marked around March 11th, the day the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic in 2020. Major milestones include the first US case (Jan 21, 2020 and the CDC’s initial response (EOC activation) on Jan 18, 2020.
Training and Resources
- ICS Courses: Due to the ongoing federal funding of DHS issues, FEMA’s Independent Study Program (ISP) and other ICS courses are currently unavailable. This includes online modules such as IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800.
- WA State Training: There are still trainings and courses happening across the state. To view and register for training, visit the Washington State EMD Training Calendar.
Closing Note
That’s all for this week. Thanks for everything you do across the state to keep our communities safe and prepared. Hopefully the rest of your Friday the 13th is uneventful in all the best ways.
Have a great weekend, WSEMA fam!
Kyle