Our Blog2020-10-29T19:42:03+00:00

Center’s Blog

Use this page to stay up-to-date on COVID-19, homeland security emergency management, campus safety, job resources, career pathways, upcoming webinars, scholarships, Washington State news and more.

Securing the Supply Chain Summit 2022: Building Resilience through Sustainability

Securing the Supply Chain Summit 2022: Building Resilience through Sustainability On October 18, 2022, the Centers of Excellence for Homeland Security-Emergency Management and Global Trade and Supply Chain Management held their sixth summit, which focused on “Building Resilience through Sustainability.” This was the first time in three years [...]

A Legacy of Excellence gala for Dr. Michele L. Johnson

A Legacy of Excellence gala for Dr. Michele L. Johnson On Saturday, October 22, 2022, Nancy Aird (Data Research Specialist for our Center) attended the Legacy of Excellence Gala to celebrate Dr. Michele Johnson at Pierce College. Pierce College has been creating quality educational opportunities for a diverse [...]

Resilience for the Next earthquake: ShakeAlert early warning system

Resilience for the Next earthquake: ShakeAlert early warning system ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system offer an alert to everyone. It does not predict earthquakes but indicates that an earthquake has begun and shaking is imminent. Sign up at: https://www.shakealert.org/ The Great Shakeout Earthquake Drills just occurred on October [...]

SBCTC Climate Solutions Program

SBCTC Climate Solutions Program During the 2021-2022 legislative session, Washington State legislators approved $1.5 million for expanding climate solutions education across our 34 community and technical colleges. The community and technical college system of Washington is positioned to be a key resource in helping achieve climate solutions by [...]

Education and Climate Priorities for WA state in 2023

Education and Climate Priorities for WA state in 2023 Gov. Jay Inslee outlined his climate policy package for the 2021–2023 biennium. “Climate change is a health issue, an economic issue and an equity issue. We must address these very real threats to our state, and we cannot wait. [...]

Emergency Management: Tough to Do, Tougher to Teach

Emergency Management: Tough to Do, Tougher to  Teach by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed During the Great Depression, a young Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) interviewed for a teaching position in Texas. During his interview, when asked, “Is the world flat or round” – he replied, “I can teach [...]

Gov. Jay Inslee holds press conference about CJTC expansion

Gov. Jay Inslee holds press conference about CJTC expansion On July 21st, governor Jay Inslee held a press conference where other law enforcement officials and legislators assembled to outline proposals on the expansion of the Criminal Justice Training Center to Pasco, Vancouver, and Everett-Bellingham. Our Center and our [...]

COE Highlights

COE Highlights FY 22 Impact Statement Economic Development Focus Currently, 86,000 employees are documented in the CTE Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Clusters. Government and public service organizations employ about 80% of this workforce with 20% employment in private sector. There is a growing demand in this [...]

Back-to-School Programs

Back-to-School Programs Looking for a great career opportunity? Thinking about career options or looking to change careers? The climate change crisis has created significate educational opportunities in Emergency and Risk Management for industries, government, and public service. Join the workforce to help maintain national security, response to all-hazard [...]

“You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows…” (Bob Dylan.et al.)

“You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows…” (Bob Dylan.et al.) by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed In this era of increasingly dangerous weather events, among the most dangerous are those slow-moving storm systems that pause over an area for an extended period before moving [...]

Studying the Past, Confronting the Present, Shaping the Future

Studying the Past, Confronting the Present, Shaping the Future by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The epidemic of mass shootings (defined as incidents where four or more persons are injured) in our country are emotionally draining tragedies for which thoughts and prayers are insufficient while rational solutions seem [...]

Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Resources 2-1-1 Washington Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Stress and Coping Mental Health America Mental Health Resources in Washington Washington State Department of Health Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 (Toll Free - English and Español) SMS: Text [...]

College/Program resources

College/Program Resources Below are available resources for college/program courses: Inventory of courses offered at SBCTC Colleges https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/professional-technical/default.aspx Career Pathway Course Maps Social Service Mental Health (AA-DTA) with Certificate Career Pathway Course Map Social Service Mental Health (AAS) Career Pathway Course Map Social Service Mental Health [...]

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Storytime: The Equal Rights Amendment and Me

Storytime: The Equal Rights Amendment and Me by Jim Mullen From 1973-75 I was an ombudsman in Jacksonville, Illinois, an exempt employee of a self-proclaimed “reform” Governor, Dan Walker. Though my “day job” was to advocate for citizens wrongly deprived of government services to which they were entitled, my [...]

Imagine This…

Imagine This... by Dr. Mary Schoenfeldt Trauma, Resilience, Self-Care, Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, PTSD and Post Traumatic Growth… all common words these day, aren’t they? They have become such everyday familiar words we use them freely in conversation, but what do they really mean? And more importantly, why does it [...]

Just in Time – June 2022

Just in Time by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed For years, emergency managers have lamented the public’s tendency to delay the acquisition of essential supplies. Food and other daily necessities are typically not maintained beyond a brief time frame. That quick run to the store at 5pm is [...]

Who Needs to be Educated About Emergency Management? Who doesn’t?

Who Needs to be Educated About Emergency Management? Who doesn’t? By Jim Mullen Emergency managers often lack the political clout, or even the bureaucratic standing, to have much of an impact on policy decisions societies make. We’re there to try to mitigate, within our means, prepare the community and [...]

Recovery in Advance – May 2022

Recovery in Advance by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Emergency Management Once Removed periodically has cited the need for a systematic recovery process to enable appropriate and comprehensive restoration of the social equilibrium following a major or catastrophic disaster.    No matter how much assistance pours in after the [...]

Climate Change: A Practical Guide

Climate Change:  A Practical Guide By Linda Crerar & Nancy Aird How are more extreme weather, rising temperatures, and climate change affecting our health, homes, finances, safety, and day-to-day activities? What can we do about it? Every year, Washington faces floods, wildfires, landslides, tornadoes, and snow. Our Confluence staff [...]

Volunteers: Partners in Emergency Management Preparedness

Volunteers: Partners in Emergency Management Preparedness By Linda Crerar April is National Volunteer Month and we are recognizing the work and service of the many dedicated volunteers like those who have been so instrumental in establishing, supporting, and implementing the Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference every year. Volunteers have [...]

Washington’s Workforce Development Boards: How They Connect Employers to Job Seekers

Washington’s Workforce Development Boards: How They Connect Employers to Job Seekers By Kellie Hale What are Workforce Development Boards (WDBs)? I kept hearing about them during my time at the CoE-HSEM. However, I never had the chance to interact with them personally or professionally. It wasn’t until I began [...]

Some Modest, Hopefully Post-Covid Suggestions

Some Modest, Hopefully  Post- Covid Suggestions By Jim Mullen In the spirit of the theme for this month’s Confluence, I thought that  I would “volunteer” some thoughts about the situation in which we find ourselves as COVID – hopefully, fingers crossed – has begun to ease into endemic status. [...]

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