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.
New podcast featuring The Future of Emergency Management after 2020: The New, Novel, and Nasty
New podcast featuring The Future of Emergency Management after 2020: The New, Novel, and Nasty Jim Mullen interviewed authors, Curry Mayer and Robert McCreight on their brand new book, The Future of Emergency Management after 2020: The New, Novel, and Nasty. About the featured authors: Dr. Robert McCreight [...]
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 [...]
Breaking News – Landslides
Breaking News - Landslides Columbia River Blocked By Massive Landslide 1446-1447 AD By Nancy Aird The 1446-1447 AD Bonneville Landslide (also known as The Bridge of the Gods Landslide) blocks Columbia River where the river bisects the Cascade Range near present day Cascade Locks. The southern escarpment of [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Acknowledgment of Recent Events
We wanted to take a moment to acknowledge recent events by Center Staff We are shocked by the most recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. No matter what, we cannot become accustomed to these heinous acts of violence. During the pandemic, our county and the world experienced unprecedented [...]
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. [...]
Musings in the 21st Century USA – April 2022
Musings in the 21st Century USA by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The other day I was driving to the store on a narrow side street, headed downhill. A car headed up the hill toward me pulled between two other cars to let me pass. I simultaneously had [...]
Women in Leadership Profile: Frances Whalen
Women in Leadership Profile: Frances Whalen By Deb Moller Every emergency manager knows that FEMA expects a “whole community” approach to preparedness. This guiding principle is sometimes seen as less critical than other doctrine. But it’s impossible to develop strong situational awareness, the foundation for effective planning and response, [...]
Growing Our Own: How can we find the next wave of Emergency Managers?
Growing Our Own: How can we find the next wave of Emergency Managers? By Jim Mullen “ My goal for our discipline is that 20 years from now, my resume won’t qualify me to do the job I currently have” – a truly iconic (now retired) state director - [...]
International Women’s Day 2022
International Women’s Day 2022 By Linda Crerar The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2022 was “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow. ” Many events recognized how women around the world are responding to climate change. The International Women’s Day website provides a platform to help forge positive [...]
A Bitter-sweet Message
A Bitter-sweet Message By Linda Crerar It is again that “bitter-sweet feeling” I share with Kellie about her wonderful new job at PACMTN Workforce Development COUNCIL, working with William Westmoreland, the Director and also a Center Advisory Board Member and his great team. Kellie has received a warm [...]
Thank you, coe-hsem, for an incredible 10 years!
Thank you, coe-hsem, for an incredible 10 years! By Kellie Hale Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d spend ten years at the Center of Excellence for Homeland Security Emergency Management. I never expected what was supposed to be an internship to transform my life. When [...]