Even predictable natural disasters frequently catch elected officials by surprise. A discouraging number of elected officials and senior staff act as if foreseeing and managing potential disaster impacts is a job for “another budget cycle.” So what are they doing in the meantime? Not nearly enough”.
After the Wildfire – Recovery and Reclamation of Land Tips By Nancy Aird As the population builds out into rural areas, the chances of wildfire impacting your life increases with damage possible away from the direct wildfire. The severity of the fire impacts not only the vegetation we see, but the soil structure and microbial community beneath. Slopes damaged by wildfire are prone to accelerated soil erosion, floods, and landslides (debris flow) from damaged vegetation and roots that protected the soil. Evaluation of burn conditions on the land after a fire often uses 3 definitions to describe how the soil [...]
ARE YOU WILDFIRE READY? Mitigate, Prepare and Prevent By Nancy Aird The wildland urban interface (WUI) is the area where homes are built near or among lands prone to wildland fire. Homeowners value their privacy, natural beauty, recreational opportunities and affordable living created by buying in neighborhoods built in these areas. As a result, rural fire districts more often have to fight fire and protect homes and property within these wildland urban interface areas. Mitigation accepts we cannot prevent everything from happening. Wildfires and other disasters cannot be eliminated. They will always impact on people, property and resources. The spark that sets [...]
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 has talked with experts and reviewed current studies to assess the risks. What are some risks and possible gains that are being noted today so mitigation steps can be initiated before issues become more severe? Remember some of these extremes: Wildfire: Labor Day 2020 - Wildfires in eastern WA destroyed Malden [...]
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 built this organization for 31 years and it is important to understand the history of the organization and the contributions volunteers have made to sustain it. Partners is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1991 and is the largest and most successful regional emergency management preparedness conference in the Pacific Northwest. [...]
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 working at Pacific Mountain (PacMtn) Workforce Development Council that I began to have a better understanding of WDBs. As a part of the Public Workforce System, WDBs are a network of federal, state, and local offices designed/functioned to support the expansion and development of talent that benefits the workforce and economy. [...]
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. And, even if not, the recovery process should be kick-started. Now. My May 2020 Emergency Management Once Removed blog offered these thoughts, drawing upon the words of one of the subtler “philosophers” of another day Like Yogi, I just wanted us to map out a desirable destination before our journey ended.. [...]
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 pulled aside to let the other driver pass. We both paused, motioning for the other to proceed; finally, I waved and smiled and went first – I got a smile in return. I noticed a bumper sticker contrary to my own political beliefs as I passed that driver. I had no [...]
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Phone: 1.253.912.3689
Email: LCrerar@pierce.ctc.edu
Web: Pierce College
