Emergency Management

King County Emergency Management helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies through regional planning, coordination, public education, and emergency operations support. This article explains the role of the Office of Emergency Management, the services available to residents and organizations, emergency notification systems, preparedness resources, emergency plans, training opportunities, and the correct office contact information for assistance.

Role of Emergency Management

The King County Office of Emergency Management provides regional leadership for emergency preparedness and emergency operations. The office works with cities, county departments, state and federal agencies, tribes, special purpose districts, community groups, and private businesses to build coordinated emergency systems across the region.

The agency focuses on five emergency management mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. These areas guide how King County prepares for hazards, reduces risks, coordinates emergency services, and supports communities after disasters.

During emergencies, the office provides direction, control, and coordination for county government emergency services. It also serves as a connection between local governments, county departments, and other organizations involved before, during, and after significant incidents.

Four Emergency Management Priorities

King County Emergency Management identifies four main priorities that support regional readiness:

Emergency Operations Center readiness: Maintaining the ability to activate and operate the Emergency Operations Center when incidents require coordinated response.

Situational awareness: Gathering and sharing information to understand current hazards, risks, and emergency conditions.

Public awareness and education: Helping residents, businesses, and communities improve emergency preparedness.

Disaster risk reduction: Supporting actions that reduce the effects of future emergencies and disasters.

Emergency Preparedness Resources

Preparedness is a major part of King County’s emergency management work. Residents, families, businesses, and community groups can access preparedness information designed to improve readiness before an emergency occurs.

The county provides emergency preparedness materials for different audiences, including individuals and families, businesses, and community organizations. Resources include planning information, training opportunities, workshops, and educational materials.

Personal Emergency Planning

Residents can prepare by creating emergency plans, building emergency supplies, and learning about local hazards. King County provides a Get Ready fillable workbook to help individuals and families organize their preparedness information.

Emergency preparation resources include guidance for building an emergency kit and preparing for hazards that may affect the region. Residents can review information about hazards such as earthquakes, floods, extreme heat, winter storms, wildfires, hazardous materials releases, landslides, utility outages, and other emergency situations through the county’s emergency preparedness resources.

Emergency Hazards in the Region

King County identifies a wide range of hazards that may require emergency planning and response. Understanding possible risks helps residents and organizations prepare appropriate supplies, communication plans, and response actions.

The county provides hazard information covering:

Avalanches
Cyberterrorism
Dam failures
Drought
Earthquakes
Extreme heat
Fire
Flooding
Hazardous materials releases
Infectious disease
Landslides
Radiation
Terrorism
Thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes
Transportation accidents
Tsunami and seiche events
Utility outages
Volcanoes
Winter storms

Residents can review hazard information and receive a personalized report of natural hazard risks by address through the county’s hazard resources.

Emergency Alerts and Notifications

During emergencies, receiving timely information can help residents make informed decisions. King County provides ALERT King County, a regional emergency notification service that provides safety information about potential hazards and threats in a person’s area.

The service is free and allows users to register physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers to receive emergency notifications. Users can also modify or unsubscribe from their alert settings.

When registering for ALERT King County, users may choose to receive alerts in multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Somali, Russian, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and other available languages.

Alert Account Assistance

Questions about creating or managing an ALERT King County account are handled through the alert system support contact:

Email: support@everbridge.com
Phone: 866-436-4911

Emergency Operations Center

The King County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) supports coordinated emergency response activities across county government and partner agencies. The center provides a location where emergency management staff and participating organizations can share information, coordinate actions, and support response operations.

The EOC operates under different activation levels depending on the type and severity of an incident. These levels help determine staffing, coordination needs, and operational response.

EOC Activation Levels

Steady State: Normal daily operations with no anticipated or ongoing incident requiring activation.

Enhanced: An incident is being monitored, with additional emergency management staff involved as needed.

Partial: The Emergency Operations Center is staffed and one or more Emergency Support Functions may be activated.

Full: The Emergency Operations Center is fully staffed with broad participation from county departments and partner agencies.

The Emergency Operations Center program also includes support from trained volunteers who assist with emergency coordination activities, exercises, and response operations.

Emergency Plans and Coordination

King County uses emergency plans to define responsibilities, coordination methods, and actions before, during, and after disasters. These plans help government agencies understand who performs specific roles during emergency situations.

Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) supports county officials, department leaders, managers, and staff in preparing for, responding to, mitigating, and recovering from disasters.

The plan is developed through coordination between King County Emergency Management, county departments, emergency management representatives from local jurisdictions, and selected private and nonprofit sector partners.

Continuity of Government Planning

The Continuity of Government (COG) Plan addresses how King County government functions continue, resume, and recover during major disasters or other events. The plan focuses on areas such as leadership succession, emergency authority, and command and control.

The COG Plan is different from a Continuity of Operations Plan because it focuses specifically on maintaining government functions and responsibilities.

Training and Exercises

King County Emergency Management provides training and exercises that support emergency professionals, government partners, and organizations involved in emergency response.

Training opportunities include webinars, Emergency Operations Center educational videos, and emergency management courses. These programs help participants understand emergency coordination procedures and response responsibilities.

Emergency Training Programs

Training resources include:

Emergency Operations Center 101 videos
Emergency management webinars
Operational training courses
Exercises for emergency preparedness and response capabilities

The county also manages regional emergency management training activities connected to Homeland Security Region 6, which covers King County.

Community and Partner Coordination

Emergency Management works with local jurisdictions and partner organizations to strengthen regional preparedness. The county coordinates with cities, emergency responders, healthcare organizations, utilities, government agencies, and community partners.

The Emergency Management Advisory Committee supports regional coordination by reviewing emergency management issues, providing recommendations, and helping improve preparedness capabilities across the county.

Local Emergency Offices

King County includes multiple city emergency management offices. Residents seeking local emergency management assistance may need to contact their city’s emergency management office for jurisdiction-specific information.

The county provides contact information for local emergency management offices throughout the region, including cities such as Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, Kent, Auburn, Federal Way, Kirkland, Redmond, and others.

Office Contact Information

The King County Office of Emergency Management is the main county office responsible for emergency management coordination, preparedness programs, emergency planning, and regional emergency operations support.

Emergency Management Offices

King County Emergency Management
3511 NE Second St.
Renton, WA 98056
206-296-3830
Toll Free: 1-800-523-5044
TTY Relay 711

Emergency Management FAQs

How can residents prepare for emergencies in King County?

Residents can prepare by creating an emergency plan, organizing supplies, and learning about hazards that may affect their area. King County provides preparedness resources for individuals, families, businesses, and community groups, including the emergency preparedness resources with planning guidance, checklists, and information about building an emergency kit. Residents can also use the Get Ready fillable workbook to organize important preparedness details before an emergency occurs.

Where can I find information about emergency hazards in King County?

King County provides hazard information to help residents understand possible risks and prepare appropriate response plans. Available hazard topics include earthquakes, floods, extreme heat, wildfires, winter storms, landslides, hazardous materials releases, utility outages, and other emergency situations. Residents can review local risk information and access hazard preparation guidance through the county’s hazards information page.

How do I receive emergency alerts from King County?

Residents can sign up for ALERT King County to receive important safety notifications about potential hazards and threats in their area. The service allows users to register physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers and provides options to manage alert preferences, including available language choices.

What emergency plans guide county response activities?

King County uses emergency plans to define responsibilities, actions, and coordination procedures before, during, and after disasters. The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan supports county officials, departments, and emergency partners in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. The Continuity of Government Plan also addresses how essential government functions continue during major emergencies.

How does King County support emergency training and exercises?

King County provides emergency management training opportunities, webinars, and educational materials to help government partners and emergency professionals improve readiness. Training resources include Emergency Operations Center educational videos and exercises designed to strengthen coordination and response capabilities across the region.