HSD, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Seattle Animal Shelter conducted a highly successful emergency shelter exercise on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Yesler Community Center. As part of the City’s ongoing preparedness for disaster events, these City departments, along with Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Medical Reserve Corps, practiced activating a human shelter. Community members and city staff volunteered to act as shelter residents and participants included people with disabilities. This exercise also unveiled the City’s Pet Emergency Trailer-Seattle (PETS) unit, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, The purpose of the exercise was to put employees and players in as a real a situation as possible to test how well prepared the City is for an emergency that would displace people and pets.
