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.
Preparing for winter storms
With weather experts predicting another colder, wetter, La Nina winter, on Nov. 2, Mayor Mike McGinn encouraged people to prepare for weather-related emergencies, outlined how residents can help the City respond to power outages and updated the public on how Seattle City Light is preparing for winter storms. For tips on how to prepare and other details, please see this news release.
