Disaster Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness

Vision

To be a community dedicated to disaster preparation, response, and recovery.

Yellow text on Blue Background reading Emergencies Happen Are you Ready?

Be safe, be prepared

Disasters are things that happen in places we see on the news, not our hometown. This is something people working in emergency management hear far too frequently. I have worked in law enforcement and emergency management for 27 years, but I still felt a huge sense of shock when wildfires burned through my former hometown in 2017 and destroyed entire neighborhoods one night. The fact is that when a disaster strikes, it is always someone’s home and it could happen here anytime.

My task is to make certain that the employees and people of the City of Pacific are as prepared as possible for any type of disaster.

Red and blue text on a white background reading 2 weeks ready

Emergency management emphasizes the need for a coordinated effort involving local, state and federal agencies as well as volunteer organizations and private businesses in the community.

It is my sincere hope that Pacific and its residents never experience the trauma of a disaster, but we all need to prepare ourselves and our families.

Remember, a disaster can strike anywhere and at any time, and could overwhelm any emergency response system. 9-1-1 lines and public safety resources like fire, police, medics, and public works personnel will likely not be able to immediately assist everyone who needs help. In order to prepare for and respond to disaster events, the City of Pacific Office of Emergency Management works closely with other jurisdictions such has the City of Auburn, King County Emergency Management, and Washington State Emergency Management and recommend that our residents take advantage of the resources listed below before the disaster strikes.

Craig Schwartz
Police Chief
Emergency Manager

Get Alerts

Red text on White Background reading Alert King County

ALERT King County is a regional public information and notification service offered by King County Emergency Management. ALERT King County helps you stay informed about potential hazards and threats that impact your area.

Register your physical address(es), email address(es), and phone number(s) to receive important safety information during an emergency. Sign-up is free. Click here to get started

Get Involved
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) CERT logo Green CERT over black background with white text reading Community Emergency Response Team

CERT training is comprised of 24+ hours of classroom education and hands-on practice in topics including disaster preparedness, emergency management, fire safety/suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster communication, disaster psychology, and all-hazards identification and awareness, including terrorism. Our partners in Auburn puts on the training. Please click here for more information.

Get Prepared

Families, businesses, and other community organizations can take steps to prepare for emergencies. The following agencies and organizations are some of the many who provide information on emergency preparedness:

Make a Kit

A disaster (emergency) supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. Thus, you will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them. Have different kits ready for your home (shelter-in-place), for anywhere – so you can “grab-and-go” (mobile), and for your vehicle (in case you are stranded). Click here to download a checklist of items you may want to have.