Spokane fires, Office of Equity, Washington State Patrol, Labor Day travel



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Spokane County wildfires torch homes, force evacuations
Gov. Jay Inslee met volunteers, responders, evacuees, and others affected by wildfires in Spokane County on Sunday.

Gov. Jay Inslee met volunteers, responders, evacuees, and others affected by wildfires in Spokane County on Sunday.

Two devastating wildfires converged on Spokane County last week. The Gray and Oregon Road fires have consumed more than 21,000 acres and 320 homes. Nearly another 3,000 structures remain threatened, and 4,000 residents remain evacuated.

Gov. Jay Inslee visited Sunday to meet responders and evacuees. Despite the dark circumstances, the spirit of the region?s people shone brightly. Red Cross volunteers and honor students from Riverside High School [ [link removed] ] helped convert the school to an overnight shelter for evacuees. DSHS employees at Lakeland Village [ [link removed] ] hurried to move patients out of harm?s way, even while their own homes were lost. Nearly 1,000 firefighters are on the fire line, achieving significant containment over the course of the week.

On Saturday, the governor had signed a proclamation declaring a statewide emergency [ [link removed] ]. The proclamation allowed the U.S. Army to commit two Black Hawk helicopters and a massive Chinook helicopter to the firefighting effort. The helicopters began operations Monday.

Inslee spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell Sunday night and President Joe Biden Monday morning to discuss federal relief. FEMA approved the state?s request [ [link removed] ] for disaster assistance to support shelter and response efforts. Spokane County Emergency Management continues to host community meetings [ [link removed] ] to inform affected residents of available assistance. The state Insurance Commissioner warned consumers this week [ [link removed] ] to check that their homeowners? insurance policies cover fire events.

The Northwest is seeing more intense and devastating wildfires over time, which scientists connect to warmer weather, drier conditions and longer summers resulting from climate change.

?35,000 acres are on fire today in Washington State,? said Inslee on Sunday [ [link removed] ]. ?When something?s attacking you, we need to defend ourselves. We need to defend ourselves from climate change. There are not enough fire trucks in the world to protect us if we don?t stop climate change.?

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Inslee appoints new director for state Office of Equity
Meghan Mathews addresses attendees at the state?s Juneteenth celebration on June 15, 2023.

Megan Mathews addresses attendees at the state?s Juneteenth celebration on June 15, 2023.

A new figure will now help the state become more actively anti-racist; Inslee appointed Megan Matthews [ [link removed] ] to direct the Office of Equity on Wednesday.

?Megan is a dynamic and authentic leader who knows what it takes to make the Office of Equity successful. This agency is central to our work promoting equity and justice for all," said Inslee.

Matthews has worked with the office since 2021 as an assistant director, and she has helped drive the agency?s strategy and budgets during her tenure. She has a background in social service, having researched poverty reduction for the Department of Social and Health Services and having chaired the Washington State Blacks United in Leadership and Diversity (BUILD) business group for state employees.

"I am honored to serve Washingtonians in this role. Our office is busy laying a strong internal foundation by hiring to get fully staffed to do our critical work, implementing our budget strategy to be as efficient and impactful with the funds we have been allocated, and meeting our mandate to bring accountability to government and advance equity and justice for all Washingtonians," said Matthews.

In 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee committed to a campaign to improve equity [ [link removed] ] throughout state government. Juneteenth was established as a state holiday by the Legislature. Substantial funding was set aside for immigrant relief, and an independent office was established to evaluate use of force by law enforcement. And the Office of Equity was established, charged with creating an equity plan for the state and helping agencies prioritize underserved groups. Now in its third year, the Office of Equity organizes summits, trainings, and content that influence practices across state government.

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It's a new era for the Washington State Patrol
The Washington State Patrol is modernizing its methods and technology, and its approach to recruitment.

The Washington State Patrol is modernizing its methods and technology, and its approach to recruitment to attract a more diverse cast of troopers to enhance public safety statewide.

The work of the Washington State Patrol looks a little different than it did a century ago. Troopers are modeling collision and crime scenes in 3D using UAVs and survey equipment. They are flagging reckless drivers from the air and tracking down suspects without engaging in dangerous ground pursuits. They are defusing bombs with robots, using road sensors to flag big rigs with flat tires, and otherwise using modern methods to protect the state.

The agency is also becoming more diverse. WSP is reinventing its culture to be more welcoming and reflective of the state?s demographics. The strategy is beginning to work, and WSP?s latest academy classes are its most diverse to date.

"Law enforcement in the United States has historically been an industry dominated by white males. That's true in the Washington State Patrol, or it has been for our first 100 years," says WSP communications director Chris Loftis. "Our second hundred years can't be that. We must be more reflective of the state we serve."

"We're going to need people of all types, people of all genders, people with language skills to be successful," says Loftis. "What matters is do you have the courage, the character, and do you want to make Washington safer? If you do, we need you."

*Read the full story on Gov. Jay Inslee?s Medium. [ [link removed] ]*

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News you might have missed:

*Be prepared to ?Ready, Set, Go!? in case of disaster*

King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties have launched a regional ?Ready, Set, Go!? evacuation preparedness campaign [ [link removed] ]. As fires rage in Spokane, forcing thousands to evacuate, residents of western Washington should also be aware that they, too, might someday be called to evacuate in case of a regional disaster.

*New state program connects health and housing*

A new multiagency state program is applying Medicaid funding to help Washingtonians find stable housing. The Apple Health and Homes [ [link removed] ] program offers housing and employment services to qualifying people enrolled in Apple Health. The program will help people suffering from substance use disorder or chronic health conditions to access permanent supportive housing so their underlying health needs may be better addressed.

*The best and worst times to travel for Labor Day weekend*

Labor Day weekend is a popular travel occasion, and congestion should be expected [ [link removed] ] along key routes. Travelers should consult the Washington State Department of Transportation?s?holiday traffic volume charts?to determine the best times to travel, and use WSDOT?s apps and social media accounts to prepare for changes. Congestion should be expected along highways and also aboard ferries, at airports, and perhaps aboard public transit.

*Blood donations needed urgently*

The American Red Cross has noted a shortfall of blood donations [ [link removed] ] during the first two months of summer. With fewer donations, the Red Cross?s Pacific Northwest Region does not expect to meet demand this month. Smoke and unhealthy air conditions canceled several blood drives, making matters even worse.

?Our collections are certainly in a situation you would call precarious,? said Curt Bailey, Bloodworks Northwest president and CEO. ?We need to continue to share the message that the summer months are a very critical time.?

*Friday marks Ukraine?s Independence Day*

Friday is Ukraine?s Independence Day, and the 32nd anniversary of the nation?s independence from the former United Soviet Socialist Republic. Ukraine?s independence is threatened by an unprovoked Russian invasion that has claimed nearly half a million lives in total. Gov. Jay Inslee Thursday issued a proclamation [ [link removed] ] to observe Ukrainian Independence Day.

*Commemorative tree to be replaced to honor Cal Anderson*

The state Department of Enterprise Services recently removed several Kwanzan cherry trees on the Washington State Capitol campus. The trees were dying and unsafe. Among the trees was one commemorating the late Cal Anderson, the state?s first openly gay lawmaker. Gov. Jay Inslee this week ordered DES to replant the tree immediately [ [link removed] ].










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