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 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 helped convert the school to an overnight shelter for evacuees. DSHS employees at Lakeland Village 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. 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 for disaster assistance to support shelter and response efforts. Spokane County Emergency Management continues to host community meetings to inform affected residents of available assistance. The state Insurance Commissioner warned consumers this week 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. ?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.?
 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 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 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.
 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.
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