Community Resilience + Equity

Public Health aims to work collaboratively with community partners on the creation and implementation of emergency preparedness products and activities.

Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Emergency Preparedness section defines community engagement in emergency preparedness as: A participatory and anti-racist approach to emergency preparedness and response in which communities that are disproportionately impacted by emergency incidents are appropriately represented and actively included in preparedness planning activities. Public Health Preparedness engages with community through open channels of communication, shares resources and information, learns about specific needs before and during an emergency, and co-creates preparedness plans with community partners.

The graphic below shows different approaches that Preparedness staff take when working with community partners. Often engagement may occur across several elements of the spectrum. When engaging with community partners, Preparedness staff maintain inclusive and accessible engagement practices.