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Emergency Management Advisory Committee

Learn more about the Emergency Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) and work groups role in emergency preparedness in Washington state. 

Contact: Lexi Swanson, KCOEM HLS Region 6 Coordinator
HLS.Region6@kingcounty.gov

The Washington State Emergency Management Division refers to King County as Homeland Security Region 6. Our county emergency management office provides services regionally based on the King County Code. Our county is divided into three zones with the Emergency Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) keeping track of what happens in each.

What we do

The EMAC:

  • Advises, assists, reviews, and comments on:
    • Emergency management and homeland security issues
    • Regional planning
    • Policies
  • Measures and prioritizes core capabilities
  • Recommends homeland security allocations and work products to boost preparedness and operational levels

Members provide regional and multi-discipline perspectives and represent the needs and concerns of cities, fire service, law enforcement, healthcare facilities, the Port of Seattle, government, special purpose districts, tribes, utilities, non-profit agencies, and the private sector.

Meeting information

All EMAC meetings are open to the public.

  • We meet on the second Wednesday of the month.
  • During even-numbered months, the meeting is from 10 am to noon at the RCECC.
  • During odd-numbered months, the meeting is from 10 to 11:30 am virtually on Teams.

Email HLS.Region6@kingcounty.gov for a meeting invite.

EMAC Leadership

  • 2025 Chair: Evan Van Otten, King County Medic One 
  • 2025 Vice-Chair: Carl Lunak, City of Bellevue
  • Committee Lead: Lexi Swanson, King County Emergency Management

Workgroups

Regional Coordination

This workgroup is focused on coordinating emergency management efforts across King County and the region to share best practices, reduce duplication of efforts, and develop shared regional response capabilities. Members include subject matter experts within emergency management and response partners at all levels.

Co-chairs: Brendan McCluskey, KC Office of Emergency Management and Curry Mayer, Seattle Office of Emergency Management

OEM Lead: Sunita Hall

Community Outreach Workgroup

This workgroup is devoted to increasing public preparedness through outreach efforts and material development. This can include disaster skills trainings, attending community events, and hosting forums to share resources and best practices for community educators. They also support CERT teams through trainings and providing materials. Membership includes professionals working in the field of public education, communication, and emergency management.

The Community Outreach Workgroup meets virtually every other month.

OEM Lead: Nicholas Gibbons

Mass Care Workgroup

This workgroup e is working to build relationships with vulnerable populations. The group shares about recent incidents with mass care implications in the region and beyond and discusses lessons learned in mass care. They also work to draft grant projects to increase regional capacity and response capability. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in caring for the needs of the public during and after a major event.

The Mass Care Workgroup meets quarterly on the second Thursday at 12:30 pm.

OEM Lead: Nathan Emory

Cybersecurity Workgroup

This workgroup forms a safe place to discuss concerns, innovations, and threats in the cybersecurity space, bringing together partners from around the county to foster trust and increased coordination between EM and IT partners. This aims to build resilience by bringing in partners that EMAC typically does not engage. The first goals are to create a safe space for networking and outreach to partners, and to build a basic Tabletop exercise for partners to partake in.

The Cybersecurity Workgroup meets every other month; meeting dates are to be determined as the workgroup gets started.

OEM Lead: Lexi Swanson

 

 

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