HomeMy WebLinkAboutKing County Inclusive Emergency PlanPage 1 of 11
City of Renton Annex
to the
King County Inclusive Emergency
Communication Plan
July 10November 15, 2023
Page 2 of 11
Record of Changes
Date Description of Change Posted By
Page 3 of 11
City of Renton Annex to the King County
Inclusive Emergency Communication Plan
Purpose
The purpose of the City of Renton Annex to the King County Inclusive Emergency Communication Plan
(IECP) is to highlight policies, context, needs, and processes in inclusive emergency communication that
are unique to City of Renton. The full King County IECP can be accessed at
https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/emergency-management/documents/plans/IEC/LEP-
IEC_plan_2022_final.ashx?la=en.
City of Renton Policies in Utilization of the IECP
When an emergency notification is issued regarding a threat to the life or health of people within the
Renton community, the IECP will be referenced to aid in extending the notification to those who may be
unable to receive or understand a conventionally transmitted message in English.
When an emergency notification has been issued, and a follow-up message is deemed necessary to
indicate an “all-clear”, that messaging will be issued in all the same languages and methods as the
original emergency notification.
When any emergency notification has been issued, an After-Action Review will be conducted to assess
the effectiveness of messaging and to identify any deficiencies that should be addressed in an
Improvement Plan and reported to the State.
City of Renton Communications Context and Scope
The City of Renton has a population of 107,500 (2022 est. Washington Office of Financial Management).
In addition to many general hazards common to King County listed in the King County Hazard Mitigation
Plan to which the city is signatory, Renton has many abandoned coal mines that pose a potential risk of
subsidence. Renton is also rated as a high consequence area for natural gas and petroleum pipelines and
storage facilities located in proximity to residential and business districts. Any one of those many
hazards could trigger the necessity for issuing life or health safety emergency notifications.
Because of Renton’s rich diversity in languages and cultures, it is necessary to communicate emergency
messages in a way that can be understood by several significant populations that self-identify as
speaking English “less than very well”. These languages are captured in Table 1. As population diversity
increases, this table will be reviewed and revised on an annual basis.
Page 4 of 11
Table 1.
City of Renton Significant Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Populations
Language Number of
LEP
individuals
% of Renton
total
population
Spanish (written and spoken) 5,996 6%
Chinese (simplified/traditional, Mandarin/Cantonese combined) 3,878 4%
Vietnamese (written and spoken) 3,308 3%
Russian, Ukrainian, or other Slavic languages (written and spoken) 1,402 1.4%
City of Renton-Specific Access and Functional Needs Communication
Accommodations
In addition to resources and best practices outlined in the King County Inclusive Emergency
Communication Plan, the City of Renton as a matter of policy uses TDD/TTY accommodation along with
text messaging to assist deaf/hard of hearing recipients whenever an ALERT Renton message is issued,
and alt text on images to assist visually impaired recipients in understanding the message. Additional
web accessibility recommendations and checklists are provided at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-
508/accessibility-checklists/index.html
City of Renton Procedures for Activation of the IECP
Any time the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Duty Officer receives or initiates a request for an
emergency notification to be disseminated to the public regarding a life or health threat, the IECP will be
activated.
Process for Annex Development
This annex was developed by Emergency Management staff, with input from department
representatives in the Emergency Management Group, including from the Equity, Housing, and Human
Services Department. It was then reviewed by members of the Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force, the Equity
Commission, and presented for public comment and subsequent revision, and finally presented
referenced in to Renton City Council for adoption along with the Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan, as adopted by the Renton City Council.
Maintenance of Annex
This plan is the product of a collaborative partnership of City of Renton stakeholders. It will be reviewed
and updated at a minimum when City of Renton’s CEMP is revised, following plan emergency activation
After Action Reviews, or when otherwise deemed necessary based on changing procedures or
information.
Page 5 of 11
Attachment A:
City of Renton-Specific Messaging Strategies and Methods
See the corresponding King County IECP Attachment A for general strategies and methods.
ALERT Renton
If the message is best distributed electronically and via the ALERT Renton platform, the message will be
initiated and distributed in English first, with TDD/TTY and text transmission done simultaneously.
Where available within the limits of the technology, messages will also be prepared and distributed
electronically in the languages of the significant LEP populations for Renton.
Trusted Partner Network
The Trusted Partner Network (TPN) is an important resource to disseminate messaging via language
community partners and should be used in addition to any technology platform. Access to the TPN is
described within the King County IECP.
Web and Social Media
Renton may also use the following web and social media accounts to boost messaging as time permits.
However, these are not considered primary alert and notification methods, and should not be relied
upon as such:
• City of Renton Emergency Information Page at rentonwa.gov (offers auto translation)
• NextDoor
• Facebook (offers auto translation)
• Twitter
• Instagram
Voice Interpretation
Options for live audio interpretation in an emergency are limited. Members of the Trusted Partner
Network and some members of the Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force have volunteered to assist with
interpretation when they are available. A list of those individuals is provided in Attachment B. A list of
interpreter services which can be provided by vendors or contractors is also included in Attachment B.
When possible, it is preferable to utilized certified or registered interpreters, but it is understood that in
an emergency that may not always be possible.
Written Translation
Written translation is best done in advance of an emergency incident. Where written messaging would
be most effective (e.g., door hangers for boil water orders), many pre-translated messages can be
accessed through online links or Emergency Management files. Options for short turnaround written
translation in an emergency are limited. A list of currently contracted translation vendors, and language
community representatives is provided in Attachment B. When possible, it is preferable to utilize
certified or registered translators, but it is understood that in an emergency that may not always be
possible.
Page 6 of 11
Neighborhood Information Centers
Pre-translated posters specifying simple life or health safety messages have been developed to assist in
messaging to all populations, including English-speakers, in the event of a widespread communications
outage that makes it difficult to send or receive messages by other means. Volunteers may be mobilized
to place these posters at pre-determined locations, listed and mapped at:
https://rentonwa.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_7922657/File/City%20Hall/Executive/Emergency%20Ma
nagement/Neighborhood%20Information%20Centers/Neighborhood%20Information%20Centers.pdf
Pictographs
Wherever possible, the use of pictographs with universal symbols is encouraged to extend the reach of
messaging beyond the required languages. Free icons are available at https://thenounproject.com/ with
credit requested to the artist.
Page 7 of 11
Attachment B:
Key City of Renton Individuals and Organizations Providing Language
Assistance
See the corresponding King County IECP Attachment B for information on accessing the Trusted Partner
Network and other key organizations to provide language assistance.
Approved Vendors and Contractors
A list of approved interpretation/translation vendors and contractors who are currently eligible to
contract with the City of Renton is maintained by the Executive Services Department Communications
Division and is included here:
Dynamic Language 206-244-6709
jason@dynamiclanguage.com
kimm@dynamiclanguage.com
InterCom Language Services 206-979-6709
requests@intercom.cc
Lingualinx 916-388-9000
abartlett@lingualinx.com
Language Line Solutions 1-866-874-3972
Can be found at https://www.rentonwa.net/employees/SitePages/Interpreters.aspx
Bilingual Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force Members
The Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force has many members from different language communities. When
available, they can provide valuable assistance in emergency translation/interpretation and in
dissemination of messaging within their respective communities. Private contact information for those
who have volunteered to assist can be obtained through the Equity, Housing, and Human Services
Department. Sorted by language, those members are:
Spanish
• Raul Sandoval
• Maggie Villareal
• Martha Elena Maginniss
Somali
• Abukar Isaak
Hindi
• Vasudha Sharma
Vietnamese/Chinese
• Duc Tran
Japanese
• Manami Imaoka
Page 8 of 11
Attachment C:
Key Life-Safety Messages Unique to City of Renton
See the corresponding King County IECP Attachment C for most life safety messages. The online link for
multilingual messages can be accessed at: https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/emergency-
management/documents/plans/IEC/IECplan-translated-messages-byhazard.ashx?la=en
In addition to the general messages outlined there, additional messages related to unique Renton risks
such as pipeline, dam, and coal mine failures under development and will be complete soon.
Page 9 of 11
Attachment D:
City of Renton News Media Contacts
See the corresponding King County IECP, Attachment D for a full list of media contacts. Additionally,
Renton-centric media includes:
• Renton Reporter
Page 10 of 11
Attachment E:
City of Renton-Specific ADA Resources
The King County Inclusive Emergency Communication Plan and Attachment E provide general ADA
Language Accessibility compliance tips.
Aside from the resources found in the in the King County IECP, in the City of Renton Language Line
Solutions (mentioned in Attachment B) has an interpretive service for visual American Sign Language upon
request as well as committing to alt text images for the visually impaired or blind.
Page 11 of 11
Attachment F:
City of Renton Additional Culturally Relevant Resources to Aid in
Communication
Some culturally relevant resources provide by the Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force and the Equity
Commission include but are not limited to:
1. Supermarket from different cultures
2. YMCA in Kent
3. Partnering up with ESL classes
4. Elderly housing as a target area for elderly population
5. LEP communities
6. WhatsApp groups – preexisting communities
7. Faith based institutions