County adopts state Everbridge notification; staff warn of elevated debris-flow risk from Bear Gulch burn area

John (emergency management) told commissioners on Dec. 8 that the National Weather Service has flagged an increased risk of post-fire debris flow from the Bear Gulch burn area and that Mason County is at the bottom of that potential flow. He said the county has switched emergency notifications from Code Red to the state's Everbridge system, which he said already contains roughly 89% of county contact entries and will serve as the preferred system; he said the switch saved approximately $4,300.

John said the county has coordinated with Fish and Wildlife and Tacoma Power because debris flow could affect fish hatcheries and Tacoma Power infrastructure, and that Tacoma Power is monitoring risks to the Pushman dam (as transcribed). He cautioned staff about releasing secure operations details until the county declares an emergency because of public-disclosure and critical-infrastructure concerns.

Given the elevated risk, John recommended targeted Everbridge alerts to Cushman-area residents explaining that the current conditions elevate the possibility of debris movement for the coming weeks. Commissioners discussed getting the alert out quickly and approved staff drafting targeted messaging and sharing it with the affected district commissioner prior to release; one commissioner urged issuing the alert immediately rather than waiting for formal review.

John said Everbridge can geotarget alerts (draw circles, octagons) and that the state can push messages if the county is unable. He also said residents who registered in Code Red since March 1 will need to re-register in Everbridge because the transfer did not include those entries; staff will notify the public how to re-register. The briefing did not include a formal emergency declaration; commissioners asked that staff proceed with targeted alerts.