Thurston County advances interlocal agreements to regionalize emergency management

Thurston County officials presented interlocal agreements on March 10 that would formalize a regional approach to emergency management, consolidating planning and services for the county and neighboring cities.

County Manager Leonard Hernandez told commissioners the agreements “establish roles, responsibilities, deliverables, and coordination mechanisms” so cities can meet statutory emergency-management obligations while leveraging the county’s existing program. He said the arrangement will standardize planning, training and response coordination and benefit both city and county residents.

Hernandez praised the county’s emergency management team and credited city leaders for seeing value in a cooperative model. He cited conversations with local fire leadership and emergency staff, saying they had expressed limited capacity to shoulder emergency-management duties alone.

Kyle Bustad of the county’s emergency management staff was named in the presentation as a key operational lead whose team would support city partners. Commissioners expressed general support and acknowledged the agreement’s potential to streamline services and reduce duplication.

No formal vote was taken at the work session; staff said the interlocal agreements would be included on the board’s agenda for next-week consideration with opportunities for final review and any clarifying questions.