OLYMPIA— What if the worst happened – would we be ready? Almost one month ago, forty-five thousand people died in an earthquake in Turkey. Our state faces a similar threat. But in addition, widespread fires, floods, and cold and hot snaps remain a sobering reality that more must be done to prepare our communities for when, not if, disaster strikes.
Saturday, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 1728 to create a statewide a statewide resilience program. The bill would direct the Washington Military Department to develop methods of tracking overall resilience efforts, coordinating funds from federal and state entities, and enhancing interagency collaboration.
Because of this preparation, communities across our state will be better prepared to respond to the impacts of all hazards, both natural and human caused.
“Knowing what hazards exist is critical to creating resilient communities and saving countless lives,” said Rep. Donaghy. “We know for every dollar spent on disaster preparation and improving resilience, we save six to eight dollars in recovery costs.”
It heads to the Senate fur further consideration.