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DEM



News from Emergency Management

December 2, 2025




Snohomish County adopts first community wildfire protection plan

Snohomish County now has its first-ever plan to help people and businesses countywide better adapt to wildfire risk.

Snohomish County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2025 (full) [ [link removed] ]

The Snohomish County Community Wildfire Protection Plan was approved and adopted Nov. 12, by a unanimous vote of the Snohomish County Council. The plan is the result of two years’ work by a team that included area firefighters, state and federal agencies, local tribes, nonprofits, residents, landowners and Emergency Management staff.

The County is grateful to everyone who worked to get the wildfire protection plan in place and is hopeful they will remain involved in the next planning phase, said Lucia Schmit, Snohomish County’s emergency management director.

*“Although we are entering flood season and wildfire risk is currently low for the county, it is important to prepare before the hazard is here,” Schmit said. “This plan will set us up well for next fire season as well as more localized future planning, including evacuation challenges and fuel reduction efforts.”*

The adopted plan can be found at www.bit.ly/SnoCo_CWPP [ [link removed] ].

Expect to hear more in 2026 about how to stay involved as planning moves forward on community-specific wildfire protection needs, including identifying evacuation routes.

*“The beautiful forests that help make our county special also mean this is a place where wildfires are a hazard, especially in areas where homes and forests are close together,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “It is important that Snohomish County and the many dedicated partners who contributed to this plan are prepared. It is equally important for residents to learn about their risk and how they can better protect their homes and neighborhoods.”*

Executive Somers officially signed off on the wildfire plan Nov. 13. Representatives from the state Department of Natural Resources and the Snohomish County Fire Chiefs Association gave their written approvals earlier this fall.

The wildfire protection planning effort relied upon geospatial analysis to identify places in the county where topography and ground cover contribute to elevated fire risk. Related data work identified areas where houses, farms and businesses mix in with forestlands. Roughly 130,000 people in the county now call these spaces home – more than 15% of the county’s population.



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Train to become a SKYWARN Storm Spotter Jan. 15, 2026

SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training Ja. 15, 2026. Image of storm clouds and a lightning strike. [ [link removed] ]

We are excited to announce a *SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training* course to be presented Jan. 15, 2026, by the National Weather Service.

We had planned to host this course in October, but the federal government shutdown got in the way. The training will again be open to emergency management partners, first responders, volunteers, and community members interested in learning how to identify and report severe weather events that impact our region.



*SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training*

*Date: *January 15, 2026

*Time: *6:00pm-8:00pm

*Location*: Hybrid offering - VIRTUAL *AND* In-Person at Snohomish County Emergency Management, 720 80th St. SW. Building A, Everett, WA 98203.

*Registration Link: [link removed] [ [link removed] ]*

The National Weather Service established SKYWARN to obtain critical weather information. It is a volunteer program that trains volunteers to become severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safer by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather.

Meanwhile, Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management is launching a county specific Storm Spotter Program to build a trusted network of trained local spotters.

To learn more and to ask questions, email [email protected] or come to the Q/A session immediately following the Jan. 15 training.

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Emergency Management reminders

The following appeared in the November edition of *News from Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive [ [link removed] ]:*

"Since Nov. 12, Snohomish County has been monitoring updates and working with state and federal partners addressing a leak reported on the Olympic Pipeline near Snohomish. It’s a reminder that emergencies can occur at any time, and responding to them requires involvement from a variety of partners. Some emergencies are seasonal like flooding, others are unexpected like a leak, and still others could be abruptly devastating like a major earthquake.

"I appreciate the interest of state and local leaders in learning more about how Snohomish County approaches emergency management. I was pleased to join Congressman Larsen at DEM to meet with the team there in October, along with experts from Public Works and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources who talked about funding, flooding, snowstorms, and more. Then in early November, a plan for an entirely different seasonal hazard – our first Community Wildfire Protection Plan [ [link removed] ] – was formally adopted.

"Sometimes, emergency management means responding to one emergency while simultaneously planning for the next one and the one after that. It takes a dedicated team to lead those response and planning efforts, and it takes all of us to help keep our community safe. I encourage residents to take some time to learn about the hazards in their part of the county [ [link removed] ] and how they can be prepared."

Rep. Rick Larsen and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers meet with several members of Emergency Management's staff Oct. 24, 2025.

Several members of Emergency Management's staff met with Rep. Rick Larsen and Executive Dave Somers Oct. 24, 2025.

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Marking 20 years with the County

November marked two decades since the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management joined county government. An agency sharing the name had existed previously in Snohomish County, but it did not serve all the community. That changed on Nov. 9, 2005 when this department was created by county ordinance 05-123 [ [link removed] ]. The department now provides emergency management services, planning and coordination in the unincorporated areas. It also contracts to do the same for every city and town except for Everett, Marysville and Bothell, which operate their own programs in close partnership with us.

Emergency Management’s mission is to collaboratively limit harm to people and property from a host of potential challenges, including earthquakes, floods, wildfires, severe weather, and human-caused hazards. That work occurs before, during and after a crisis.

Ordinance 5-123 [ [link removed] ]

Click on image to access the 2005 ordinance that made Emergency Management a County department.

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Keep connected in emergencies

Make sure you can access critical information during emergencies. Sign up for SnoCoAlerts [ [link removed] ] by creating a Smart911 profile and receive emergency messages on your phone.

Are you signed up for SnoCoAlerts? [ [link removed] ]

Click the image above to sign up for SnoCoAlerts and create a Smart 911 profile.




720 – 80th ST. S.W.
BLDG A Everett, WA 98203

[email protected] <[email protected]%0A%[email protected]%0A%[email protected]>

PH: 425.388.5060

Fax:425.423.9152

 

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