About the Office of Emergency Management

When there's not an active incident, our office writes emergency plans, conducts training and exercises, teaches preparedness classes, and helps Kirkland get ready for emergencies.

See Kirkland's Office of Emergency Management in action in the video below, which shows the City's participation in the 2022 Cascadia Rising national disaster exercise. We practiced our point of distribution plans and our mass care sheltering capabilities.

Heather Kelly

Emergency Manager/UAS Coordinator

Email: hkelly@kirklandwa.gov

Phone: 425-587-3670

Carly Pacekonis

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

Email: cpacekonis@kirklandwa.gov

Phone: 425-587-3691

Tesslyn Matthes

Office of Emergency Management Specialist

Email: tmatthes@kirklandwa.gov

Phone: 425-587-3603

A disaster is an event that goes beyond the scope of local resources.

Normally, response agencies like Fire, Police, Public Works, and Parks & Community Services can handle emergencies, but during a disaster these agencies may be overwhelmed or unable to respond normally. Emergency Management provides coordination and control between responders, City departments, volunteers, and other stakeholders to respond effectively to disasters and emergencies.

This video is a good summary of Emergency Management's role in Kirkland:

The Office of Emergency Management cannot do everything that we do without the help of other departments and agencies. 

Some of the departments we work with are:

• Kirkland Fire Department
• Parks and Community Services
• Public Works
• Kirkland Police Department

We also work with other emergency management offices, local business organizations, and government agencies.