Power to help: Skykomish School to be safe place in times of crisis, need

For 80 years, the historic Skykomish School has served the community as an educational facility. Now, thanks to a multi-agency effort, it will also serve as a regional emergency shelter during extreme weather events and other crisis situations.

The project is being funded with a $15,000 grant from the Puget Sound Energy Foundation, with $17,000 in matching funds from the Skykomish School District. Funding will pay for the installation of a manual transfer switch, which activates a generator in the event of a power outage. The project was spearheaded by Skykomish Mayor Tony Grider, who recognized the need after Skykomish School students were stranded overnight without power during the Sky Valley’s severe storm event on Nov. 17, 2015, bringing high winds, flooding and torrential rainfall. 

Project stakeholders gathered at the school last week for a ceremonial check presentation, including Grider, Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOA) Executive Vice President Bob Reese and Director Calei Vaughn, PSE Community Services Manager Walt Blackford, Skykomish School District Superintendent Thomas Jay, recently appointed Skykomish Town Councilmember Todd Brunner and U.S. Forest Service staffer John Robinson, who sits on the Skykomish School Board.

The emergency shelter was the result of numerous people working together, including representatives from the King County Council and the King County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), who were unable to attend the celebration.  

“This is what effective collaboration looks like,” Reese said.

The VOA played a key role in the grant application process, acting as the fiscal agent for the school, as the PSE Foundation requires 501(C)3 nonprofit status for an organization to be eligible. The VOA applied for the grant and handled the funds. The PSE Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping communities safe through efforts focused on public safety and emergency preparedness.

“If you look at their mission, the mission says, ‘keep the communities they support safe and prepared,’ ” Reese said. “Safe and prepared — that’s exactly what this is.”

The PSE Foundation is separate from the utility company and funded by owner contributions to an endowment. It awards $400,000-$500,000 a year, which is just a fraction of the requests they receive, Blackford said.

“We typically have two cycles, April and October, and we'll get requests for a million to a million and a half,” he said. “So we can't say yes to a lot of people.”

The foundation board of directors adopted safety and emergency preparedness as its area of emphasis, so the majority of its awards are given in support of that mission, Blackford said. In addition to its grant program, the PSE Foundation has implemented a generator program, which strives to fund four generators a year in communities throughout the counties the energy company serves.

In the case of Skykomish, the generator is being funded by King County, and is expected to arrive before the end of the year. Funding from the foundation and the school district will be used to install the manual transfer switch, simplifying the process of transitioning to generator power during an outage. The switch will enable its user to select specific circuits to be powered, ensuring continued heat and refrigeration, transforming the school into a safe haven during an emergency event.

Grider thanked the foundation for its generous $15,000 contribution to their efforts, and also acknowledged the school district.

“The school has been very, very generous too, in matching that amount,” Grider said. “This is a great opportunity for not just our residents but the entire region.”

During the catastrophic Nov. 17 storm, the Skykomish River reached flood stage, setting a record for the third highest crest ever, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A Monroe man was killed when a tree struck his vehicle, a Sultan resident was seriously injured by downed power lines and numerous Sky Valley residents were stuck without power for days.

Skykomish became isolated, as U.S. 2 was blocked east and west of town. Once the storm warning was issued, the school district attempted to transport students home, Grider said, but the bus was halted at U.S. 2 because the westbound route was blocked by fallen trees and flood waters. The bus turned around and brought the kids back to the school.

“Anyone who was on the bus was stuck in the school,” Grider said. “And then, shortly thereafter, the power went out and we didn't have electricity.”

A damaged bridge east of town, which became structurally compromised and impassable, further complicated the situation. Access to Skykomish was blocked on both sides for roughly a day, Grider said.

“We live in King County but realistically there is no easy way for the county to reach us in emergency situations,” he said. “So we will continue to do our best to be more self-sufficient.” 

The community came together in a big way, Grider said. They gathered emergency supplies and blankets from the Skykomish U.S. Forest Service office and got food from the food bank. Cascadia Inn owner Henry Sladek fired up his generator and provided grilled cheese sandwiches to the kids and teachers who stayed overnight in the school.

“All night the kids were with us, and they were terrified,” Grider said. “We want to make sure that doesn't happen again, and that's what this does.”

The goal for the shelter is to serve more than just the students of the Skykomish School District, Grider said. Last winter was atypical in terms of snowfall, so Stevens Pass wasn’t in operation when the storm hit. If it had been, there could have been thousands of people stranded and in need of shelter, unable to leave the area because of the blockages on U.S. 2.

In light of last year’s events, Grider began communicating with King County, King County Fire District 50 and the King County OEM in a quest for funding. He started brainstorming with Brunner, who helped connect Grider with the VOA, which led to the successful grant application. Brunner’s background is in construction, giving him an integral role, assessing the school’s electrical systems and outlining a procedure for how the new switch will operate.

To help with the efforts, the King County OEM has provided cots and blankets. If all goes according to plan, the generator will arrive next.

“If it's large enough, we think we can run the entire school — this old building will have another purpose,” Grider said. “If there's a disaster, I think this thing’s going to hold up. They made it right.”