Addressing emergency preparedness, suicide prevention

Among raising awareness on issues dedicated to the month of September, emergency preparedness and the prevention of suicide are high on the Pierce County Council’s agenda. 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MONTH

The Pierce County Council proclaimed September 2024 Emergency Preparedness Month in Pierce County to encourage community members and neighborhoods to take time to prepare for emergencies and disasters. The Council encourages everyone to sign up for PCALERT at piercecountywa.gov/921/Pierce-County-ALERT, take the time to understand hazards, evaluate readiness, create or update emergency preparedness plans, and begin developing or updating their two weeks ready kit. The Pierce County Department of Emergency Management (PCDEM) has tips to create a kit at piercecountywa.gov/buildakit. 

The PCDEM is hosting an open house on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center (2501 S. 35th St., Suite D in Tacoma) for the community to learn more about emergency operations. 

SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

The Pierce County Council proclaimed September 2024 Suicide Prevention Month in Pierce County to encourage community members to raise their awareness about the warning signs of suicide, educate themselves and their communities on the importance of mental health care, and encourage those in need to seek help without shame or hesitation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Washington State and the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14. It is the 3rd leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 and the 12th leading cause of death overall in the United States. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline implemented the 9-8-8 dialing code system in July 2022 to provide direct, life-saving services. People can call or text 9-8-8 if they or a loved one is experiencing a mental health or suicide-related crisis. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Pierce County Crisis Line is 1-800-576-7764, the Veterans Crisis Line is 1-800-273-8255, and the Washington Recovery Help Line is 1-866-789-1511. Teens can also access help through the Teen Link at 1-866-833-6546. 

The Attorney General’s Office also recently launched “Hear Me WA” at hearmewa.org, a program for young Washingtonians up to age 25 who are experiencing stress, anxiety, violent threats, sexual abuse – or anything that makes life hard. Youth can get secure, free support any time from professionals who are ready to listen.