Town Center Potential Impacts - Emergencies

Concerns around emergency management and evacuation of Sammamish have been under evaluation by the City for several years and several studies have been conducted. Emergency management, especially evacuation, is dependent on the type of emergency, geography, and other factors, and requires continuous collaboration between community partners, agencies, and residents.

The City of Sammamish contracts with Eastside Fire & Rescue for fire services and with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services. In the event of an emergency, protocols are in place establishing a clear chain of command and coordinated actions between City departments, and local, county, state, federal, volunteer, public, non-profit, and private sector organizations. The City's emergency plans are aligned with the Regional Coordination Framework for Disasters and Planned Events, the King County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), the State of Washington’s CEMP, and the National Response Framework.

Please make sure you are signed up for ALERT King County, which sends information about emergencies, and follow local fire, police, and emergency services on social media for quick updates.  More information will be coming soon from King County about how the emergency notification and evacuation system works.

Based on the current rate of growth, it’s expected to take over 50 years to build 4,000 housing units. Even if Town Center was fully built in half that time, it would still provide a reasonable timeline to plan and mitigate for emergencies. The City will continue to coordinate with Eastside Fire & Rescue and other public safety partners to ensure the safety of Sammamish residents.

Town Center's Role in Emergencies

Town Center has a role in emergency management. It already serves as Sammamish’s civic campus. Future development in Town Center can be designed for resiliency and to serve as a gathering place in the event of some emergency events.  Workforce housing options would make it possible for emergency responders, public works employees, and other city staff to live in Sammamish and be more available to help in emergencies.  The recent bomb cyclone, for example, created conditions where it was difficult for people living outside of Sammamish to report for work and help with the situation.