Earthquake update: Executive Sims' letter to employees




	March 5, 2001 Dear King County employees and members of the public, Wednesday’s earthquake was a very trying experience for all of us. Because my first concern is for the safety of you and your families, we have worked around the clock since last Wednesday to clearly understand the current condition of King County’s buildings and offices, to make sure each is structurally safe, to clean up the plaster, glass and other cosmetic damage caused by the earthquake, and to find the best way to make you feel safe entering our buildings. As we re-open the Courthouse Campus Buildings — the King County Courthouse, the Administration Building and the Yesler Building — and life begins to return to normal, I would like to take a minute to describe in detail the current condition of each of these buildings. Structural engineering firms inspected the Courthouse, the Administration Building and the Yesler Building immediately following Wednesday’s quake and determined that none of these buildings sustained any structural damage. All of these buildings were declared safe for occupancy. While the damage to these three buildings is cosmetic in nature, the earthquake certainly caused quite a mess. Ceiling tiles and other debris came down on some floors in these buildings. It is important to know that these ceiling tiles do not contain asbestos. However, there is asbestos in the sprayed-on building insulation above the ceiling tiles in parts of the Administration Building. The Asbestos crew has vacuumed and otherwise cleaned up all of the known debris containing asbestos following the earthquake, and air samples taken after cleaning indicate that the Administration building is well within EPA clearance levels. However, despite our overall clean-up efforts, it is possible that some debris escaped detection and clean-up. If you find any remaining debris, call 296-0651 to have the material cleaned up. King County Courthouse Structural engineers found no structural problems Cosmetic damage is being cleaned up in public areas and stairwells Repairs to the cosmetic damage will be completed over the next several weeks Stairwells and courtroom walls are being replaced as needed 8 of the 10 elevators are operational Water and steam has been restored throughout the building King County Administration Building Structural engineers found no structural problems Cosmetic damage is being cleaned up in public areas and stairwells An asbestos survey has cleared all floors for re-entry 2 of the 4 elevators are operational Yesler Building Structural engineers found no structural problems Cosmetic damage is being cleaned up in public areas and stairwells An asbestos survey has cleared all floors for re-entry 1 of the 2 elevators operational Water has been restored throughout the building Employee Information We have established an employee emergency hotline, at (206) 296-0600 to provide you with up to date status reports on King County facilities. In addition, there will be two briefings for employees who have questions or would like additional safety information on the Courthouse Campus Buildings. When: 9:00 and 11:00 Monday morning Where: The Snoqualmie Room on the 4th floor of the Courthouse A briefing on the current status of earthquake related activities is also scheduled before the County Council at 1:30 Monday afternoon. This briefing will be televised on CTV; for employees who would like to watch the briefing, there will be televisions and seating in the Snoqualmie Room on the 4th floor of the Courthouse. Because of all the operational logistices involved with court operations, Superior and District Courts have made a separate announcement regarding resumption of their normal operations. Look here for more information from King County Superior Court. The following are hotline numbers for Court staff: » Downtown Courthouse: (206) 205.6767 » Juvenile Court: (206) 205.6747 » Regional Justice Center: (206) 205.6746 Counseling: We know this has not been an easy week, and returning to work may be difficult. Therefore, experienced counselors will be available on the 4th floor of the Courthouse all day on Monday. Employees who would like to meet with a counselor are encouraged to make a reservation by calling the Employee assistance hotline, at 1-888-874-7290. In addition, one of our EAP counselors is available to set up group de-briefing sessions for work units or employees groups throughout the week. Managers or supervisors who would like to request such group critical incident debriefing sessions may contact Pam Wyss at 684-2103. I want to thank everyone in King County for the care and concern you have demonstrated for each other and our community during this trying time. Sincerely, Ron Sims King County Executive Updated: March 5, 2001 Executive's home \| Executive's news Executive's e-mail King County \| Executive \| News \| Services \| Comments \| Search Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.