About Us

The Suquamish Tribe Office of Emergency Management works to protect our people, families, Elders, employees, lands, resources, and community before, during, and after emergencies and disasters.

Our approach to emergency management is rooted in a simple belief: preparedness starts with relationships. An emergency is not the time to begin introductions. We work year-round to build strong relationships within the Suquamish Tribe and with our local, Tribal, county, state, federal, and community partners so that when something happens, we already know who to call, what resources are available, and how we can work together.

As a Tribal Emergency Management program, we recognize that protecting our community means respecting and supporting Tribal sovereignty, culture, traditions, and the unique needs of the Suquamish people. Our emergency planning is built around our community while also connecting Suquamish to the larger emergency management and response systems throughout our region and Washington State.

Our work goes far beyond responding when a disaster occurs. Every day, our team works on emergency planning, training, exercises, public education, volunteer coordination, emergency communications, hazard mitigation, continuity planning, resource coordination, and partnerships that help make our community more resilient.

We prepare for many types of emergencies, including earthquakes, severe weather, wildfires and smoke, power outages, hazardous materials incidents, public health emergencies, infrastructure failures, major community events, and other situations that may affect the Suquamish community.

We also believe emergency preparedness is something we do with our community, not just for our community. Our volunteers, Tribal departments, first responders, community organizations, neighboring jurisdictions, and regional partners are an important part of our ability to respond and recover.

Emergency management does not stop at Reservation boundaries. Disasters affect entire communities and regions. By building strong partnerships and sharing information, resources, training, and capabilities, we strengthen our community and everyone around us.

When Suquamish is stronger and better prepared, our region is stronger. And when our surrounding communities and partners are prepared, Suquamish is safer too.

Our goal is simple: to help build a prepared, connected, and resilient Suquamish community that can face emergencies together and recover stronger.