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Seattle Mayor announces emergency management order
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed an executive order to overhaul emergency management coordination across the city, as questions linger about the response to the Bite of Seattle shooting.
SEATTLE - Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has signed an executive order aimed at overhauling emergency management coordination across the city, as questions linger about the response to the Bite of Seattle shooting.
The order focuses on reforming how Seattle prepares for, responds to, and recovers from major emergencies.
"My office will take an active role in coordinating across city emergency planning, response, and recovery efforts," Wilson said.
Reforming emergency warnings and procedures
What we know:
The executive order establishes clearer procedures and testing for AlertSeattle, the city's emergency notification system.
During the Bite of Seattle shooting, no AlertSeattle message was sent. The public waited nearly five hours for official safety updates.
"I don't want to say that there was no discussion of AlertSeattle on that day, because, I actually believe there was and, again, we're going to be relying on the Inspector General to tell us the full story of why that tool was not used," Wilson said.
Katie Wilson signs an executive order on emergency response. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Released messages highlight chaotic response
Dig deeper:
Newly released Seattle Police Department text messages show internal confusion among city officials on the night of the shooting.
In one message sent at 10:22 p.m., Chief Operating Officer Sarah Smith wrote in part, "They were delayed because they were waiting for the mayor to arrive."
When asked about the text, Wilson took responsibility for a delay in releasing information to the public for the later portion of the evening.
"I think I've been clear for a long time now, that I own — my office owns — that final delay between about 9:45 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.," Wilson said.
Sources tell FOX 13 Seattle that police were ready to provide an update before 8 p.m. It's still not clear why that did not happen.
A separate text message sent that night by Police Chief Shon Barnes read in part, "I don't know who is in charge."
Addressing Chief Barnes' text, Wilson said, "I was not aware that he had sent that message."
Council pushback and next steps
Throughout the week, Wilson has emphasized "coordination" and "integration" while rolling out new proposals. However, her actions come as at least one Seattle City Councilmember has criticized her broader gun violence plan.
Wilson addressed concerns about whether specific tactics can address all public safety issues across Seattle neighborhoods.
"Obviously, there's no one tool for every problem, so bike patrols are not an answer to street racing. I absolutely acknowledge that, right?" said Wilson. "But I think that what a lot of people in neighborhoods around the city want to see is that more consistent police presence."
City leaders believe the new emergency coordination plan will save lives, but the ultimate test will be how quickly these new procedures deliver results during the next critical incident.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.