Safety and injury prevention

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Oromo

Recent data from Public Health – Seattle & King County identifies dangerous trends for preventable drownings. Officials from multiple King County departments urge caution this summer when open water temperatures remain dangerously cold even as air temperatures rise.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Filipino/Tagalog

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Samoan

Be aware of your surroundings, especially between dusk and dawn. If you notice anything suspicious - a security light out, someone loitering nearby - consider coming back later or using an ATM inside a supermarket or convenience store.

Are you aware that an experienced car thief can steal your car in less than a minute?  While no car is immune to the possibility of theft, there are some simple things that you can do to help lessen the possibility of this happening to you. 

Learn more about preparing for avalanches near you.

Whether it is your first job, or you are a seasoned "veteran" caring for young children, babysitting is one of the biggest responsibilities you will ever have, and something that must always be taken seriously.

Burglary is mostly a crime of opportunity. You can prevent home burglaries, vandalism, and other property crimes by controlling access, providing visibility, and maintaining your property.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Marshallese

Get to know your neighbors on each side of your home and the three directly across the street. Communicate often, and establish trust. Ask them to watch out for your home or apartment when you are away. This neighborhood watch technique sets up what is called territoriality which means that your neighbors will take ownership and responsibility for what occurs in your mini-neighborhood.

Riding a bicycle is more than basic transportation--it can be a fun and exciting hobby. When you ride, you are not alone. You share the road with cars, trucks, pedestrians, and other cyclists. Since accidents can turn bicycling adventure into a tragedy, here are a few tips to help make your ride a safe one.

Learn more about the impacts of the Bolt Creek Fire on the areas near Baring, Grotto, and Skykomish in northeast King County.

Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose and the person being bullied has a hard time defending himself or herself. Usually, bullying happens over and over.

Learn more about preparing your business and employees for disaster recovery.

Recommendations for car seats and booster seats, as well as information on Washington seatbelt laws. Short URL: kingcounty.gov/carseats

Power outages, road closures, freezing temperatures, and floods are some of the most common emergency situations we face in King County. Plan ahead and know what to do during cold weather events to stay safe and healthy. Short URL: kingcounty.gov/coldweather

Learn more about preparing your schools, neighborhoods, and local organizations for disaster recovery.

Learn more preparing for cyberterrorism and how it will impact you.

Learn more about preparing for dam failures near you.

Nothing — not even previous consensual sex — entitles anyone to force others to perform sexual acts. Without consent, forcing sexual contact is a crime. Date rape is a betrayal of trust and causes long-lasting emotional injuries. Date rape or acquaintance rape is about power, control, and anger — not romance.

Get prepared with simple tips from Disaster Danny in these short videos.

Most burglars enter via the front, back, or garage doors. The garage door is usually the weakest point of entry followed by the back door (these also provide the most cover). So you want to make sure you have strong doors.

Learn more about preparing for droughts near you.

Learn more about preparing for earthquakes.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Spanish Respirar humo de incendios forestales puede dañar su salud. Limite actividad física, mantenga a los niños y mascotas adentro y ayude a vecinos en riesgo.

Seniors today are more active, independent, and in better health than ever before. However, as the population of seniors grows, so does the epidemic of elder abuse and neglect.

Learn more about getting prepared, signing up for alerts for emergencies in your areas, and the different types of potential hazards in King County. 

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Chuukese

Learn more about preparing for extreme heat.

Learn more about preparing for fires.

Learn more about how to prepare for floods.

Stay informed about potential flooding in your area. Find current river conditions, sign up for free Flood Alerts, and contact the Flood Warning Center with the information below.

There are many resources to reduce the harms associated with substance use, get treatment, and support your loved ones and community. See below to find the right resource for you.

Each year about 33 Washington children are hospitalized and 19 children die from firearm injuries.  

Use this form to request supplies or training. Click “Submit” at the bottom of the page to continue to the remainder of the form.

Harm reduction vending machines provide free, confidential access to overdose prevention supplies and resources. The vending machines are stocked with naloxone, fentanyl test strips, as well as condoms, and other safer sex supplies. Contact sites below for more information about hours and access.

Learn more about preparing for if hazardous materials are released near you.

Your child comes home from school at 3:00pm, but you don't get home from work until 5:00pm. They're at home alone for those two hours every weekday.  What do they do until you arrive?  Most likely, they'll get a snack or talk on the phone.  Maybe watch TV.  But since you're not there, you worry.  Just like the majority of American parents who work and have to leave their children on their own after school every day, you are anxious about your child's safety.

You and your home will not be safe unless you follow good security practices and make your home difficult for a burglar to enter.

Identity theft (or identity fraud) is the taking of another individual’s identity to obtain credit in some form. Thousand of dollars can be stolen without the victim knowing about it for months or even years.

Learn more about preparing for infectious diseases.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Vietnamese

With the ever-increasing development of computer technology and the increasing number of people who are computer literate, it is much more likely that our children may be victimized or exploited in a computer environment. Today, millions of people around the world communicate anonymously in a virtually uncontrolled electronic world.

Most parents want to educate their children about crime and safety, but they don't know how. Remember, you probably can't tell a child too much. Parents who talk openly with their children will be approachable ("askable") parents, and children will feel more comfortable in bringing their worries and concerns to them in the future.

Learn about King County’s opioid settlement funds and how King County plans to use these funds to address harms related to opioids in the community.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Tongan

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Fijian

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Swahili

Wildfire smoke preparedness in French

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Haitian

Learn more about preparing for landslides.

Burglars won't find your home an "easy mark" if they are forced to work in the light. In addition to being a deterrent, good lighting also allows you to see if a threat or suspicious person is lurking in your path. If you are able to see a potential threat, you at least have the choice and chance to avoid it. 

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Lingala

Short URL: kingcounty.gov/oac

 Watch this tutorial to learn how to use the dashboards.

Find information, resources and training on overdose and harm reduction, recognizing and responding to overdose, naloxone administration, and other topics to support people who use drugs. Explore on-demand trainings and resources or find upcoming trainings related to overdose prevention below.

Learn more about preparing yourself, your family, your kids, and your home for disasters.

The following are tips that can help you avoid becoming a victim of a crime when you are at home, out and about, or working at your job. By taking a few simple precautions, you can reduce the risk to yourself, and also discourage those who commit crimes. 

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Portuguese

Learn more about how to prepare yourself, family, business, and community for disasters with training and resources.

Learn more about preparedness training from King County Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Short URL: kingcounty.gov/carbonmonoxide

The skilled pickpocket has an average appearance and "blends in." He or she follows no regular schedule, working both day and night. And if you have been led to believe that picking pockets takes place only in crowds, forget it. They generally focus on the public during times when they might be carrying more money than usual, such as during pre-holiday spending sprees, store sales, at fairs, carnivals, horse races, gambling casinos, near bank entrances, etc. The best protection for foiling pickpockets is to remove the opportunity of becoming a victim.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Somali

Quitting smoking improves your mental health and physical health by reducing your risk of nicotine addiction, heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and many other smoking-related illnesses.

Learn more about preparing for radiation.

Learn about tobacco laws and resources for tobacco retailers.

The resources on this page are for youth or people who support youth including caregivers, teachers, coaches, and community members.

Seniors today are more active, independent, and in better health than ever before. Still, many criminals target older populations, so it is important to stay alert and safe.

Research has shown that windows are left unlocked and open at a much higher rate than doors. An open window that is visible from the street or alley may be the sole reason for your home to be selected by a burglar. So take a few precautions to help make your house less of a temptation to a would-be burglar. 

It is important to keep your property in good condition. Criminals are attracted to property in poor condition because they see that the owners or tenants do not care about it. So keep curb appeal in mind for your neighborhood and at the same time send the message to would be burglars that someone is watching after your home.

Guidelines on what to do during public health emergencies and other dangers.

Sexual assault is a serious problem—one that affects the lives of thousands of women, men, children, adults and families in King County every year. Any unwanted sexual contact, either physical or verbal, is a sexual assault. All forms of sexual assault are violating and traumatic.

Employees should know their company's policies about safety, security, and workplace violence. Any concerns should be shared with management.

Violence -- no one wants to see children victimized by it. No one wants to see kids hurt others. Many things today -- TV and movies, words and actions that adults learned when they were children, and the daily news -- send the message that violent behavior or being a victim of violence is okay, even commonplace.

Dating violence or abuse affect one in four teens. Abuse isn't just hitting. It's yelling, threatening, name calling, saying "I'll kill myself if you leave me," obsessive phone calling or paging, and extreme possessiveness.

Learn more about preparing for terrorism.

Learn more about preparing for thunder, lightning, and tornadoes.

Learn more about preparing for a transportation accident.

Learn more about preparing for a tsunami or seiche.

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Learn more about preparing for a utility outage.

Learn more about preparing for a volcano eruption.

Help keep waters in our region safe and fun by practicing simple safety tips. Find information and resources on water safety, including swimming, boating, and rivers. Short URL: kingcounty.gov/watersafety

A "power outage" refers to those times when regular electric service has been interrupted by damage to power lines or power stations due to storms, floods, land slides, earthquakes, and so on. During a disaster situation, electric power can be out for days or weeks. It is important to plan ahead for the possibility of losing electric power. Know where the flashlight and other emergency supplies are kept.

When you go on vacation there are a few things that you can do to help secure your house and make it less of a target for burglars:

The following are some general tips to help you stay safe when you're out and about.

Be prepared to protect yourself and your family from wildfire smoke. Find posters, DIY filter videos, mask tips, health guidance for childcare providers, and more resources below.

Learn more about preparing for a winter storm.

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Ukrainian

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Russian

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Punjabi

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Tigrinya

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Amharic

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Korean

Wildfire smoke preparedness in Chinese, Simplified and Traditional