About the Regional Coordinating Council

VISION
Safe and resilient communities across Pierce County

MISSION
Build multi-discipline, multi-sector relationships to leverage capabilities and resources to prepare, prevent, mitigate, respond, and recover from all hazard incidents and planned events

VALUES
Collaborative       Inclusive       Leadership       Integrity       Accountable       Innovative

The Region 5 Homeland Security Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is the chief homeland security policy making body in the region and is the core membership of the Terrorism Early Warning Task Force (TEW) in Pierce County.  The RCC’s planning and coordination structure is representative of the major disciplines in the region; Fire Services, Law Enforcement, Metro Parks, Ports, Public Health, Schools, and Transit.

This regional configuration was implemented to distribute federal grant funds, develop emergency responder equipment priority lists, plan and execute training exercises, create regionally based mutual aid plans, and develop volunteer infrastructure to support citizens’ involvement in homeland security initiatives.  This regional structure has increased communication and collaboration, to include the sharing of best practices and resource coordination. Operations and physical resources are maintained at the local jurisdiction (county, city and tribal) level, and coordination and planning are facilitated at the regional level.

Committee Information

Three committees support the RCC in its decision-making process: 

Risk Committee

  • Coordinate strategic assessment, analysis, and long-term planning
  • Develop and implement regional processes for:
  • Recommend courses of action to reduce risks and increase capabilities
  • Complete analysis to assist in setting priorities and selecting projects to pursue
     

Planning, Training and Exercise Committee

  • Coordinate whole community planning, training, and exercises
  • Develop and implement regional processes for:
    • Integrating comprehensive emergency management plans and standard operating guidelines/procedures
    • Multi-agency training and exercise planning
  • Recommend methods for multi-agency coordination and collaboration

Equipment Workgroup

  • Recommend acquisition and distribution of grant funded equipment to regional responders
  • Develop and implement regional processes for: 
    • Vetting and reviewing equipment applications
    • Establishing priorities for submitted equipment and projects
    • Aligning expectations, teams, and partnerships countywide
    • Adhering to federal, state, and local requirements

The purpose of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is to provide guidance and recommendations to the director of Pierce County Emergency Management to strengthen the Region through planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other all-hazard events. 

The RCC meetings are held monthly on the first Wednesday of each month, 8:30am - 10:00am in the Policy conference room at Pierce County Emergency Management, 2501 South 35th Street, Suite D, Tacoma WA 98409. The Chair may change the date, time and location of any meeting with appropriate notification to meet Open Public Meetings Act regulations.

The Chair of the RCC is Jody Ferguson, Emergency Management Director
The Vice Chair is Susan Wagshul-Golden

Disciplines Represented on the RCC

CHI Franciscan Health System
Fire Chief representative
Higher Education Representative
MultiCare Health System
Pierce County Emergency Management
Pierce County Public Works
Pierce County Sheriff's Department
Pierce Transit
Police Chief Representative
Port of Tacoma
Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)
Puyallup Tribe
School District Representative
Tacoma Fire Department
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
Tacoma Police Department
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) Representative