Regional Crisis Response Agency briefs Kirkland council on growth, dispatch gaps and state policy wins

Brooke Bittner, executive director of the Regional Crisis Response Agency, briefed the Kirkland City Council on May 6 about RACER’s first‑responder model, program data from 2024 and near‑term operational priorities.

Nut graf: RACER, an interlocal partnership of five North and East King County cities with administrative sponsorship by the City of Kirkland, provides civilian crisis responders who attach to in‑progress 9‑1‑1 calls alongside police and fire. Bittner said RACER handled roughly 4,700 encounters in 2024 across the region and 1,800 encounters in Kirkland specifically, and urged continued local support as state policy recognizes non‑sworn crisis response as part of public safety.

Bittner told the council RACER was created by an interlocal agreement and that Kirkland serves as the fiscal and administrative sponsor; RACER staff are City of Kirkland employees. “What our crisis…