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Consultants tell Seattle committee OEM is under-resourced; recommend clearer authority, training and strategic plan
Summary
Burke Consulting and BERC presented a June 2025 organizational assessment finding Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management is small and leveraged, lags peer cities on funding and outreach FTEs, and should keep independent placement while clarifying roles, training requirements, and EOC activation policy.
Burke Consulting and BERC Consulting presented their Office of Emergency Management (OEM) organizational assessment to the Seattle Public Safety Committee on Jan. 13. Consultants Brian Murphy and Oliver Hearn summarized a March 2025 contract and a June 2025 final report that reviewed OEM’s structure, resources, and readiness.
Murphy said the OEM—moved out of the Seattle Police Department in 2020—is accredited by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program and functions primarily as a coordinating office. He described OEM as "a pretty small department" (about 15–20 full-time equivalents) that is leveraged across the city and therefore sensitive to staffing and funding changes.
Hearn summarized the methodology:…
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