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ATTACHMENT2185HSPInvestmentandRegionalProjectInvestmentJustificationWashingtoniscomprisedof39countieswithgeographyincludingforests,mountains,islands,rainforests,rivers,lakes,andplains.TheU.S.BureauofEconomicAnalysisrankedWashington13of50statesforgrossdomesticproductin2017;severalworld-classorganizationsheadquartertheiroperationswithinthestate.Washingtonhasmarine,aviation,rail,androadtransportationinfrastructuretosupportitspositionasabustlingtradecenter.ApproximatelyhalfofWashington's7.5millionpopulationlivesintheSeattlemetropolitanarealocatedalongthePugetSound.Thisareaisthecenteroftransportation,business,andindustryandisthefastestgrowingregioninthestate.Overthree-fourthsofthestate'spopulationlivesindenselysettledurbanizedareas.UnderstandingWashington'spopulationiscriticalinordertomitigatevulnerabilities,respondtoincidents,andeffectivelyconcentraterecoveryefforts.Washingtonissubjecttotennaturalhazardsandsevenhuman-causedhazards.TheTHIRAfocusesoneightofthoserisks:earthquake,tsunami,flood,biological[communicabledisease],wildfire,radiological,cyberincident,andterrorism.Planning,training,andexerciseeffortsarebeingrestructuredtoencompasstheentirespectrumofcatastrophicincidentswithinthiscontext.Washingtonsawfewsignificantchangesinthe2017CapabilitiesAssessment.-PublicInformationandWarning,whichhadbeenconsistentlyamongthestate'shighest-ratedcapabilitiessincethebeginningofcorecapability-basedSPRreporting,nolongerispresentasatop-ratedcapability.-ThelowestratedcapabilitieswereEconomicRecovery,HealthandSocialServices,CommunityResilience,andHousing-allessentialduringacatastrophicincident.-ThestrongestcapabilitieslieinResponseandlowestratedcapabilitieslieinRecovery.The2017SPRresultsrepeatedtheoverarchingthemeofprioryears:Stakeholdersateverylevelstruggletosustainemergencyresponsecapabilitieswithdwindlingresourcesandaresignificantlychallengedtoprepareforcatastrophicdisasters.Sincetheearly2000's,emergencymanagementfundingatthestateandlocallevelshavereducedsignificantlycausinganincreaseddependenceonfederalgrantstomeetnecessaryemergencymanagementrequirements.Asaresult,manyareasareinasustainmentmodewhenitcomestoemergencymanagementcapabilityandcapacity.Investment#3-RegionalHomelandSecurityProjectsTheStateisdividedinto9HomelandSecurityRegions,madeupof39counties,whichdifferinmanyrespectsincludinggeography(frommarinetodesert),majorindustry(fromlargebusinesstoagricultural),andpopulation(fromdenseurbansettingstoruralareas).EachRegiondevelopsprojectstoaddresstheirspecificrisksandhazardswhichsustainpreviouslybuiltcapabilitiesorcloseidentifiedgaps.Whilethecommunitiesmaydiffer,emergencymanagementprioritiesaresimilaracrossthestateandmostinitiativescanbetiedbacktobuildingregionalcapabilitytorespondandrecover,andbein"astateofreadiness"throughplanning,training,equipping,orexercising,shouldanaturalorhuman-causedcatastrophicincidentoccur.Ascommunicatedinthe2017THIRA,CapabilitiesEstimation,&SPR,gapshavebeenidentifiedinthefollowingcorecapabilities.DHS-FEMA-HSGP-SHSP-FFY18Page34of38KittitasCountySheriffsOffice,E21-187