SLIDESHOW: First responders drill in West Seattle to prepare for massive quake

Carrying men and equipment at the end of a long tether from the Joint Training Facility to Terminal 5 the King County Guardian One helicopter came in for a landing during an earthquake response drill on June 11.

Patrick Robinson

Sat, 06/11/2016

Experts have been saying for some time that a massive earthquake, as high a a 9.0 is overdue in what is called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The name refers to a fault line and oceanic plate that extends from northern Vancouver Island to Northern California.

Since it is regarded as inevitable, first responders came together to drill on how they would perform should a disaster of this magnitude happen. June 7 though 11 teams from across the region participated in Cascadia Rising

On June 11 the various helicopter teams including King County, Snohomish County, Airlift Northwest, and the Washington National Guard (Northwest Regional Aviation team) flew between the SFD Joint Training Facility on Myers Way SW to Terminal 5, carrying people and equipment between the sites to simulate response and communication protocols.

In coordination with the Washington State Department of Emergency Management, a unified response with aviation resources from 10 different city, county and state jurisdictions included 6 aircraft moving resources and transporting injured patients.

James Woodbury, operational deputy chief, Seattle Fire Department said, "If a major earthquake hit the Seattle area, the city would become a series of between 18 to 23 islands," meaning the various bridges and elevated roadways that connect various parts of the city could be damaged or destroyed. If that should happen, air rescue and air support for supplies would be essential. But the air resources for local agencies are under serious threat.

The Guardian One helicopter for King County Sheriff is, according to Chief Woodbury and Seattle Police Captain Sean O'Donnell, "Vietnam war era" and while still a stable air frame, it gets more difficult to maintain it over time. According to Woodbury a replacement (a twin engine version) could cost in the "$12 million" range.

But that's not even on the table. In fact air rescue programs in both Snohomish and King County are in danger of being cut entirely due to budget constraints. If there's a disaster, this could mean endangering many lives.

The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team has been attempting to raise $150,000 to compensate for a funding cut brought about by the expiration of a federal timber tax in 2015.

The $150,000 is required for maintenance, gas and insurance for the team’s two helicopters, SnoHawk 1 and SnoHawk 10.

In King County the situation is even more dire. Glenn Wallace President King County [Search and Rescue said in an email to volunteers in April
“As part of the 2017/2018 budget planning cycle, King County has identified a $50M shortfall. Cuts were given to some county departments, including a $3.8M cut to the sheriff’s office. Of the many critical impacts from these cuts, two important programs will be completely unfunded as of January 2017: the Air Support Unit (ASU) both SAR & patrol flights, and the Marine Rescue Dive Unit (MRDU).”

King County Executive Dow Constantine said that "no specific cuts" are under consideration but that the shortfall means levels of service are impossible with the current level of funding. Executive Constantine blamed the state legislature for failing to lift the state's strict 1 percent property tax ceiling which would have funded the programs and more.

Agencies that participated in the training: