For many years Washington state law has required that to have immunity from civil liability when you are a volunteer performing post-disaster building safety assessments, you must be formally registered as an emergency worker and working under the direction of the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). (Typically, the AHJ is the local building official.)

This is what we have taught and emphasized in WAsafe, Washington State’s program for post-disaster building safety assessments by volunteer architects, engineers, building officials, and inspectors. This shield from liability is often referred to as the Good Samaritan Law – volunteers responding to an emergency situation are protected from being sued when they comply with state Emergency Worker Program requirements.

However, a new law went into effect on July 25. In this year’s session, the Washington Legislature unanimously passed and Governor Jay Inslee signed Substitute House Bill 1209 (SHB 1209), “Immunity from Liability for Non-Medical Personnel.”

Say a major earthquake occurs. Several days after the earthquake, WAsafe volunteers may be called up and deployed. Until then, volunteer engineers will likely be helping neighbors and friends by assessing the condition of their houses or reviewing buildings being used as shelters. Because of the new law, architects and engineers who do these types of evaluations as unpaid volunteers, even though not operating in official “emergency worker” capacity, will receive Good Samaritan liability protection.

The motivation behind the new law is recognition of the need for “neighbors helping neighbors” in the immediate aftermath of a disaster like an earthquake. Seattle has a strong volunteer Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) program. Leaders for the Seattle CERTs worked with legislators to author and pass SHB 1209. The operations inside the WAsafe program are not changing – WAsafe’s primary purpose still is providing assistance to local AHJs with safety assessments of their building stock. WAsafe volunteers must be deputized by (and his/her building assessment work directed by) the AHJ. What SHB 1209 does is extend Good Samaritan protection when individuals are working (as volunteers) outside of WAsafe.

Read the short text for SHB 1209 – it’s only two pages long – here:

For WAsafe, immunity from liability for volunteer engineers and architects as registered emergency workers is spelled out in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 38.52, especially in RCW 38.52.180 and RCW 38.52.195. The state Emergency Worker Program is described in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), Chapter 118-04.

By Scott Douglas

Meeting ID: 891 0192 4346

By Evan Jordan, YMG

SEAW YMG along with AISC is hosting a tour (with free food and drinks!) of Precision Ironworks, Inc., a state-of-the-art steel fabrication facility in Pacific, WA.

This event is kindly sponsored and organized by AISC in honor of Steel Day, an annual celebration of the structural steel industry.

Precision Ironworks, Inc., is a structural and miscellaneous steel fabrication business with a diverse product line background. It has a 30,000-square-foot fabrication facility and a 4,000-square-foot paint facility in Pacific, WA.

The site tour will take place on Friday, September 24th at 3 PM. Due to its location and if enough people register, AISC will offer a charter bus in Seattle to take attendees to and from the event. The bus will leave Seattle at 2 PM from the Seattle Public Library.

The event will feature free canned beer, wine, and light snacks at the facility. Five steel construction manuals and five seismic design manuals will be raffled off. In the event the shuttle bus travels to Pacific, the film Leaning Out, a biographical account of famous structural engineer Leslie Robertson and his prominent projects including the World Trade Center, will be shown on the drive.

Contact Evan Jordan at ejordan@mka.com with any questions and register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9d0AVCw6zAIMHRl3t5ehJv1nN1v1wqWZX2JwTW8PyoQzMyQ/viewform

By Angela Gottula Twining

The 11th Annual SEFW Fall Forum to be held on November 17, 2021! This year’s topic is “Washington Sports Venues Then and Now: An Engineering Evolution,” which will focus on sports venues that have been renovated through the years using innovative structural engineering, including ClimatePledge Arena but also several other venues from around the state. We are excited to introduce our speakers and panelists to you:

Knute Berger will be the first event speaker and will serve as moderator for the ensuing panel discussion. Knute is a local journalist, television personality, and avid historian. He is an award-winning columnist for Crosscut.com, host of “Mossback’s Northwest” on KCTS9-TV, and author of several books, including a history of the Space Needle published for the 50th Anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair. Knute grew up a couple of blocks from the late, lamented Sick’s Stadium in the Rainier Valley, home to the Seattle Rainiers and the Seattle Pilots, and watched the Kingdome get blown up in 2000.

Registration for the Forum will be available on Monday Sept. 20 on SEFW’s website. We are working on details for the venue, but we are hoping to have an in-person event in Seattle and broadcast the presentation to other parts of the state. Partnership letters will go out to firms in September, as well. We are excited about this event! Contact admin@sefw.org with any questions or comments!

By Scott Douglas

USACE’s mission in Afghanistan was capacity development, defined as “…the building of human, institutional, and infrastructure capacity to help societies... through mentoring, training, education, and physical projects….” USACE’s engineering work for infrastructure improvements for the Afghan National Police and Army are now questionable; for sanitation, electrical, school and hospital projects, not so much. USACE did set an example of good engineering practice. We also demonstrated basic American values, including individual liberty, opportunity, and equality. I feel a large part of Afghan society has adsorbed many of these practices and values and will not forget them.

SEAW Virtual Meeting – Sept. 16

AISC Steel Day – Sept. 24

State SEAW Board of Trustees Meeting – Sept. 24

Seattle Chapter Dinner Meeting – Sept. 28

SEFW Fall Forum – Nov. 17

In accordance with SEAW bylaws, membership applications are vetted by the executive director, granted probationary status by the chapter board, and posted for membership comment. Membership is considered accepted 30 days after posting if current year dues are paid and no member objections have been received. Read More

Are you currently seeking employment as a structural engineer, senior manager, or a senior engineer technician? Check out our job board for current employment opportunities. Learn More

You know there’s a perfect job for you out there. We’ve been in business for 25 years and remain committed to creating a place people want to come to everyday. Pay is dependent on experience and benefits are great. Check us out at www.ssfengineers.com. If you like what you see, we’d love to hear from you. Submit your resume to info@ssfengineers.com.

GLR Engineers is seeking applicants for a structural engineer position in our Spokane, WA office. The applicant shall have a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in the field of structural consulting design. Desired experience shall consist of working with multiple types of building materials, project types and the ability to contribute on multiple projects and deadlines. The selected applicant will be expected to produce structural calculations required for permit submittals, work with GLR’s in-house drafting department to produce construction drawings, coordinate with architectural clients and other design team members, and succeed in operating in a team environment. Knowledge of Revit modeling is a plus. Applicant must be self-motivated with a strong drive to learn and expand their knowledge base.

GLR Engineers is a structural engineering firm with offices in downtown Boise, ID and Spokane, WA. We work on a variety of project types across the country and offer a diverse range of design experience on a week to week basis. Work will be shared between both office locations, web-based communication skills are a must. We offer a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and flexible work hours.

Please send your cover letter and resume for review and consideration to jacob@glrengineers.com.

PSE is seeking a Structural Engineer/Project Manager with 5+ years of experience for our Tacoma office. PSE is a growing, single discipline structural engineering firm serving a wide variety of large and small clients on nearly all types of projects. Our motto is - Bring on the challenge! While we pride ourselves in our technical abilities, at our core, our heart and soul lie in the people of PSE and our commitment to excellence.

As a member of the PSE family, you will be supported by a technical staff of over 20 employees with professional licenses in over 30 states, as well as in house administrative and marketing resources. PSE has internal committees and mentoring programs established to ensure that our staff are always learning and growing. PSE’s environment provides its employees the ability to learn and grow their technical expertise through a wide range of projects, while also valuing work-life balance.

PSE provides a generous benefits package, competitive salary, desirable office location, and a fun and casual office environment with remote work potential. PSE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Interested candidates please submit cover letter and resume to tac@psengingeers.com. PE licensure is required, SE license is desired.

By Darrell Staaleson

In the coming months we will be updating the Charter of PIC to incorporate the excellent past work and giving committee members new opportunities to create our Vision for the future and contribute to public awareness for SEAW in the future.

One of the benefits of working on the Public Information Committee is an opportunity to sharpen your technical writing skills and public speaking skills. And being able to write well and present yourself makes you more valuable to employers and clients.

Contact: Darrell Staaleson at dstaal@staaleng.com or 253.520.0388.