Franklin County Emergency Management provides access to public records in compliance with applicable laws and statutes of the State of Washington. In accordance with the Public Records Act, the FCEM has five (5) business days to respond to a request for public records.
The Washington Public Records Act, Ch. 42.56 RCW, requires local agencies to make available for inspection and copying public records which are not specifically exempted by statute. FCEM is committed to fulfilling this obligation in a timely and professional manner. A variety of records are immediately available on the FCEM’s website. Requestors are encouraged to view the public records currently available on the website at no charge prior to submitting a records request. FCEM Board Minutes and Info. and FCEM Plans/Documents.
Making a Public Records Request
Any person seeking to request public records may submit a request to FCEM by using the FCEM Public Records Request Form – printable OR FCEM Public Records Request Form – Fillable. Alternative methods for requesting records are described in the FCEM Public Records Disclosure Policy.
After We Receive Your Request
A request for records under the Washington Public Records Act must seek an identifiable record. General requests for information are not treated as requests for public records, and do not fall under the Public Records Act. FCEM is not required to create a new record to satisfy a request for information or a public records request.
When FCEM receives a request for an identifiable record, within five (5) business days of receiving the public records request, FCEM will do one or more of the following:
- Make the record(s) available, in whole or in part, for inspection or copying; 2. Acknowledge the request and provide a reasonable estimate of time required by FCEM to respond to the request; 3. Acknowledge the request and ask the requestor to provide clarification for a request that is unclear, and provide, to the greatest extent possible, a reasonable estimate of time necessary to respond to the request if it is not clarified; or4. Deny the request, in whole or in part, and provide a written explanation for the denial, including citation to the statutory exemption.
Seeking Clarification
In the event that a records request is unclear, FCEM will contact the requestor within five (5) business days to attempt to clarify the specific records sought. Once clarified, FCEM will respond in accordance with the process stated above. If a requestor fails to provide clarification for a request that is wholly unclear, or fails to describe an identifiable public record with adequate specificity such that it can be located, FCEM may consider the request closed.
Records Exempt from Public Disclosure
The Public Records Act provides that a number of record types are exempt from public inspection and copying. See RCW 42.56.210 – 692. Additional information on exemptions can be found in the FCEM Public Records Disclosure Policy.
Hours of Inspection
For requestors who choose to inspect requested records, public records are available for inspection and copying during normal business hours of FCEM (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) excluding municipal holidays and staffing. Records must be inspected at the FCEM Office, and arrangements for inspection and/or copying must be made in advance.
Costs
Please see the FCEM’s Fee Schedule for costs associated with public records production.
Accommodation
For assistance in making a public records requests, please contact the FCEM Office at (509) 545-3546.