Honorary Field Investigator
US Department of HUD 1986-1996
In 1986 I worked in conjuction with business, civic, and social groups in Seattle who helped reform Washington State's DSHS-GAU program and input ideas into the Office of Congressman Mike Lowry.
Congressman Mike Lowry went on to co-sponsor the Stewart Mc Kinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. The exchange of information between cities and states began in earnst in 1987.
In 1987 Mr. James Harris of Oregon's homeless program in the Department of Community Services proposed the construction of the I-5 Corridor interstate network between San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA.
Governor Neil Goldschmidt of Oregon, Governor Dukemejian of California assigned Chrisine D. Reed and Washington State appointed DSHS Secretary Jules Sugarman and many others agreed to participate in
the construction of the I-5 network. I was asked to do the field work for this networking program which continues as of July, 1994.
Not long after 1987 Governor Bamburger of Utah, the Govenor of Colorado, Governor of New Mexico, portions of Nevada, InterAgency Council on Homeless, Governor of Florida, and General Willie
Scott of Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and other joined the program and made CHAPS a national directory in 14 states.
The networking activity was origionally a small published list of homeless shelters and contacts. In 1988 we recieved a national news article in
Seattle Post Intelligencer. CHAPS publications influenced national legislation in CSBG, Food Stamps, and other area. CHAPS became a
computerized directory service about 1991 and expands at the request of those using the system.
Chris Walters Author,
US Codes Passed By US Congress
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Transient Surveys Shelters
NATIONAL NEWSARTICLE
Sunday, November 20th, 1988
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Associated Press
MEDFORD, ORE- In his wandering from San Diego to Seattle Chris Walters has surveyed homeless shelters and developed ideas about how to make them better.
"I'm not doing just a survey" says Walters from a phone
booth in Stockton, California."I live there. I'm a homeless person too."
James Harris, Manager of Oregon's Homeless Program, says Walters has provided information about the needs and movements of the homeless and transients on the I-5 Corridor - information that
officials wouldn't get otherwise
"I think he's doing a public service".
Walters said he worked in security for 10 years as a clerk in a bank in Florida before hitting the road. After a six month stint as a motel clerk in 1986, he was back on the road again. "If you were looking at me, you couldn't tell I was homeless." He said on the telephone."You would assume I worked in a bank or something. The only thing that would give me away would be my disintegrating tennis shoes."
His office is a notebook he carried in a small duffle bag along with a change of clothes and a few personal items.
In His travels he distributes his reports on homeless shelters
to city managers, county supervisors, social-service
departments, Congressmen, Senators, Libraries, and Newspapers
He applauds a decision in California to open National Guard Armories as shelters on cold nights and would like to see other states do the same. "It keeps people from freezing to death, "
he said. Walters ranks Oregon first in the West in helping homeless men to go back to work, followed by Nevada, Arizona, Washington, and California.
He said the short time a person can stay in a shelter makes it
harder for him or her to settle down and get a job. "When a homeless person is in Medford and his five days are up, he's not going to starve to death or freeze to death at night,"
Walters said, "He's going to go north to Roseburg or south to Redding. Most homeless move around because the homeless system is set up to encourage them to move around.
He would like to see shelters allow one 30 day stay a year, so people can get a job and start a life for themselves.
Replies From King County 2011
From Burcham, Shad Shad.Burcham@kingcounty.gov
To"afterdarkportal@gmail.com" afterdarkportal@gmail.com
Date Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Subject Changes to Afterdark Portal for King County OEM
Please delete Jeff Bowers and Heather Kelly from the King County OEM employee listing. Please add Bryan Heartsfield as the Assistant Director in place of Jeff Bowers.
Thanks!
<.br>
Shad Burcham
Emergency Management Program Manager III
King County Office of Emergency Management
shad.burcham@kingcounty.gov
3511 NE Second Street
Renton, WA 98056-4192
Office Phone: 206-296-3830
Desk Phone: 206-205-4072
Fax: 206-205-4056
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Update & Replies To Public & Private Concerns
Endorsement From FEMA 2005
Mary Margaret Walker
NIMS Integration Center
DHS/FEMA
Washington, DC
From: Fluman, Al
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 6:16 PM
To: Walker, Mary-Margaret
Subject: RE: NIMS Related Research Project
It ties to NIMS is the following ways:
Preparedness: Any emergency management related preparedness activity is tied directly to NIMS.
This preparedness tool (listing of key contact personnel by state and county) is a valuable planning activity and
an important resource for response and recovery activities.
Communications and Information Management: The web-based contact list is an extremely valuable response and
recovery tool especially for resource management during and after an incident.
Plus, the tool will be made available on a CD for use if the internet is down during an incident.
An emergency manager in a county could pull out the CD or the printed version of the CD and use the information.
Resource Management: See above, the tool can be used by logistics personnel in a county emergency operations center for potential contacts of resources statewide.
As for interoperability … the definition of interoperability in its basic form is the
ability of a system to use parts or equipment of another system … while we may be stretching things a bit
with this tool under the basic definition of interoperability … the key contact list from all counties in
the state has various uses in all phases of emergency management + it can be used in its CD form or printed
form during an actual event. The data from this tool/system can be used in various other systems
(resource management/emergency operations plans/etc.)
Hopefully this will help. Al.
Governor of Washington State
State of Washington
Office Of The Governor/Elect
Olympia 98504-1001
MIKE LOWRY
Governor/Elect
Janurary 5, 1993
Mr. Chris Walters
c/o 325 - 13th St., Room 205
Salem, Oregon 97301
Dear Chris:
Thank you for your recent advice. I greatly appreciate information from
all sources. In this time of growing polarization, I wante to bring
people and ideas together from all sides, to find solutions that will
work for everyone.
I've put together several transition teams to deal with a wide range of
issues, including your area of concern. I've sent your information to
that team. If they need further information, or have a question regarding
your information, they will be contacting you.
Thanks again for your thoughts. I know that by working together, we can
made Washington State a leader in economic growth, natural resource
preservation, education, health care, and all other issues of concern
to our citizens.
Sincerely,signed
Mike Lowry
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