National Guard to be deployed ‘soon’ in Pierce County as part of state coronavirus response

The Washington National Guard is expected to be deployed soon to respond to the new coronavirus outbreak by assisting local food banks, including a large one in Pierce County, state officials said Tuesday.

The Guard’s assistance around the state, including at Nourish Pierce County, may begin Thursday, said Karina Shagren, a spokeswoman for the Washington Military Department. The nonprofit Nourish Pierce County distributes food at several locations around the county.

Other counties where the Guard will assist food banks are King, Franklin, Chelan and Walla Walla.

“One need for the Guard to assist with food banks is because most food banks are staffed by volunteers that really fall into that at-risk category [for COVID-19]. It’s really kind of filling some staffing needs to ensure that those who are at-risk are able to stay at home,” she said.

Shagren said as many as 140 guardsmen are expected to take part in the mission for a minimum of a month, but that could be extended and the number of guardsmen increased.

“We are certainly ready to assist as long as communities need us,” she said, adding that it will be a joint mission with the Air National Guard and Army National Guard.

Nourish Pierce County distributes food at more than 26 sites around the county, but it has lost about 70-75 percent of its 1,000 volunteers in recent weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak, said Sue Potter, the chief executive officer of the nonprofit group. Many volunteers fall into the at-risk group for COVID-19.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said those who are 65 or older and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes may be at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19.

Potter said 42 guardsmen are expected to pack boxes of groceries at a warehouse for distribution, operate two semi-tractor-trailer trucks that serve as mobile food banks, and also work at four brick-and-mortar locations.

In addition to a loss of volunteers, Nourish Pierce County said at some of its sites there’s been a sharp increase in the number of people who need help with food.

“It’s a really, really good thing that the Guard is coming to help us. It will allow us to stay in service, to help our neighbors who need us so desperately now,” she said.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Jay Inslee has issued a stay-at-home order for many of Washington’s 7.5 million residents, the closure of non-essential businesses, and bans on public and private gatherings. As in other states, the public safety measures have had a dramatic impact on the economy.

Last week, the state reported a huge spike in new unemployment claims and Pierce County was among the highest, with an 845 percent increase from the week before.

The request for the deployment came from the state Department of Agriculture.

David Postman, Inslee’s chief of staff, said Tuesday that the governor’s office daily has discussed potential deployment of the National Guard.

At the call of the Governor, the National Guard mobilizes and deploys during times of state emergency to assist local jurisdictions and responders in their efforts to protect lives and property. The Washington National Guard also is subject to the call of the President to serve as part of the U.S. military.

The National Guard last was deployed in Washington in February to assist in the response to severe flooding in several counties after Inslee issued two emergency declarations.

The Military Times reported Monday that nationwide, more than 14,830 Air and Army National Guard professionals are supporting the COVID-19 response at the direction of their governors.

“This response isn’t just about delivering food or supporting COVID test centers. It’s about protecting our children, parents and grandparents,” Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, told the newspaper. “Our nation is looking to the National Guard to help and we can’t let them down.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 2:08 PM with the headline "National Guard to be deployed ‘soon’ in Pierce County as part of state coronavirus response."