Emergency Registry for People With Special Needs

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) The next time disaster strikes Utah, emergency officials hope to have a complete list of people who might need special assistance. The Division of Homeland Security has created an online registry for people to make their needs known. Trainer Lisa Cook gives a real-world example:

"If you look back at the winter storm of Christmas 2004, the power outages wiped out mass chunks of the city," says Cook. "There were people there on medical oxygen, and no one knew who they were."

Cook says anyone who might need additional assistance in a disaster - such as those who are hearing impaired or reliant on life-sustaining equipment - should put their name, address and phone number into the secure online registry. In an emergency, local officials will use the list to dispatch additional resources where possible. But Cook emphasizes the registry is not a replacement for personal preparation or neighborhood resources:

"You certainly are responsible to ensure all your planning is taken care," said Cook. "But it will simply help us as emergency management agencies to better care for people who don't have those internal networks."

More information is online at www.specialneedsutah.org or by calling 211.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW