Print
Share page with AddThis

Emergency Preparedness Community Registration Program

Serving differently abled or special needs residents

One of the Committee’s goals is to ensure that all community members are cared for, timely and appropriately, should a natural disaster or emergency situation strike. This is also a top priority for the Borough’s Police, emergency management and kindred first responders. Collaborating with Chief of Police, Larry Minda, the Committee first focused on understanding how we may better support differently-abled or persons with special needs in our community in this important way.

Global statistics also support that when first responders have key information about a resident’s special needs or disability, they are better prepared to provide the most efficient as well as compassionate care for those individuals. Imagine if your loved one was well able to live alone, yet for a variety of special needs reasons, may not become aware of an emergency situation or able to evacuate on their own. Also consider how the person in your care might react to loud sirens, flashing lights and other disturbing emergency-related factors.

In 2013 Geneva released the first-ever UN Global survey of persons living with disabilities. The survey focused on understanding how the respondents cope with disasters. Disturbingly, the survey revealed only 20% of respondents could evacuate immediately without difficulty in the event of a sudden disaster. If given sufficient time, 58% feel they would still have either some, or a lot of, difficulty evacuating, while 4% would still not be able to evacuate. Respondents also cited a degree of difficulty either hearing (39%) or seeing (54%), walking or climbing steps (68%), and difficulty communicating (45%). These are concerning statistics.

To address evacuation challenges for special needs or differently-abled residents, the Access for All Committee collaborated with Police Chief Larry Minda to develop a voluntary emergency management questionnaire.

Based on successful models in other towns, the questionnaire will be mailed to all residences in October. The Police Department’s Records Management will maintain the information, allowing first responders to deliver the most efficient and appropriate methods of emergency or disaster management support.

Precious minutes prove invaluable in times of a natural disaster evacuation or emergency situation. Lives may be saved simply by having key information about who needs what type of assistance. It is also important that in the event of an evacuation, loved ones or caregivers are notified timely when someone in their care is transported by first responders to a safe location or healthcare facility.

For more information, contact the Access for All Committee by email, or call the Police Department’s Records staff at (201) 438-0709.