Special needs registry available through Will County

By: 
Marney Simon
Staff writer

Braidwood’s emergency responders are urging members of the public to help family members with special needs to sign up with the county’s EMA service for assistance in the case of an emergency.

On March 13, Braidwood’s ESDA assistant coordinator Josh Bolatto told members of the City Council that the Will County Emergency Management Association has created a special needs registry service for those who may need assistance in the event that they need to evacuate.

“The Will County Emergency Management Agency maintains a list of individuals who might need assistance, whether it be handicapped, homebound, not having means of transportation, if they need medical services or equipment, or even pets. Some shelters, if they evacuate, will have pet services available,” Bolatto said.

“So, there is a way to do online registration… It’s not only used just if there was a nuclear event or an accident at the plant. Say, if we got a tornado striking town, they would give us that list locally so we would know which residents might not be able to make contact with someone to say, ‘I need help.’”

The registry is a cooperative public safety program in Will County designed to ensure the safety of those who are most vulnerable to emergencies and disasters, including the elderly, infirm, and those with various disabilities.

The EMA notes that families should prepare for any natural or man-made disasters, including tornadoes, floods, winter storms, fires, or nuclear power plant accidents.

The special needs registry is a planning tool to help local officials know where Will County citizens who may need a little bit more assistance during a disaster reside.

Information provided by those who utilize the registry regarding health or medical conditions can be shared with the health department, police, fire and other emergency workers to assist them in responding to a disaster or emergency.

“We’re going to try to do a push to get that out there, to get more residents on the list,” Bolatto said. “Right now, there’s 28 within the city of Braidwood jurisdiction, so hopefully we can increase that quite a bit. That’s a countywide initiative.”

Residents can sign up for the list by logging on to www.willcountyema.org and clicking on the special needs registry link.

Completing the registry does not mean that assistance will be automatically sent in a disaster, but it is an important tool for officials to know what other assistance needs are inside a community.