News - Local
Emergency evacuation registry for debilitated residents
Posted: Aug 25, 2010 7:10 PM by Dr. Anya Winslow
Updated: Aug 26, 2010 6:06 AM
El Paso County has a new resource, the Special Needs Emergency Evacuation Registry, to effectively evacuate debilitated residents in case of an emergency.
People who cannot evacuate their home or property on their own are advised to register their address and impairments. The registry is a combined effort among the El Paso County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Management, Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management, Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and Pikes Peak United Way 211.
The system is meant to immediately notify dispatch centers to send appropriate personnel and equipment to rescue and evacuate those in need. The service is meant to fill a void in current emergency rescue protocols where rescue teams are unaware if some disabled persons are jeopardy during an emergency.
"From a first responder standpoint, this is huge. It's absolutely something that will help us be more efficient in providing assistance to the community," says Lieutenant Lari Sevene.
To learn more about the program, as well as to register your address and impairment, call 211 or 955-0742.
As Seen On News 5
