Special Needs Registry to help with emergency response

The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office today announced the initiation of a voluntary Special Needs Registry designed to assist the deputies, fire departments and EMS during encounters with members of the community who have disabilities such as Alzheimer’s, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dementia, Down Syndrome, or any other mental or developmental disorders.

The announcement from LCSO Communications Supervisor Sherry Walton says the program is free and available to special needs citizens residing in Liberty County.

The goal of this program, Walton wrote, is to give emergency personnel quick access to critical information about a registered individual with special needs in an emergency situation. It can lessen the stress on a parent or caregiver when an emergency arises for the 911 dispatchers to already have access to the necessary information on a special needs individual.

This tool provides information about a loved one with special needs of any age, who might require special assistance in an emergency or when interacting with first responders. Dispatchers can access the information in the secure database and relay it to the officers, firefighters or EMS, allowing them to be of assistance more quickly, without the delay of their trying to gather all of that information during the emergency.

This program is free to Liberty County residents. All they need to do is fill out and return the attached form, and the information will be placed in Sheriff’s Office secure CAD system, where it will not be accessed except when needed in response to an emergency.

Questions about the LCSO Special Needs Registry may be directed to Communications Supervisor Sherry Walton, 936-336-4514, or sherry.walton@co.liberty.tx.us.

Download the registration form here.