To Offer Special Needs Registry
Developed to protect vulnerable residents during emergency incidents, Hunterdon County’s Sheriff, Prosecutor and Department of Public Safety have partnered together to create a Special Needs Registry that shares vital special needs information for use by first responders.
Sheriff Fred Brown said, “This registry for our most vulnerable residents is an important tool which helps police officers and other first responders to aid and assist residents with special needs, in the event of an emergency or crisis situation by providing vital information regarding individuals’ special needs.”
The information is stored into a secure database at the county’s Communications emergency dispatch center. All information collected is confidential and will never be shared with the public or outside vendors.”
Brown pointed out, “Anyone who may require additional assistance due to disabilities or access and functional needs during a police, fire or medical emergency is eligible to voluntarily register.
Emergency calls from an address that matches a registered individual result in dispatchers alerting first responders about that individual’s special needs, which saves time and can save lives.”
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renee Robeson said, “The Special Needs Registry helps police officers communicate with our special needs community and deescalate tense situations. We encourage all families who have members with special needs to take part in this valuable resource. Working together, we can best keep all our community members safe.”
Brayden Fahey, Hunterdon County’s Public Safety Director, said, “Registries such as this provide first responders and emergency managers with essential information to better serve residents.
By being able to paint the clearest picture possible during the initial response phase of an incident, proper resources can be allocated quickly and efficiently to ensure a successful conclusion.”
Fahey added, “We encourage the public to not only register for this system, but to also register with the County’s Community Alerts system and New Jersey’s Register Ready program that provides emergency managers with important information that can be used during large scale emergencies such as hurricanes, etc.”
The registry is open to anyone residing, attending school or working in Hunterdon County and can include individuals with autism, those who are deaf/hearing impaired or blind and those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, people with mobility issues or individuals with dementia.