February 20, 2024 • 4 mins
If you're one of the 4,500 signed up for special needs shelters with Pinellas County, expect a phone call, or two, before the end of February. Nick Morrow with Pinellas Emergency Management explains how they're updating their list for the 2024 hurricane season.
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(00:00):
Gordon Bird here Beyond the News.Panella's county officials are in the process of
updating the list of people who havespecial needs and who will need to evacuate
and need some help evacuating during ahurricane. If you are someone that you
care for is on that list,you may be getting a call in the
next few days. We're speaking nowwith Nick Morrow, he's the health and
(00:20):
medical coordinator for Panella's County Emergency Management, about that process. Nick Morrow,
welcome in to Beyond the News.Hi, thank you very much for having
me. Now, you're starting outwith the people who are already registered on
that list about I believe forty fivehundred, and you're going to be calling
all those people or robo calling thosepeople. What should people expect and how
(00:43):
should they respond if they're on thelist. Yeah, So we are calling
forty five hundred people that are onour registry and what they should expect if
they're in the registry is to receivea phone call from us. And what
we need them to do is tosimply pick up that phone and we're going
to be speaking with them and goingthrough their file with them to update their
(01:03):
contact and medical information. Why doyou need to do this update of the
registry. I assume it's an annualevent, right, You're right, it
is an annual event. And thereason that we're doing this is so that
we can make sure that each person'smedical and contact information is up to date
so that we can contact them duringan emergency evacuation to offer transportation assistance to
(01:25):
an emergency shelter. So this programis really a lifeline to individuals with special
needs or transportation challenges to be providedtransportation and a safe place to shelter that
can support their needs. What aresome of the examples of people who would
fall into the categories of possibly needinga special needs shelter? Of course,
(01:46):
so an example would be if theyrequire supplemental oxygen, if they require assistance
with routine care or taking medications,if they require mobility assistance, if they
need help getting around, or orif they depend on electric electricity for life
sustaining medical devices. Some examples ofthat would be a CPAP or bipop machine
(02:08):
or a nebulizer. All right,and this is a question that just occurred
to me as we're talking here.Often these are individuals who may have a
caregiver. How are caregivers incorporated intothis process. So when we call each
registrant are we ask them if theyare going to be bringing a caregiver to
(02:29):
the shelter, and we note thatin their profile. Also, a lot
of the registrants in our program,their contact information goes to their caregiver,
So a lot of the time wemay not be speaking directly with a registrant,
but we may be speaking with theircaregiver as well. Now, what
happens if this call comes in andyou happen to be out and you missed
(02:49):
the call and it shows up onyour voicemail, or if you happen to
have your phone turned off and youturn it on and there's a voicemail message
waiting, So have you missed thecall from Do not worry. We're going
to leave you a voicemail to letyou know that we'll be calling you back,
and we'll attempt to call you againat another time. If you miss
that second call, we're going tosend you a letter in the mail with
(03:12):
a new application form to fill out. You'll have to fill out that form
and return it to Panella's County EmergencyManagement to stay in the program. The
mailing address in fact number for EmergencyManagement will be provided in that letter,
So if you miss two calls fromus, we will send it to the
address we have on file, andwe just asked that you return it now.
If you happen to have or knowsomeone who has special needs, but
(03:35):
you're not signed up for this program, you don't get that call right now.
Obviously, how should you sign upfor a special needs shelter? Right
so? If you believe that youhave special medical needs, or you require
transportation to a shelter, or youknow somebody who might qualify for the program,
you can register for the Special NeedsEvacuation Program by visiting panelas dot gov
(03:55):
slas special Needs. There you cancomplete the online application or print a new
registration form to mail or fax toPanella's County Emergency Management. It's a very
important service for people who need it, and we hope that this year they
don't have to use it. NickMorrow is the Health and Medical coordinator for
Panella's County Emergency Management talking with usabout special needs shelters. They're updating their
(04:18):
list as they do every year atthis time. Nick Morrow, thank you
very much for joining us on Beyondthe News
Gordon Bird here Beyond the News.Panella's county officials are in the process of
updating the list of people who havespecial needs and who will need to evacuate
and need some help evacuating during ahurricane. If you are someone that you
care for is on that list,you may be getting a call in the
next few days. We're speaking nowwith Nick Morrow, he's the health and
(00:20):
medical coordinator for Panella's County Emergency Management, about that process. Nick Morrow,
welcome in to Beyond the News.Hi, thank you very much for having
me. Now, you're starting outwith the people who are already registered on
that list about I believe forty fivehundred, and you're going to be calling
all those people or robo calling thosepeople. What should people expect and how
(00:43):
should they respond if they're on thelist. Yeah, So we are calling
forty five hundred people that are onour registry and what they should expect if
they're in the registry is to receivea phone call from us. And what
we need them to do is tosimply pick up that phone and we're going
to be speaking with them and goingthrough their file with them to update their
(01:03):
contact and medical information. Why doyou need to do this update of the
registry. I assume it's an annualevent, right, You're right, it
is an annual event. And thereason that we're doing this is so that
we can make sure that each person'smedical and contact information is up to date
so that we can contact them duringan emergency evacuation to offer transportation assistance to
(01:25):
an emergency shelter. So this programis really a lifeline to individuals with special
needs or transportation challenges to be providedtransportation and a safe place to shelter that
can support their needs. What aresome of the examples of people who would
fall into the categories of possibly needinga special needs shelter? Of course,
(01:46):
so an example would be if theyrequire supplemental oxygen, if they require assistance
with routine care or taking medications,if they require mobility assistance, if they
need help getting around, or orif they depend on electric electricity for life
sustaining medical devices. Some examples ofthat would be a CPAP or bipop machine
(02:08):
or a nebulizer. All right,and this is a question that just occurred
to me as we're talking here.Often these are individuals who may have a
caregiver. How are caregivers incorporated intothis process. So when we call each
registrant are we ask them if theyare going to be bringing a caregiver to
(02:29):
the shelter, and we note thatin their profile. Also, a lot
of the registrants in our program,their contact information goes to their caregiver,
So a lot of the time wemay not be speaking directly with a registrant,
but we may be speaking with theircaregiver as well. Now, what
happens if this call comes in andyou happen to be out and you missed
(02:49):
the call and it shows up onyour voicemail, or if you happen to
have your phone turned off and youturn it on and there's a voicemail message
waiting, So have you missed thecall from Do not worry. We're going
to leave you a voicemail to letyou know that we'll be calling you back,
and we'll attempt to call you againat another time. If you miss
that second call, we're going tosend you a letter in the mail with
(03:12):
a new application form to fill out. You'll have to fill out that form
and return it to Panella's County EmergencyManagement to stay in the program. The
mailing address in fact number for EmergencyManagement will be provided in that letter,
So if you miss two calls fromus, we will send it to the
address we have on file, andwe just asked that you return it now.
If you happen to have or knowsomeone who has special needs, but
(03:35):
you're not signed up for this program, you don't get that call right now.
Obviously, how should you sign upfor a special needs shelter? Right
so? If you believe that youhave special medical needs, or you require
transportation to a shelter, or youknow somebody who might qualify for the program,
you can register for the Special NeedsEvacuation Program by visiting panelas dot gov
(03:55):
slas special Needs. There you cancomplete the online application or print a new
registration form to mail or fax toPanella's County Emergency Management. It's a very
important service for people who need it, and we hope that this year they
don't have to use it. NickMorrow is the Health and Medical coordinator for
Panella's County Emergency Management talking with usabout special needs shelters. They're updating their
(04:18):
list as they do every year atthis time. Nick Morrow, thank you
very much for joining us on Beyondthe News
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