Special Needs Task Force
(SNTF)
The Special
Needs Task Force is a group composed of health & adult service
agencies in New Hanover County who volunteer in a disaster to evaluate
resources and services that may be available for individuals who
may need
more help due to physical or medical limitations.
The Task Force
has been meeting every four to six weeks since 1997 to develop plans
and try to anticipate and eliminate problems that may occur. Many
issues have been addressed since 1997 using a unified approach to remove obstacles that threaten
the safety special needs individuals during a disaster. In 1998, the Task Force
sought legislation to enable health care facilities to participate in
sheltering efforts. With strong determination, the Task Force
succeeded in getting North Carolina Senate Bill 34 ratified on July 1, 1999. Senate
Bill 34 is “an act to permit the temporary waiver of certain rules for
certain licensed health care facilities that provide temporary shelter
or services during disasters and emergencies”.
The SNTF emphasizes
educating special needs individuals to be prepared for emergencies.
Home Health Nurses and Oxygen Providers help their clients develop an
Individual Family Disaster Plan, and encourage a review of these plans
at the start of Hurricane season in June.
At-risk residents of New
Hanover County should consider registering with the Special Needs
Database. Your information will remain confidential. If a
disaster occurs or is imminent, you will receive a telephone call to
assist you in deciding what you should do.
All at-risk
individuals are encouraged to evacuate if at all possible as
infrastructure damage, loss of communication, and overwhelmed
emergency services may prohibit a timely response or restoration of
life supporting electric power.
If an event is
known to be threatening, approximately 72 hours prior to impact, the
New Hanover County Department of Emergency Management requests the
activation of the Individual Care Coordination Center (IC-3). This
consists of a bank of ten telephones and volunteers from the
participating agencies of the Special Needs Task Force. These are
individuals who work with special needs individuals on a daily basis
and volunteer their services when special needs individuals are at
greatest risk.
Relocation of
special needs individuals is reserved for those at highest risk whose
Individual Disaster Plan has failed, and is limited by the number of
available beds in participating facilities.
The IC-3 was
first activated with Hurricane Bonnie in 1998, and was also activated
for Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, Irene in 1999, Hurricane Isabel in 2003,
and Hurricane Charley in 2004.
To register with New
Hanover County's Special Needs Database,
click here, español
chascar aquí.
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