Seminole County tests special-needs shelter plans before hurricane season

Seminole County put its special-needs shelter system through a full-scale workout as hurricane season neared, testing how staff would register residents, sort medical needs and manage emergency response scenarios. The annual Persons with Special Needs Shelter Exercise brought together Emergency Management, health care professionals, public safety agencies, schools and other partners as county officials checked whether the system could hold up when a storm is approaching and medically fragile residents need a place to go.

The drill was aimed at residents who depend on electricity for medical devices, need extra medical support or may need transportation help to reach a shelter. Seminole County directs those residents to the Voluntary Medically Enhanced Shelter/Well Check Program, a voluntary program for people who are not living in a care facility such as a hospital or nursing home and who do not have another safe place to go during an emergency.

County and state health guidance says eligible residents should try family or friends first before turning to a shelter. Those who do qualify are expected to arrive prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours, with bedding, medicine and other supplies packed with them. Seminole County says it operates two types of evacuation shelters, general population shelters and medically enhanced, or special-needs, shelters, and that some shelters are pet-friendly.

Residents who may need sheltering assistance can call Seminole County Emergency Management at 407-665-5102 to confirm space and register. The Office of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County review applications for eligibility, and the county says it keeps a database of special-needs individuals so responders can plan ahead. Home-health agencies are also expected to register their clients with Seminole County Emergency Management.

The county says the special-needs program is designed to provide disaster-related evacuation assistance and care for people who have no other option, need transportation to a shelter or have a health condition that requires medical attention while sheltered. Seminole County emergency-management staff also offer workshops and seminars on disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, a reminder that preregistration matters most before a storm is on the radar.