The City of Chelsea has created a voluntary special needs registry to identify residents who might need extra assistance during a major emergency, such as a mass evacuation, a public health emergency, or a health crisis or house fire.
The registry is for residents with disabilities, chronic conditions, and/or special healthcare needs who live at home. The registry is not for individuals in a care facility such as a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility.
Those who believe they may be eligible to register can visit www.chelseama.gov/special-needs, call (617) 466-4209 to speak with a city representative, or visit Chelsea City hall to fill out a registration form in person.
Chelsea Public Health Director Flor Amaya said the need for the registry became even more apparent during the Covid-19 crisis when the city had to rely on a number of lists from various sources that required a lot of time and people power to comb through.
“As we go a little bit beyond Covid, I also think of everyday emergencies, such as fires and extreme weather-related events,” said Amaya. “The city needs to be able to act quickly to be able to plan and be able to prepare, and that was the impetus for starting this special needs registry.”
The registry is available in six languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian/Creole, Arabic, and Somali.
“It is voluntary, and the information will be kept confidential,” said Amaya.
Amaya said it is important for Chelsea residents who meet the criteria to sign up for the list.
“It is the only way we will be able to properly respond to your everyday emergencies, but also, that is what is going to help us better plan for care and respond in the future, especially as we consider large-scale events,” she said.
With the special needs registry, Fire Chief Leonard Albanese said it is only effective if the residents provide good information.
“The information you share will be confidential and it will only be used in emergencies,” said Albanese. “The most important part is, if we need to evacuate an area, we know all these special needs in advance, if we have a well-being check, we will have some additional information. In any type of emergency, we will be able to identify the special needs population and be able to provide services.”
Police Chief Keith Houghton said his department is often the first responder on emergency calls, and the more information the department has is invaluable.
“We would be able to target high-risk individuals who are homebound,” said Houghton. “The more information our officers have to bring the proper resources, medical, fire, the better off your loved one will be.”
Houghton noted that the Chelsea Police Department takes part in a number of trainings and special programs to assist people with both physical and mental health needs, including the HEART (High Risk Emergency Location Team), a collaborative effort with La Colaborativa.