Registry aids individuals who have special needs
Manalapan residents will be accounted for during time of emergency
The Manalapan Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Manalapan MRC-CERT are encouraging all residents who have special needs that may make it difficult to get to safety with family or friends or to a public shelter during an emergency to register into a statewide registry.

This registry - the New Jersey Special Needs Registry - will enable emergency responders at the state, county and local levels to locate and safely evacuate people who may struggle to do so on their own.

According to a press release, there are several ways to register:

• Log on to www.registerready.nj.gov.

• Telephone 211, toll-free.

• Contact the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management or the Manalapan Health Department for a form.

What constitutes a special need can be very broad. It can be a permanent condition or temporary condition.

Generally, it is a physical or cognitive limitation, a language barrier or a lack of transportation. The information that is provided is respectful of privacy and is only seen by a limited number of persons, all of whom share the goal of keeping people safe, according to the press release.

The Manalapan OEM and MRC-CERT encourages all individuals and families to develop emergency plans, including safe locations to go to in the event of an emergency, as well as a transportation plan to get to these locations. The availability of public shelters will depend on the size and scope of the emergency.