Fairfax County Social Needs Registry in VDEM Update

To help those with special needs prepare for emergencies, Fairfax County has created the Fairfax County Social Needs Registry. The registry has two categories:

Medical Needs Registry

Individuals with medical needs are those who (a) have a high-risk health condition that is either temporary or chronic and who cannot manage for themselves in a shelter or evacuation center; (b) will require assistance in performing the activities of daily living; and/or (c) will require care for and monitoring of a health condition. The names and addresses of those with medical needs will be used by Fairfax County officials for communicating with people with medical needs, pre-event emergency planning, and for evacuating and sheltering during actual emergencies.

The registry may be used for any emergency requiring evacuation, such as flooding, hurricanes or hazardous material spills and gas leaks. This information will be available to emergency planners and will facilitate the county's planning, response and recovery efforts.

Social Needs Registry

Fairfax County seeks to partner with community organizations that have an on-going relationship with social needs residents. Those with social needs are vulnerable, at-risk or hard to reach in the event of an emergency, but who do not meet the definition of medical needs. This includes people with disabilities, limited language proficiency, public transportation dependent or household pets. These people may require targeted communication, transportation support or sheltering in the event of an emergency.

Fairfax County will provide emergency planning, response and recovery information to community organizations that register with the social needs registry. Registered organizations are encouraged to then relay this information to their organization's members.

Registration is available online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/specialneeds or by phone at (703) 324-9000 or TTY (703) 324-9001.