SpNS

Walton County Health Department public health nurses will provide limited support for residents with special medical needs at the Special Needs Shelter located at the Freeport High School.

The Special Needs Shelter is only an option of last resort, and only for special medical needs individuals and their caretakers. It is not a preferred destination, but a refuge of last resort. Plan ahead and make local arrangements with family, friends, or church members to arrange a safe place out of harms way to evacuate to in the local area.

If you have no other options, and have simple medical problems requiring medicine or monitoring at certain times you may qualify.

Is the Shelter for you?

• This is a low acuity facility only. Intravenous treatments, ostomy, feeding tube and catheter care, postoperative recovery, acute illness treatment, sterile dressing care, bedridden and total care, ventilation dependant care and isolation care are not accommodated.

• There will be no doctor, no acute care nurses, and no specialty care nurses at the shelter.

• Shelter occupants MUST be accompanied by a caretaker or family member to provide the care needed. The shelter's public health nurses will be providing general oversight and low level monitoring, and will NOT be available to provide homecare/activities of daily living care or injections.

• There is very little privacy with occupants and staff working in a very basic, almost primitive situation. It is only for those with medical conditions that have no other evacuation option.

• Absolutely no pets will be admitted to the shelter. Working animals, such as seeing eye dogs are permitted.

• There will be only rudimentary medical supplies available such as Band-Aids, etc.

• There may be no food and it is likely that there will be no bedding.

• There will be absolutely no smoking in or around the shelter.

What to bring:

• No occupants will be admitted to the shelter without an accompanying caretaker to provide adequately 24 hours a day for their needs.

• Occupants should bring all their medicines in labeled prescription bottles, a list of their medical conditions, and contact name(s) and number(s) for doctor(s), the home health agency serving them, and an emergency contact. Citizens that have a File of Life document established should also bring that to the shelter with them.

• If occupants need any medical supplies, they will need to bring a 72-hour supply with them.

• Occupants must bring with them supplies to last 72 hours (3 days), in case the Red Cross is unable to obtain food and bedding or other supplies. Bring 3 days' worth of nonperishable foods, water to drink, clothing, personal hygiene items, and bedding.

• The shelter will have a generator, but in case it fails, any occupants who require oxygen should bring with them their backup tank.

• Other recommended items to bring include: flashlight, batteries, book(s) to read, or other activities to stay occupied for an extended period of time, any personal comfort items, sweater or jacket (even if the weather is warm), radio or portable TV with earphones and batteries.

Important Precautions:

• The shelter is not a hospital or clinic.

• There may be no usable indoor toilet facilities if the city water system's electricity is lost.

• As soon as the storm passes and the roads are safe for travel, special needs shelter occupants should be prepared to vacate the shelter.

How to apply:

• You may register for the special needs shelter by completing a Shelter Registration Form with the Walton County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications Division.

• For more information about utilizing the Special Needs Shelter before a storm, contact Walton County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications Division.
  • During or after the storm while the Emergency Operations Center is open, citizens may call 850-892-8186 for information.