If you, a family member or someone that you know has an age related mental or physical special need that would hinder them from being able to evacuate their home during an emergency, your local emergency management office would like you to consider registering for the free Special Needs Assistance Program, known as SNAP. The information collected in the SNAP program database is used by emergency management professionals in developing disaster response and mitigation plans, and by emergency first responders such as police and fire departments. Your private information is kept confidential as allowed by law and will only be accessed by participating public entities and any other organization which you give permission.
This program is not the federal government Supplemental Nutrition Assisstance Program also known as food stamps, nor is it a pre-disaster government evacuation registration. This SNAP program is a voluntary information database hosted by the Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management, a division of the Fort Worth Fire Department used to help locate special needs residents in the event of a disaster. When an emergency situation develops it can strike very quickly. You may not recieve adequate advance warnings of severe weather events such as tornadoes or flash floods, and man-made or terrorist disasters happen without any warning. If you have a special need and you live in an area affected by a disaster, you may not be able to evacuate your home in time and be directly impacted by the events. By registering in the Special Needs Assistance Program, predetermined emergency plans would be followed and first responders will have important information about your special need and where you live. This knowledge could dramatically speed up rescue efforts.
If you live in Fort Worth, Emergency 911 operators are currently able to relay important information about your special need to first responders such as the police and fire departments if you make a call to 911. This life saving information is invaluable to rescuers during a medical or fire emergency. The program is free, legitimate, and registration is very simple. You can register online by going to www.snapforyou.org; You can call the Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management at 817-392-6170; Or you can send a postcard or letter with your name and phone number to the Office of Emergency Management and a staff member will contact you to help in your registration. You will be asked for your name, address, gender, age, weight, contact information, emergency contact and what you consider your special need. Not sure if you have a special need? You should know that emergency managment personnel do not define the meaning of a special need. Anyone who has a special condition that might require assistance in the event of an emergency or disaster is considered special needs.
AHAS
If you are a resident, go to school or work in Fort Worth and your special need is that you are deaf, blind, deaf-blind or hard of hearing, you may not hear the city's outdoor emergency warning sirens when they are activated to help you recieve these emergency warnings, your are encouraged to sign up for the free Accessible Hazard Alert System also known as AHAS. The Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management has contracted with Deaf Link to provide a visual warning system, available to anyone that owns a video capable electronic device such a a smart phone, iPad, Android table, home Internet connection or refreshable Braille reader. Emergency warnings are transmitted in American Sign Language, English voice and text, SMS text to cell phones and downloadable Braille. Because the warnings are sent using postal zip codes as references, you must live, go to school or work in a Fort Worth zip code to be eligible for this service.
Nixle.com
Early warning of severe weather hazards, man-made disasters or acts of terrorism is available through text messages from many local jurisdictions. Check your city's police, fire or emergency management websites to see if the city participates in the Nixle alert service. Residents of participating Texas jurisdictions may receive emergency Alert texts by registering their cell phone with Nixle.com. Simply text your zip code to 888777 using your cell phone. Residents can register as many cell phones as they like in the service. Nixle.com transmits the emergency alerts for free. Check with your cell service provider to determine if charges will be incurred to receive the emergency text. Residents registering at the Nixle website www.Nixle.com, have additional options. Participants may choose which types of text messages they would like to receive: just Alert, Alert and Advisory or Alert, Advisory and Community.
Alerts messages would be sent to you to warn of emergency situations only.
Advisory messages would be sent from your local police, fire, public health and transportation departments and would inform local residents of street closures, health alerts, siren tests or public safety precautions.
Community messages inform participants of city events, park hours, library grand openings, etc.
This message has been brought to you by the City of Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management. For more information about the Nixle, AHAS or SNAP programs offered by this agency, please call 817-392-6170.