Special Needs Shelter Information
This is a shelter of last resort for those people that need more medical supervision than a general Red Cross shelter can provide and may have special medical needs, but do not require hospitalization or spedcialized medical care.
Should you have no other place to go, you must pre-register with the Public Safety Bureau. Find out now if you qualify for entry to the Special Needs shelter before an emergency threatens our community by completing and submitting the registration form.
Please note, registration does not reserve a space at the shelter and takes people on a first come first serve basis with qualified medical needs, so plan to arrive early once it has been determined that the shelter will be opened for a specific emergency situation. Even though you may have received notice that you would be eligible for the special needs shelter, everyone will still go through a medical screening process at the door of special needs shelter as an individual’s medical condition may change since the original registration. It is also requested that every year, specifically if your medical conditions change, that a form be resubmitted for eligibility evaluation.
The form is located at the bottom of this webpage at the identified link. Please complete the form and submit it to:
Escambia County Public Safety Bureau
6575 North "W" Street
Pensacola, Florida 32505
phone: 850-471-6400, fax: 850-471-6487
Once received, the form will be forwarded to the Health Department where the applications will be screened for eligibility. You will be notified by mail if you qualify for admittance into the special needs shelter or not, and if there may be additional information needed to make an appropriate eligibility determination. It is important that the registration form be completed in full and contains all of the relevant medical information as it may relate to your health condition. Determinations will be made based upon the information as submitted in the registration form. All information submitted will be kept confidential as required by law.
For home health care company clients, your home health care company may register you on your behalf. Notifications will only be sent back to the individuals and not the home health care company, as they will be able to monitor their clients on-line. It will be important that individuals communicate with the home health care company as to the results of the registration evaluation so other plans may be identified to meet your needs. It is imperative that individuals work with their home health care companies to make sure appropriate plans are in place for you and your family’s safety.
Should a home health care or hospice provider be registering a client, the company may register them utilizing the registration form and submitting it as identified, or they may register their clients through our internet website link https://secure.spinreg.org/. To access the on-line registration process, the home health or hospice provider will be required to contact the Escambia County Division of Emergency Management to set up website access at:
Brad Hattaway, Planning Coordinator
Division of Emergency Management
6575 North “W” Street
Pensacola, Florida 32505
850-471-6414
BCHATTAW@myescambia.com
A link to the Special Population Information Registry (SPIN) website log-in page is located here: https://secure.spinreg.org/. Emergency Management will provide access information and directions on how to utilize the website. Once registered, it will be the responsibility of the company to maintain and update the information on all of their clients within the website. Individuals will not be provided access to the website and will still need to complete the registration as previously identified.
Licensed healthcare facilities (nursing homes, adult living facilities, etc.) are required to manage their own facilities and have plans for the safety and well being of their clients and staff. Clients from these types of facilities are not allowed to be dropped off at the Special Needs or General Public Shelters.
Transportation to and from the Special Needs shelter only, can be coordinated through the Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) System should you have no other transportation options. You may call ECAT at 850-595-3228 at the time of need, or you may pre-register for “transportation only” utilizing the same Special Needs Registration form found at the bottom of this webpage, filling in the top section of the registration form appropriately, making special note that you are only seeking transportation to a general public shelter or special needs shelter as appropriate and eligible. Transportation provided by ECAT will only be provided from your home to a General Public or Special Needs Shelter and back. Transportation will not be provided to any other destinations.
Dialysis is not provided at the Special Needs Shelter. Please coordinate with your healthcare provider as to the options available to meet your needs.
Being disabled will not necessarily qualify you for the special needs shelter.
The Special Needs shelter does not routinely admit pediatric (children) special needs clients. The facility and the staff are not equipped nor have the specialty training to manage pediatric special needs clients.
The Special Needs Shelter will admit mental health clients as necessary. Each mental health client will be required to have a caregiver 24 hours a day for as long as the client remains in the shelter or that shelter operations remain open. There will be no or minimally trained mental health professionals available.
The Special Needs Shelter will admit service animals only. No other animals and pets will be allowed.
The Escambia County Special Needs Shelter is located:
West Florida High School
Building 25 & 26
2400 Longleaf Drive
Pensacola, Florida 32526
Definition of a Person with Special Needs and Special Needs Shelter (SpNS) Criteria
A person with special needs is defined as a person who during periods of evacuation, either mandatory or voluntary, will require assistance that exceeds the basic level of care provided at the general population shelter but will not require the level of skilled medical care provided at institutional facilities.
Criteria for Special Needs Shelter client may include, but not limited to:
- A person with a stable medical condition requiring periodic observation, assessment, and maintenance (i.e. glucose readings, vital signs, ostomy care, urinary catheter) by a nurse.
- A person requiring periodic wound care assistance (i.e. dressing changes).
- A person with limitations that require nursing assistance with activities of daily living.
- A person requiring and needing nursing assistance with oral, subcutaneous or topical medication.
- A person requiring minimal assistance with ambulation, position change and transfer (i.e. able to move more than 100 feet with or without an assistive device).
- A person requiring oxygen that can be manually supplied.
- A person medically dependent on uninterrupted electricity for therapies ../including but not limited to oxygen, nebulizer, and feeding tubes. Ventilator dependent persons and persons with multiple special needs requiring a higher level of care should seek assistance from a skilled medical facility.
- A person with mental or cognitive limitations requiring assistance who is accompanied by an appropriate fulltime caregiver for the duration of their stay in the shelter.
- A person whose weight does not exceed the safety weight restrictions of provided cots. (300 lbs).
- A person who can be safely transferred and does not require special lifting or transferring equipment. A person requiring a stretcher to be transported may need to be referred to a higher skilled medical facility.
Persons with the following conditions/requirements are NOT appropriate for the Special Needs Shelter and should be referred to a medical management facility (This list is not all inclusive.):
- Third trimester pregnancy
- Renal dialysis
- Patients requiring isolation (MRSA/TB)
- Ventilator patients
- IV Therapy
- Hyperalimenation
- Bedridden and total care patient
- Acute shortness of breath
- Acute chest pain
Persons with the following conditions/impairments (if NOT combined with other qualifying conditions) do not require sheltering in a Special Needs Shelter and are appropriate for a general shelter:
- First and Second trimester pregnancy (stable)
- Vision Impaired
- Hearing Impaired
- Amputees
- Wheelchair Bound
Should you have specific medical questions about where you should be going, please call the Health Department at 595-6663 ext. 101.
What you must bring to a special needs shelter:
- Each client MUST have one caregiver.
- A full supply of ALL required medications for the special needs client that will last for a minimum of two weeks. (The shelter does not and will not provide medications).
- All medical equipment and supplies (oxygen tanks, etc.) required to sustain the special needs client for a minimum of two weeks.
- Any personal supplies (adult diapers, grooming supplies, etc.) to sustain the special needs client for a minimum of two weeks.
- Any special diet needs to sustain the special needs client for two weeks. Food provided will be minimal, unable to meet special dietary needs, and may be hot or cold, and the same food item for several days in a row. This is a shelter, not a hotel or hospital. Services will be basic life sustaining services.
- Appropriate amount of bed linens for the anticipated stay.