Sheltering & Evacuation Registry

Onslow County Emergency Management (OCEM) has developed a registration opportunity for those who are homebound, have disabilities, or lack transportation that may require assistance for sheltering and/or evacuation.

Healthcare needs such as use of oxygen, respirator/ventilator, wheelchair, animal assistance, visually impaired, hard of hearing, speech impaired, or cognitively or developmentally delayed meet this criteria.

Registration is voluntary.  Registering should be done along with preparedness measures. When you are registered through OCEM's Sheltering & Evacuation Registry, your specific needs will be available to first responders in the event of a disaster or emergency in and around your geographic location.

The registration form has two different sections:

1. Evacuation Needs

If you are registering for transportation assistance only, please complete SECTION 1  and
SECTION 2 ONLY. 

You will be notified through your specified method of communication in advance of evacuation. You will need to decide whether you will be evacuating and let us know at that time. We will not be able to call you back. If you decide to evacuate, we will direct you to the nearest staging area to your home or make arrangements to pick you up. You must have your belongings and supplies packed and ready to go.   

2. Sheltering Needs

If you are registering for functional and medical needs sheltering assistance, please complete ALL sections of the registration form. 

Eligible conditions for the functional and medical needs sheltering include, but are not limited to:

  • Limited mobility
  • Needing assistance with daily activities such as feeding, medications, and hygiene
  • Moderate dementia
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Immobile or wheelchair-bound
  • In need of wound care and/or in need of constant supervision

All applications will be reviewed by selected county staff from the Functional Medical Needs Committee and assessed for specific eligibility. Ineligible applicants will be referred to applicable sheltering options, which may include a general population emergency shelter, specialized medical facility, or state medical assistance sheltering.

The Special Needs Registry is NOT intended for individuals who live in long term care facilities, residential treatment facilities, or those who have comprehensive healthcare services provided by a home health agency. These providers are required by law to have plans in place to take care of their residents and clients in the event of an emergency. If you have questions about this process, please contact your facility manager or home healthcare provider. Visit the CMS website to learn more about the healthcare providers impacted by this law. If you are a service provider and need additional support, please contact Sarah Franzheim, EM Specialist, at  sarah_franzheim@onslowcountync.gov or (910) 347-4270.

Have a Plan In Place

The Sheltering & Evacuation Registry is not a replacement for having an evacuation plan of your own. You should try and seek help or shelter from family, friends, or neighbors in a hurricane or other disaster. Public shelters should be a last resort for those who have no other choice. It is advised that you work on a plan that meets your specific medical needs with your doctor or a healthcare professional.

Please visit the Prepare for an Emergency page for additional information on preparing you and your family for disaster. 

How Do I Sign Up for the Registry?

Onslow County Emergency Management uses WebEOC and CodeRed for the Sheltering & Evacuation Registry. WebEOC is a subscription-based, secure incident management system that allows Onslow County Emergency Management to maintain situational awareness during an incident or disaster. CodeRed is also subscription-based, secure alert system that allows Emergency Management to contact a large number of people through automated phone calls, emails, text messages, and other wireless notifications.

In the event of an emergency, the notification system will make every attempt to contact you through whichever method you provide during the registration process. You will be given important information and directions to follow if you choose to utilize the Shelter and Evacuation Assistance.

In order to stay active, we request that you make contact with our office annually, or if important changes occur, before April 30 of each year to verify any updates. 

This link can be used to register for both sheltering and evacuation assistance: 

Sheltering & Evacuation Registration Form

If you are unable to fill out the application on your own or if you do not have access to the internet, please contact our office by calling 910-347-4270 or emailing emergencyservices@onslowcountync.gov for assistance. 

After completing the Special Needs Registry form, you can submit it by email, mail, or drop it off to:

Onslow County Emergency Services
1180 Commons Dr. N
Jacksonville, NC 28546

Will my privacy be protected?

The information within the registry will only be used in the planning for and provision of emergency and/or disaster services. 

To read or print a copy of Emergency Management's Privacy Practices see the following link.

Privacy Practices (English)

Privacy Practices (Spanish)