Registration Open for Special Needs Shelters
Hillsborough County residents with special medical needs can register for special needs shelters through the Hillsborough County Health Department. While residents should have their own emergency plans in place, a special needs shelters and special needs transportation serve as back-up options for those residents and their caregivers.
Residents should complete the application and submit to see if they qualify for a special needs shelter. The form is available in English and Spanish and can be faxed or mailed to health officials. Health Department officials assess the registrations and identify people who will need attention beyond the assistance they might receive at a Red Cross Shelter.
Additional help is available to residents, including:
- Someone with a stable medical condition that requires periodic observation, assessment, or maintenance.
- A person who depends on electricity for medical equipment, such as an oxygen machine or feeding tube.
- An evacuee who needs dialysis.
- Someone who, in a health expert's opinion, might not fare well in a general population shelter.
Remember, when evacuation efforts begin, registration stops. Registration before a storm expedites entry at the special needs shelter and assists shelters with planning. Residents not registered prior to a storm will be triaged onsite to determine if they meet eligibility.
Instructions for registration and more information on shelter do's and don'ts are available.