Anderson County has developed a new 911 program called Project Special Response which allows residents to register their special need to be displayed in the computer system when that person calls 911.
One dispatcher said her grandmother already signed up, because she uses oxygen at home.
Heather Harris said it's information medical responders would want to know, and also firefighters, who could face dangers from exploding tanks if the home caught on fire.
"Sitting here in dispatch, you almost have to be a visual person to know what they're going into. When we get the call we want to get as much information as we possibly can and this is something extra," said Harris.
Anita Donley, with Anderson County Emergency Services, said the registry program could also help during a widespread natural disaster.
"We will have a database of special needs citizens, so if a tornado comes through we can say, let's concentrate on this area because we have five or six special needs patients we need to check on right away," said Donley. "It's just another tool in the toolbox to let our first responders know what they're going into."
Other "special needs" could include:
*Visually Impaired
*Hearing Impaired or deaf
*Mobility Impaired
*Developmental Disability
*Mental Illness
*Non-English speaking
To add your information to Anderson County's Project Special Response registry, click here.
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