Student Writer: Patrick Schlegel (2009)

County moves to protect special needs population
Database will identify those needing extra help in future disasters

Wed., March 18, 2009
By Patrick Schlegel
Special to the Independent

Charles County citizens with special needs won't be forgotten or left behind in the event of a natural disaster once a new county database is complete.

William Stephens, director of the county's Department of Emergency Services, and Dina Barclay, division chief of the county's community services, went before the Charles County commissionrs last week to propose a collective database to integrate several county agencies that already use databases to identify and aid residents with special needs.

Stephens and Barclay defined the special needs population as "individuals among the general population that have unique needs that hinder or prevent them from taking protective actions on their own, and who may require special or individual services during an emergency or disaster."

County agencies that will participate in the database include the departments of health, community services, social services and emergency services.

Barclay said each participating agency will mange its own clients, though it will be a master database.

Read the rest of the story: http://www.somdnews.com/stories/03182009/indymor153207_32210.shtml

Patrick was published again in 2009 in the Maryland Independent (Engineering our future...with Legos): http://www.somdnews.com/stories/04082009/indytop173500_32247.shtml


Patrick Schlegel wrote these stories as a journalism II student at CSM and is currently a student at the University of Maryland, College Park, Philip Merrill College of Journalism.