KEY POINT

Public officials must understand that people with special needs and large populations may be treated differently than the general population during an evacuation or SIP action due to their circumstances so that they may communicate with these populations appropriately and insure that they are protected.

Some facilities house large populations or people with special needs. The term “special needs” is fairly general. To help understand the needs of this population, “special needs” could be defined as “people who cannot comfortably or safely access and use the standard resources offered in disaster preparedness, relief and recovery.”