DEARBORN — The Dearborn Police and Fire Departments are reminding residents about their special needs registry.

Initiated in 2016, the registry is for residents and their families with special needs to register their addresses so that first responders are better prepared upon arrival when responding to emergency calls.

Lieutenant Jack Lengyel said this is intended for both mental and physical special needs.

“Whether a resident or someone in their household is on oxygen, has Autism, has a heart condition, any known mental illnesses or anything of that nature, they are asked to register via the special needs registry,” he said. “Forms do need to be filled out every year, though, so we can make sure our information is accurate and up to date.”

Lengyel also said that Dearborn police officers receive extensive training for these types of cases.

“Our officers are given different training on how to assess and handle different types of disabilities,” he said. “We have a yearly in-service training program and online quarterly training to help train our officers on managing calls involving persons with Autism and interacting with the mentally ill.”

The program is also not age specific and residents with any type of chronic condition or ailment are asked to register.

“It’s a matter of getting as much information to the first responders as possible,” Lengyel said. “It’s so that they can be better equipped to handle situations.”

With this registry, Lengyel said that when a resident on the registry calls into 911, a flag will appear for dispatchers and first responders advising of the special circumstance.

“We want to do what we can to improve service to our residents,” he said. “The more information we have, the better prepared we are on what to expect when responding.”

Forms for the registry can be obtained at the police department or submitted online at https://cityofdearborn.org/component/rsform/form/46-dearborn-police-department-special-needs-9-1-1-registry.