Access & Functional Needs Program

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The Brunswick County Emergency Services Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Program was created to ensure that all our residents with access and/or functional needs are identified, have professional assistance planning for emergency events and, when necessary, are able to evacuate their homes, integrate seamlessly into the county’s general population shelters and return safely to their homes. The main component of this program is the AFN Registry; a HIPPA compliant database of Brunswick County residents who may have additional needs before, during and after an emergency event. Staff meets with residents to help develop personal emergency plans. Each resident in the AFN Registry is called when an emergency evacuation is anticipated/has occurred; transportation is provided to shelters for those who require such. For the AFN Program to be the effective emergency management planning & response tool that it’s intended to be, Brunswick County Emergency Services staff must collaborate with multiple departments, volunteers and other community organizations to meet the needs of our residents. Over 1,000 residents have been active in our AFN Program since its inception on January 3, 2017.