Southlake Office of Emergency Management Staff Checks on STEAR Registrants During Winter Storm

To secure the safety and welfare of our families and community, it’s always essential to plan and prepare for emergencies. However, the vulnerable population that lives among us often faces unique challenges during an emergency, requiring them to need more assistance.

Earlier this week, Office of Emergency Management staff made 29 calls to residents who have registered with the STEAR program to check on their safety and well-being in these winter weather conditions.

To help ensure those with functional and access needs be identified by emergency responders, the State of Texas offers the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) program.

STEAR is a secure registry that allows people with disabilities and other functional and access needs to provide detailed information about any assistance they may need during an emergency. The registry also helps first responders identify potential problems before they become emergencies, ensuring that individuals and families get the assistance they need when it matters most.

Who should register? This program is geared toward the following:

• People with disabilities
• Medically fragile people
• People with functional needs, such as
  • Limited mobility
  • Communication barriers
  • Require additional medical assistance during an emergency event
  • Require personal care assistance

• People who require transportation assistance

Through this registry, people needing additional assistance can enter their contact and medical information to be accessed by local emergency response teams.

“Since STEAR is an annual registration, while on the phone, we asked if they wanted to remain on the list; if so, we re-confirmed all of their information and special needs, and accommodations and added them to the 2023 State Registry list to make the process easier for them,” Emergency Manager, Amanda Meneses said.

Registering in STEAR DOES NOT guarantee that you will receive a specific service during an emergency. So, it’s essential to be proactive and have an individualized plan.

If you or someone you know has a disability or other functional or access needs, please consider signing up for STEAR today! You can find more information here:

Register online: https://stear.tdem.texas.gov/Form.aspx

Call 2-1-1

Call the Southlake Office of Emergency Management at (817) 748 -8903

To learn more about the City’s emergency management plans, please visit the Southlake Office of Emergency Management.