The City of Clayton strives to provide excellent service to all members of our community.  In that spirit, the Clayton Police and Fire Departments are collaborating to enhance the safety of persons with special needs by launching new, innovative programs: the Special Needs Registry and STARS.

Special Needs Registry

The Special Needs Registry (SNR) is a secure information database maintained by the Clayton Police Department that helps officers recognize and respond to individuals with special needs.  Voluntarily provide information about a loved one with special needs of any age, who may require special assistance in an emergency or interaction with first responders. Officers can access the information in the secure SNR database to assist residents with special needs if the person is lost, found or needs help.

What information is provided in the Special Needs Registry?

1. A photograph, description and contact information for the person
2. Information needed to find those who wander away from home and identify "found" individuals
3. Important medical, safety and behavioral concerns
4. Helpful suggestions for interacting with the person with a disability or medical condition

Who can enroll?

Parents and caregivers may enroll a person of any age with any type of medical condition or disability, including but not limited to: 

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Alzheimer's
• Dementia
• Bipolar Disorder
• Down Syndrome
• Epilepsy

Adults with special needs may also enroll themselves to provide important information in case of emergency.  In the online Special Needs Registration Form, an option is available to have the participant’s information forwarded to the Clayton Fire Department to start the registration for their Special Needs Tracking and Awareness Response System (additional information below).  

Contact Cpl. Jenny Schwartz if you have any questions about the SNR: jschwartz@claytonmo.gov or (314) 290-8424.

STARS

The Clayton Fire Department’s Special Needs Tracking and Awareness Response System (STARS) assists firefighters and paramedics with providing emergency care to special needs participants.  Each resident enrolled in STARS has a form detailing his or her medical history, medications, allergies, baseline vital signs, baseline neurological status, and common medical emergencies. These forms will be stored on the ambulance. Each patient is assigned a number, which corresponds to the personalized form. Should you need to call 911, the caller gives the dispatcher the number, which is then relayed to the responding ambulance. Having this information at hand can prove vital, especially when a regular caretaker is not present. Residents who especially benefit are those with significant developmental delay, seizure disorders, cardiac history, cerebral shunts, tracheostomies and any atypical diseases or syndromes.

The Fire Department will receive information about individuals from the Police Department’s Special Needs Registry and then make an appointment to discuss medical and privacy information for the STARS form.  

Contact the STARS Coordinator, Firefighter/Paramedic John Herr, if you have any questions about this program. You can also contact Firefighter Herr if you only want to participate in STARS without participating in the Police Department’s SNR: jherr@claytonmo.gov or (314) 290-8480.

Enroll here to participate in the Special Needs Registry and STARS program: Special Needs Enrollment Form