Climate
States diverge on disaster registries for older and disabled residents after LA fire deaths
PN Team • 1 month ago
The deaths of Anthony Mitchell Sr. and his son Justin, who had cerebral palsy, in the January 2025 Altadena fires while waiting for evacuation help renewed scrutiny of how emergency officials track residents who need extra assistance. Of the 31 people killed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, 27 were over 65 and at least six had mobility issues. A California Commission on Aging report and a Los Angeles County study both examined creating "disaster registries" to identify vulnerable residents in advance, but neither effort has advanced; the county study was paused during a broader review of emergency operations.
California's Office of Emergency Services actively discourages registries, citing unreliable, hard-to-maintain data and a false sense of security for registrants. Only three of the state's 58 counties maintain one. By contrast, Florida operates a statewide Special Needs Registry linking health and emergency agencies across all 67 counties, and several other states—including Texas, Utah, New Jersey and Delaware—have adopted similar systems. Butte County, California, credits its registry, built after the deadly 2018 Camp Fire, with helping identify residents needing evacuation assistance, though it remains voluntary and incomplete.
Sources:
Sentiment
- California California's emergency services agency is criticized for discouraging registries and failing to protect vulnerable residents.
- Florida Florida is highlighted favorably for its comprehensive statewide Special Needs Registry.
- Los Angeles Los Angeles area is implicated in the fires and failure to protect at-risk residents.
- Los Angeles County, California LA County's registry study was paused, reflecting inaction on protecting vulnerable residents.
- Delaware Delaware is cited positively as one of the states with an effective registry system.
- New Jersey New Jersey is mentioned positively as having adopted a similar registry system.
- Texas Texas is mentioned positively as having adopted a similar registry system.
- Utah Utah is mentioned positively as having adopted a similar registry system.