The St. Charles Parish Department of Emergency Preparedness offers a number of ways to connect with the parish to stay safe and informed during any emergency, and officials are urging all residents to be sure they are prepared.

“The great thing about taking these steps now is that they give you the ability to make informed decisions in many more situations than just hurricanes,” St. Charles Parish EOC Director Tab Troxler said. “They carry over to other emergencies as well, such as incidents at local chemical plants or other weather-related alerts.”

With the peak of the 2008 hurricane season just beginning, now is the time to register with the parish’s Emergency Alert System, he said.

By opting into the system, residents can be notified by phone, e-mail and text message of important emergency information tailored to their specific location within the parish. St. Charles Parish business owners may also register, even if they are not parish residents.

Registration is available at the parish Web site, www.stcharlesparish-la.gov or by calling the EOC at (985) 783-5050.

Residents with special health needs who require assistance during evacuations are also asked to register with EOC immediately by calling (985) 783-5050.

Residents received information cards earlier this year to fill out for special needs registration, St. Charles Parish EOC Coordinator Jason Tastet said. The process requires registrants to answer a few questions about their health and circumstances.

Residents without special needs that do not have access to transportation in case of a mandatory hurricane evacuation should also register early. These residents will be brought to an out-of-parish shelter via school bus.

Residents should first work with neighbors, family, friends and social networks to secure transportation out of the parish to lessen burdens on parish resources, Troxler said.

Because St. Charles is required by law to have a pet evacuation plan in place, the parish will evacuate pets with their owners for those needing assisted evacuation. Pets must have a collar, name tag, leash, pet carrier, food and water for three days and rabies vaccination papers.

All emergency information will also be available on the parish’s media outlets: www.stcharlesparish-la.gov, Government Access Cox Cable Channel 6 and 1370 AM. Residents are asked to monitor these outlets for up-to-date information during all evacuations and emergencies.

The mission of St. Charles Parish government is to provide high quality, efficient services to sustain and enhance the quality of life for all residents of St. Charles Parish.