Sterling Heights Police roll out voluntary special-needs registry and will host regional CERT games May 3

The Sterling Heights Police Department introduced a voluntary special-needs registry and announced it will host regional CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) games on May 3 at Lakeside Mall.

Interim Police Chief Ken Pappas said the two initiatives build on the department's mental-health strategic plan and broader training efforts. "Each of these initiatives will reflect our commitment to the city and our preparedness, compassion and collaboration," Pappas said.

Lieutenant Cole described the special-needs registry as an online, voluntary tool for residents or caregivers to register people with physical, developmental or emotional disabilities so dispatch and first responders can access critical information during an emergency. "This is a voluntary program designed to improve how officers engage with and support individuals with physical, developmental and emotional disabilities," Cole said. The registry will allow uploads of photos, medical conditions, communication preferences and emergency contacts; staff explained approved entries are transmitted to the dispatch system (Comtech) for use by police and fire.

Cole said legal review and consent check boxes are required before information is shared and that the registry allows the department to push photos and identifying details to responders. She also said the department plans to work with the county and the Michigan State Police vulnerable-person program (VIP) over time and is coordinating outreach with ARC, a Macomb County nonprofit that already works with many families.

Council members asked whether the registry would be shared with the fire department, how HIPAA and privacy issues were handled, whether other jurisdictions already maintain similar lists and when it would go live. Cole said the data will be shared with fire and dispatch and that the system includes disclaimers and consent check boxes; she said Clinton Township Police Department has implemented a similar registry and that Sterling Heightswould go live "tomorrow" after final internal checks.

Deputy Chief Allen described the CERT games as a multi-jurisdictional, timed training competition intended to sharpen teamwork among volunteer CERT members and first responders. "Teams will participate in 4 main events: search and rescue, victim identification and wound assessment, stop the bleed and fire extinguishment," Allen said. He said 10 teams from the region had indicated they would participate and that DTE would provide power-line safety training during rotations.

Event organizers said the Sterling Heights CERT team was formed in 2004, currently has about 41 active members and is one of the largest in the state and 1 of only 2 in Macomb County. The event will be timed and assessed and aims to improve multi-jurisdictional coordination during disasters; organizers expect roughly 200 attendees.

The department asked citizen volunteers and training programs (drama classes, EMT students and explorers) to help serve as victims for triage exercises. Media relations will be invited to document the training and organizers said observers may be allowed to watch portions of the exercises.

Clarifying details provided by staff included the registry's capabilities (photo upload, triggers/communication notes, dispatch integration), the planned link to Comtech and the departmentCIT training status (about 15 officers completed county CIT training).

Organizers said there is no cost to residents to enroll and emphasized the programs are intended to improve safety and response times for vulnerable residents.